Bulls back their game plan against in-form Cheetahs

NOW THAT the Blue Bulls have lost the element of surprise, they will once again need to prove to themselves to their supporters and the rest of the chasing pack in the Currie Cup that they are worth the promise they have shown thus far.

Not only did the men in blue rock the Free State Cheetahs in the opening round of the competition with a display of total rugby but they have set the bar high for any team harbouring ambitions of being crowned Currie Cup champions this year.

After four rounds of what seemed like a Sunday stroll in the park, the Bulls again face the same Cheetahs side they had little difficulty in dismantling previously but this time around the men from Bloemfontein will be better prepared and more knowledgeable of the threat that awaits them at Loftus Versfeld tonight.

The Cheetahs have seemingly turned their season around after a poor start and have won their last two games, including taking down the defending champions Western Province last weekend and they will fancy their chances of inflicting the first defeat of the season on the Bulls.

Such has been the form of the Cheetahs lately that they have jumped to third spot on the log after flirting with wooden spoon candidates Griquas and the Eastern Province Kings after the first two rounds of the competition.

But the onus on how the game ultimately pans out is likely to be tipped heavily on how the Bulls play the game. The Pretoria side have been nothing short of devastating while playing a brand of rugby that once made them most feared team in domestic rugby.

Skipper Lappies Labuschagne says there will be nowhere to hide for his team, but it is the belief they have in their game and the hunger for success that might hand them their fifth consecutive win and maintain their unbeaten run in the competition.

“We had the upper hand in the first game because we had the element of surprise. This time they would have done their homework on us for this week and they are coming into the game with a lot of momentum. “They are definitely one of the in-form sides in the competition and we both know exactly what each team is going to do. What it will boil down to at the end is which team wants it the most and that will show on the field,” said Labuschagne.

While the Bulls have racked up an impressive 186 points in four games but it is their defence that could leave them vulnerable to the Cheetahs’ newfound form and place their winning run in jeopardy as they have leaked an unnecessary 96 points with 61 of them coming in their last two games.

“We played against a good Griquas side and we would have liked our defence to be better against them. It is something we have worked on this week and we believe that it will be back there where it should be,” added Labuschagne.