Cape Town – Should the Blue Bulls pick their strongest possible team in the Currie Cup?
It has been an ongoing debate since last season, when director of rugby Jake White often picked the same team in the domestic competition for a week-day match, and for the Saturday United Rugby Championship encounter.
There has been a bit more breathing room this season, with the Currie Cup only becoming a factor later in the campaign, but White has again chosen to select several URC players when possible.
Since the Bulls were knocked out of the URC in the quarter-finals by the Stormers, the Pretoria side have continued fielding their full-strength side.
In contrast, teams like the Sharks and Western Province have largely stuck to their regular Currie Cup players, while the Lions have mixed and matched between the two squads in recent weeks.
But what is the best approach? White has often stated that his Bulls team produce their best rugby when they have continuity and play every week, in whatever competition.
And that is why he had some regrets over resting key players at crucial times during the current season instead of sticking to last season’s plan, where the same group played Currie Cup on a Wednesday and URC on a Saturday.
The Bulls are keen to win something in 2023, and the golden Currie Cup trophy is the only title still available, which has seen White selecting his best possible side – apart from Springboks Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie and Marco van Staden, who are part of the national squad at the moment.
It has brought them success over the last fortnight, as the Bulls beat Griquas 40-20 and then held off the Lions 33-32 in a thriller at Ellis Park – with usual captain Marcell Coetzee also making his return after a six-month sabbatical in Japan in a powerful loose trio alongside Elrigh Louw and Nizaam Carr.
Now Blue Bulls Rugby Union president Willem Strauss has defended the selection policy.
“We have 51 contracted players (and) 48 represented us in the European competitions. I’m a bit confused when especially anti-Bulls persons refer to our ‘URC team playing in the Currie Cup’. Who should we play with? Our status and respect for the Currie Cup is immense,” Strauss said in a WhatsApp broadcast message this week.
“Obviously the Springboks will be difficult to field in the Currie Cup, but to keep the competition relevant and commercially attractive (no sponsor this year), we need to deliver a quality product to our clients (paying customers) and commercial partners.”
The Bulls have to keep winning to remain in semi-final contention, and will have to up their game even further this week as they face defending champions, the Pumas, at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday (3pm kickoff).
They are sixth on the log with 27 points, and with three league games left, they are chasing down fourth-placed Western Province, who are on 31.
After the Pumas clash, the Bulls will also take on the Griffons (June 2, Pretoria) and the Cheetahs (June 10, Pretoria), and will hope to reach the playoffs and compete for a title they won twice in 2021.
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IOL Sport