Cape Town – One of the key factors in which the Bulls can continue to remain competitive is to change the profile of their squad in the years to come.
Director of rugby Jake White feels that there are too many young players in his current group, and he is looking to increase the overall age of the team.
The Pretoria side have recruited some stalwarts such as captain Marcell Coetzee, Bismarck du Plessis, Harold Vorster, Lionel Mapoe and Johan Goosen, but still have a number of less experienced players such as Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ruan Nortje, Janko Swanepoel, Elrigh Louw and David Kriel.
In comparison, the Sharks were able to include nine established internationals in their starting line-up on Thursday for their clash against Ulster in Durban on Saturday, including top Springboks such as captain Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Makazole Mapimpi.
White again pointed out the challenges of touring for his squad after naming a team that included Swanepoel, Francois Klopper, Nortje and Kriel for Friday’s encounter against Benetton (6.30pm kickoff), who have a number of Italian Test players and seasoned characters such as former Stormers scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage.
In answering a question about keeping an eye on the Bulls Under-21 side in their national final against the Lions on Friday, White said: “The problem I have is that the better they do, it doesn’t help me, because I’ve got Ruan Nortje (23), Reinhard Ludwig (21), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (21), Elrigh Louw (22), David Kriel (22), Bernard van der Linde (22) – the list just goes on.
“I cannot bring in more and more juniors every single year. One thing I am emphasising to the board and the CEO is that we need to lift up the age profile of our group.
“If I look at those teams last week, most of the front-rowers were over 30. Their locks are 33, the captain is 33 and has 87 Test caps. WJ Steenkamp made his first URC start.
“There are only so many spots in the senior squad. I think our squad is probably overloaded with juniors – we need to be looking at some older players to join us from overseas: that’s our target market at this stage.”
The Bulls were linked with Bok prop Wilco Louw earlier this week, who has played for them and the Stormers previously and is currently at Harlequins in England.
But White will also be hoping that other signings such as Goosen, Cyle Brink and Jacques du Plessis can recover from their injuries and be back on the pitch soon.
The Bulls boss again emphasised that it will take time for his players to get used to winning away games.
“You (the media) are the ones who make us a not-so-good touring team – because you write about it all the time! We don’t talk about it… we don’t say we are a bad touring team. We won as many away games last season as any other South African team did. No one beat Munster away, no one beat Glasgow away,” the former Bok coach said.
“We’ve had very tough tours. Last year, we had four games against the best sides, and almost all of them ended up in the top eight. This year we played Glasgow and Munster, and who knows, maybe even Benetton will finish in the top eight this year.
“We’ve beaten SA A in Cape Town – that was an away game. We’ve beaten Province more times in Cape Town than anyone else. We will win away games when we get better, and we understand the tournament and teams better, and get a bit more depth in our squad.
“I’m not taking anything away from the boys we have now, but we will be able to win. We are not doing anything different to what anyone else is doing away from home.
“Nineteen of that side are going to play for Italy against South Africa, Australia, Samoa… that’s the kind of experience they are going to pick up in the next month. And then I’m sure when they come back to URC, they are going to use that experience to get better as well.
“That’s the one thing: we don’t have that. You guys asked me the whole press conference on Goosen, who is the one guy – who has been out for 11 months – who can play Test rugby the following week for the Springboks.
“When you talk to the Sharks and Stormers, you are talking about 15 guys. Not taking anything away from what I have… that is what we have. It’s part of my job and the coaches to get those players better.
“Last week, Ireland picked 14 of the Munster players for the autumn internationals, and I’m sure there are plenty in the Scottish team from Glasgow – unlike what we’re sitting with.
“It’s no one’s fault, it’s what we have and we work with that. But I can tell you that it won’t be long – maybe three or four years from now – people will ask me about 10, 11, 12, 13 Bulls players that are going to be playing international rugby.
“And then maybe the questions won’t be about one guy who’s just come back from injury. And that’s part of where we’re going, where we want to get to.
“Until that time, we’ve got to learn. We’ve got to take what we got last time, put it in our memory bank, and make sure we get better (Friday) night (against Benetton).”
IOL Sport