Are the Bulls going to choose the high road or the low road to win this year’s United Rugby Championship?
Well, director of rugby Jake White knows both. He was involved as an analyst in the Springboks’ famous 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph, where coach Kitch Christie spoke about the two roads. Beating the Wallabies in the tournament opener meant an easier quarter-final and semi-final, and Francois Pienaar’s team duly delivered.
In 2007, when he was the head coach, White’s Boks again pulled off the unforgettable 36-0 walloping of England, which led to a quarter-final against Fiji and semi-final against Argentina.
Fast-forward to today, and the Bulls are in a tough spot in the United Rugby Championship after going down 27-22 to Munster at Loftus Versfeld last weekend.
Suddenly, Saturday’s clash against the Ospreys in Pretoria (3pm kick-off) has become a must-win game if the Bulls hope to secure a home quarter-final and stay in the hunt for a semi-final.
They are now fourth on the log on 46 points, behind Leinster (54), Glasgow (53) and Munster (48), with four league games left: against the Ospreys on Saturday, Glasgow in Pretoria on May 11, fifth-placed Benetton at Loftus on May 18 and the Sharks in Durban on June 1.
So, it’s all to play for, and that is why White is faced with some major selection calls to get his team mix just right against an Ospreys team flying high after beating the Stormers 27-21 in Cape Town last weekend.
The elephant in the Bulls team room is what to do with Canan Moodie. The young Springbok star hasn’t been entirely convincing since his move to outside centre recently, having excelled at No 13 for the Boks against the All Blacks at Twickenham last year.
There is no doubt that Moodie has the talent to become a successful midfielder, which is also where he played a lot of his junior rugby.
KLA making it look easy 😮💨😮💨😮💨
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) April 23, 2024
SEE IT LIVE this Saturday 😉
🎟️TICKETS: https://t.co/1SiDxHNUK5 #BackTheBulls pic.twitter.com/tLH8zLY38O
But is that the best solution for the Bulls at the moment? They are clearly missing Stedman Gans, who is believed to be injured, at No 13, where he formed an smooth partnership with David Kriel earlier in the season.
Moodie, though, with his height and pace, could offer the Bulls so much more at right wing for the rest of the season. He has played more senior rugby out wide, would have more room to manoeuvre with ball in hand, can contest box-kicks and possibly take on smaller wings.
In addition, he combines well with Bok teammate Kurt-Lee Arendse in the back three, and is a potent threat on the counter-attack, as well as a strong defender.
If the 21-year-old is shifted to the No 14 jersey, then a solid centre solution would be Sebastian de Klerk. The former Pumas star was outstanding in midfield for the Mpumalanga outfit over the past few years, and has the experience, pace and defensive capabilities to operate alongside either Kriel or Harold Vorster.
Another position for White to think about is fullback, where Springbok veteran Willie le Roux has been blowing hot and cold for the Bulls since returning from the World Cup.
The man himself, to his credit, has said that he acknowledges Devon Williams’s fine form this season, and the latter deserves more game time as he hardly put a foot wrong whenever called upon.
Of course, flyhalf Johan Goosen may be ruled out if he is suspended for his dangerous tackle on Munster scrumhalf Craig Casey that earned him a red card last weekend, which will see either Chris Smith or Jaco van der Walt in the No 10 jersey.
Or perhaps Le Roux could be a left-field selection as the starting pivot.
Getting after it 🏉#BackTheBulls pic.twitter.com/QHvgEeSInf
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) April 23, 2024
The balance of the loose trio will be crucial as well in the absence of the injured Marco van Staden and Marcell Coetzee, with Cameron Hanekom arguably not as effective at flank last week as he usually is at No 8.
White will also hope that lock Ruan Nortjé is finally over his hamstring injury to control the line-outs and take over the captaincy.