Bulls coach Nomlomo feels veteran scrumhalf Schreuder has added touch of class to Cavaliers

Bulls Currie Cup coach Phiwe Nomlomo feels veteran scrumhalf Louis Schreuder’s return from Bath in the Premiership is helping knit together an already fearsome Boland Cavaliers backline.

The Bulls face their high-riding ‘brothers’ – Bulls owners Johann Rupert and Patrice Motsepe are also majority shareholders in Boland – in round four of the competition at Boland Rugby Stadium in Wellington on Sunday (3pm kick-off).

The hosts are fresh off a 29-10 bonus-point win against the Lions in round three in Wellington that increased their chances of making the Currie Cup play-offs. The Bulls are still smarting from a 41-7 humbling by the Pumas at home after two convincing wins. 

The two teams are joined on 11 points by log leaders the Pumas.

“Boland are pretty sharp,” Nomlomo said during an online media conference on Tuesday afternoon.

“Louis Schreuder came on at nine and he’s a seasoned campaigner. He’s literally just won the championship with Bath and now he comes in, so he’ll be a massive help from that perspective.”

Boland flyhalf Ashlon Davids seems to already be reaping the benefits of playing alongside the experienced former Stormers scrumhalf, who is now 35.

“They’ve got a 10 that’s flying at the moment, he’s been class. So too a couple of boys at inside centre – they’ve got a couple of options there. (Lunathi) Xele has looked good and I know they’ve played (Xavier) Mitchell at wing, but he can do a job at centre,” Nomlomo said.

Blitzboks speedster Donovan Donn has also been in great try-scoring form on the wing, bagging two of the Cavaliers' four tries on Saturday.  

And Nomlomo does not expect the Wellington side to stray from their attacking blueprint when his side visits.

“I think Boland are not going to shy away from what’s made them really good at home. They’ll stick to their guns and we’ve just got to be prepared for anything  that they throw at us,” he said.

Nomlomo said they would make a call on the availability of No 8 Jeandre Rudolph later in the week, after he picked up a “niggle” against the Pumas, while prop Dylan Smith had suffered a tournament-ending injury.