Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee will want to see improvement in various areas when his team faces Cardiff on Friday at Loftus Versfeld.
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The next two weekends will be a proper test of their grit and mentality as the Bulls strive to nail down a Top 8 spot in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Starting with Friday’s encounter (7pm kick-off) against the fifth-placed Cardiff Rugby at Loftus Versfeld, the Pretoria side knows that wins are becoming a non-negotiable, especially at home, if they want to stay in contention.
The unexpected 32-19 loss against the Stormers put the side of Johan Ackermann on the back foot, but they hold their playoff fate firmly in their hands. Over the next couple of weekends at home, they need to pick up the slack against strong teams to put themselves into a good position as the URC season reaches its climax.
Following the defeat at Loftus, there are a couple of aspects of their game that must be sharpened up ahead of Cardiff’s visit.
One of the most important areas the Bulls must improve on is their kicking game and overall territorial strategy. Let’s be honest, the Stormers comfortably outkicked them this past Saturday, and that result yielded good territory and attacking opportunities for the visitors. Cardiff will have taken note of that.
This season, they have often relied heavily on their attacking flair without consistently applying pressure through smart kicks. Against a side like Cardiff, who are comfortable playing without the ball and capitalising on errors, this approach can be a massive risk.
A strong territorial game, especially with box kicks off scrumhalf and flyhalf, will not only relieve pressure from their half but also create a strong platform on the attack via lineouts or scrums.
Beyond the kicking game, their ability to deliver a string of strong performances, six in total, will be under scrutiny following another loss in a game that was winnable.
Too often in matches this season, the Bulls have dominated, but lapses in concentration have allowed opponents back into contests. Maintaining control, particularly when they’ve started dominating, will be essential.
Being consistent in their performances could be the difference between hosting a playoff or having to travel to Leinster or Glasgow for a match. Cardiff thrives on staying in the fight and exploiting late opportunities in a game, and an 80-minute consistent effort will be key to a victory.
Yellow cards against the Stormers took the team right out of the contest, and their discipline when defending hasn’t been the best.
Conceding penalties, especially in their own half, will hand Cardiff easy territory and opportunities to score. Those penalty goals of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu this past Saturday punished the Bulls on the scoreboard and allowed the Stormers to pull away from them.
That is why discipline and efficiency at the breakdown will also play a key role. Quick and clean ball possession will allow the Bulls to impose their attacking blueprint, while slow or disrupted possession will play directly into Cardiff’s strengths. Protecting possession and limiting turnovers will be vital.
Finally, the Bulls must be more clinical in converting their opportunities into points. They are creating good chances with smart plays, especially when they rely on route one through the pick-and-go plays of the forwards.
However, dominance without reward can quickly become a frustration, and that is exactly what happened against the Stormers, after which they spiralled.
Against a structured defensive side like Cardiff, their attacking chances will likely be limited. Taking the opportunity for points when it presents itself could ultimately decide the outcome of this encounter.
The Bulls didn’t use those opportunities against the Stormers, and they were not clinical enough when it mattered. This ultimately left them on the back foot for most of the second half, costing them a valuable win. They will want to avoid a repeat of that.