South Africa: Bulls set Currie Cup alight
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Currie Cup on fire
The Springbok squad may have been excluded from playing
Currie Cup rugby, and there may be a host of SA players plying their trade
overseas, but the first few weeks of the competition have been enthralling. The
gap between the Rugby Championship and World Cup has provided a spotlight on
the domestic competition – a blessing and opportunity for those players outside
the Bok squad trying to make a name for themselves.
Adventurous, creative, exciting Bulls
The Bulls change in game plan under new coach Nollis Marais has been the
revelation of the early rounds of the Currie Cup. Their approach is not about
bashing into opponents, falling to ground, and trying to achieve continuity
through recycling from there. It’s about running into space, off-loading and
supporting, beating defenders through enterprise and flair, trying constantly to
use their skills. Their second half demolition of Western Province on Saturday
was an eye-opener.
Brilliant Bulls bolters
Francois Hougaard was superb at scrumhalf for the Bulls
(again), and Burger Odendaal, Dries Swanepoel, and Lappies Labuschagne were class
acts, plus we had Tian Schoeman, Marvin Orie, Dayan van der Westhuizen and
Jannes Kirsten looking great prospects, but the brilliant bolters were the back
three – Warrick Gelant, Travis Ismaiel, and Jamba Ulengo. They were
magnificent. Could they be the ‘finds’ of the 2015 Currie Cup?
Lions rampant
The Lions were again the other team to impress hugely, beating the Sharks in
Durban in another performance of passion and skill. Lions scrumhalf, former
KwaZulu-Natal schoolboy and Sharks junior star player Ross Cronje made a
triumphant return to Durban, playing the game of his life against his old team.
Jaco Kriel was a star again at openside. And has there been a better right wing
in SA this year than Ruan Combrinck?