Bakkies’ loss no blowout
11 Mar 2010
Frans Ludeke believes the Bulls are well covered at lock despite Bakkies Botha’s unavailability for the Australasian tour.
Bulls team doctor Org Strauss confirmed to keo.co.za on Monday that Botha, who has been sidelined since December 2009 with an Achilles tendon injury, would miss the Australasian tour. This was after he was initially expected to return by the end of March.
The Springbok lock’s physicality has been central to the Bulls’ success in recent years and he’s a key senior player whose experience is valued within the side.
Head coach Ludeke acknowledged Botha’s unavailability was a significant blow, but refused to panic, stressing that those who had deputised in his absence have exceeded expectations.
‘Danie Rossouw and Flip van der Merwe have done really well for us at No 4 lock, which eases the pressure on us losing a player like Bakkies,’ he told keo.co.za.
‘Obviously Bakkies is a crucial member of the side, but when a young guy like Flip sticks up his hand like he has, or an experienced player like Danie steps up, it makes you confident that you can cope. We hope Bakkies recovers quickly, but I have full faith that the boys can do a job for us on tour.’
That tour is still a fortnight away, and Ludeke’s immediate thoughts are directed at ousting the Highlanders at Loftus on Saturday.
They enter the match heavily favoured to register their fourth successive bonus-point victory, especially with the Landers’ resources depleted by an injury to captain Jimmy Cowan, and the suspension of flyhalf Michael Hobbs and All Black flank Adam Thomson for breaking team curfew.
‘Cowan is obviously an important cog in their machine and they’ll miss him for sure, but we’re not focused so much on who is or who isn’t available,’ Ludeke said.
‘We’ve made the error in the past of shifting the focus onto our opponents and neglecting what we want to achieve. Being reactive is not our style. We want to impose ourselves on our opponents and make them make the errors.’
Ludeke added that they have broken their campaign up into three phases, the first of which encompasses the games leading up to the final home match against the Hurricanes next week, then their four-match tour, and finally the remaining four matches on their return (three home and one away).
‘Phase one has two games to run before we can conclude that it was a success,’ he said.
‘We’re not taking anything for granted against the Highlanders. We respect their ability to hurt their opponents when they’re on song and we’ll be determined not to give them an opportunity to do that to us.’
By Ryan Vrede
38 Comments
11 Mar 2010, 09:42 am
no comment !
11 Mar 2010, 09:57 am
Bad for the bulls but good for the Boks. We need players to have a good break so we go to the WC next year relatively fresh ala 2007.
11 Mar 2010, 09:58 am
im envious of the bulls resources!!!! they are leading in all departments. the rest of the sa franchises should be taking a feather from the bulls hat.
11 Mar 2010, 10:03 am
What do you call a sheep that is tied to a sheep in New Zeeland? — A playstation
11 Mar 2010, 10:07 am
@All_Blacks_Sux:
Eish.. Bakkies is going to be far too fresh for the Stormers game..we won’t stand back tho’…
11 Mar 2010, 10:07 am
Bakkies you need your rest.
You will come back stronger, bigger and faster.
Bulls have a lot of depth.
11 Mar 2010, 10:13 am
@All_Blacks_Sux: we seen that joke yesterday, originality is a wonderful thing, you should try it sometime…
as for your nic, bwahahaha sounds like someone is annoyed that they didnt get the attention earlier under one of your many other nics??
11 Mar 2010, 10:18 am
poppa69, so what do you feed the sheep b4 you hump it? … grass? or do you make it as romantic as possible?
11 Mar 2010, 10:22 am
@All_Blacks_Sux: Like the karoo farmers..I believe they feed their sheep Boerewors..!
11 Mar 2010, 10:22 am
@All_Blacks_Sux: bwahahahaha you arent even funny… do your parents know youre on the computer, are you even allowed to be??
11 Mar 2010, 10:40 am
@All_Blacks_Sux: Give it up. All this re-invented and altered, and stolen nics simply make you look stupid.
11 Mar 2010, 10:45 am
shushh you qouta you
11 Mar 2010, 11:05 am
@All_Blacks_Sux: I’m sure there is a KKK blog you can vent your spleen on. Let me get you started.
I am a black woman. That ought to enrage you enough. Now go. Or you could always run to your RT. Whatever.
11 Mar 2010, 11:14 am
@All_Blacks_Sux: You idiot! Stop embarrassing us. You useless mullet!
11 Mar 2010, 11:18 am
@rossoneri: I am always confused by how much every-one knows about every-one else on this blog!
How do you know who this person is, and what their nickname in the past was?
11 Mar 2010, 11:20 am
Burp!
11 Mar 2010, 11:25 am
@Staal: Are you in the know about the training sessions of the Bulls when they are on tour in Australasia?
I am currently based in Australia and wouldn’t mind try to catch a training session or two.
11 Mar 2010, 11:26 am
@WOLFMAN21: Been around. Not that hard to figure when he distorts other people’s nics with dashes. My nic was messed with by him too. He posts the most outrageous racist things, under the distorted nic of another blogger whom we all know to be very liberal. That is how, and now it’s easy to spot him.
His angle is hate the Nzlanders, Hate people and players of colour and he targets and attacks certain more liberal thinking bloggers.
eg. He’ll not like you and start posting under you nic, with an alteration that you are ***.
He has done it before.
11 Mar 2010, 11:32 am
@All_Blacks_Sux: You are clumsy and stupid in both nic and comments.
11 Mar 2010, 11:35 am
Wow, guess who bunked school today and decided to chat to the grown ups
11 Mar 2010, 11:37 am
@Richie_7: Just please don’t tell my parents.
11 Mar 2010, 11:39 am
Flip has really done well !!!
Good to know that the successors are already in place…
11 Mar 2010, 11:41 am
@WOLFMAN21:
11 Mar 2010, 11:43 am
Give Bakkies freedom and space to heal; his young replacement is doing s sterling job. With peace of mind that things aren’t falling apart without him there it will take the pressure off him and let the big guy focus on getting better
11 Mar 2010, 11:48 am
@Richie_7: Yeah, a good amount of time out can result in him playing a season or two longer.
The Bulls now know that when Bakkies does retire or head to France, they have a ready made replacement, who is gaining good experience.
11 Mar 2010, 13:41 pm
@rossoneri:
Rossoneri aka Lilith, aka hater and who know what else. You a fine one to talk about changing nics you racist sl u t
11 Mar 2010, 14:27 pm
i remember lilith “thing” no excuse for a human being, racist like malema … hope its not her ..cause i thought she’s looooooong gone …eaten by worms, burning in hell
11 Mar 2010, 14:41 pm
@rossoneri:
wow wee…..aren’t you the rightous one.
from what I read from you, you are by far and way one of the 3 top biggots on this blog.
i guess Malemas latest “Murder the Boer” rant is “A” ok for you?
…because that is about as kkk as you can get.
but then, you can’t see the wood through the trees can you?
11 Mar 2010, 17:19 pm
When the dust settles, we should return to rugby people……. already now, please!!
12 Mar 2010, 00:49 am
Bulls are heading for a fall. Their backline is going to struggle if and when their forwards encounter some stiff competition. I am really glad the Bulls are doing well(makes my life easier in NZ), but am really worried about their backline. FDP and Olivier can hold them together for only so long. The true test will come when the Bulls travel. Loftus ads another 2 players on the field for them…
12 Mar 2010, 01:12 am
@K00s:
No man, it is only a blog – no need to go to such extremes – why the hatred and the nonsense about the “hell”.
@Rugbyfiction:
I agree, it is highly unlikely that they will keep the momentum throughout the tournament. For their fans’s sake lets hope the inevitable collapse does not come during the business end of the tourno.
12 Mar 2010, 02:07 am
Must admit after seeing the Bulls team sheet with all the unknowns in the beginning of the season I thought they were in for a hiding of note. They are obviously well coached and the senior guys are supporting the youngsters well. Just cant see it staying that way for long. Their scrum is average, line outs good. But as soon as their back line is going to get pressure cracks will begin to show. Landers are going to test them upfront. Imo the Stormers currently has the best tight 5 out of the SA sides?
12 Mar 2010, 02:25 am
@Rugbyfiction:
I agree, the Stormers have the best tight 5 in SA. The problem they have is a lack of depth in vital positions – they have no backup for someone like Bekker for instance while the Bulls are strong in this regard.
The SA teams in sequence of strength are:
Bulls
Stormers
Sharks
Cheetahs
Lions
The Bulls and Stormers are the only real contenders for semi spots but the sharks are better than their current log position and might still play a role later in the comp. The other 2 teams are useless.
12 Mar 2010, 02:42 am
I agree. Do you know when Fondse and Koster are coming back for the Stormers? Not allot have been reported on them. I saw Koster play at schools and it was scary how good he was(fast, strong and very smart). Hopefully he isnt lost after that injury…
12 Mar 2010, 05:45 am
@Rugbyfiction:
Look it’s your opinion…
But the Bulls scrum have been one of their positives this season…
12 Mar 2010, 05:48 am
@Robzim:
Sharks 3rd…
Maybe on paper yes…
I suppose being on a blog is as close as you can get…
12 Mar 2010, 07:07 am
BTW, for those who ignore Morne Steyns brilliance – try to review the Bulls-Waratahs game and try to spot the individual who set up every try the Bulls score with the only exception Wynand’s cutout and handoff to vd Heever.
12 Mar 2010, 10:22 am
amazing how long hougard kept steyn out of the bulls team. imagine how good he’d be if he’d been first choice a couple extra seasons.
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