The Vodacom Bulls needed a dollop of good news, and they got it on Monday when Springboks S’bu Nkosi and Johan Goosen rejoined the team’s training and are available for their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Munster on Saturday.
Nkosi rejoined the team after going through the return-to-play protocols after a suspected concussion against Connacht two weeks ago, while Goosen was deliberately not selected because the Bulls played Glasgow Warriors on an artificial 4G pitch, the same one he suffered a massive injury on a year ago.
The Bulls were way off the pace and would have been massively disappointed by their own form in the Warriors game, as they never fired a shot, and lost 35-21 in a game that was dominated by the hosts.
So their trip to Thormond Park this week would have increased the anxiety to pick up overseas points, and they have an opportunity against a Munster side that is struggling.
Both Goosen and Nkosi are expected to come into the starting line-up and assistant coach Chris Rossouw has intimated that there would be other changes as well.
With Nkosi back, it won’t be a surprise to see the Bulls backline being shuffled and perhaps Harold Vorster coming back into the midfield after recovering from an injury. Vorster was technically available for selection last weekend but the Bulls continued with David Kriel in the 12 jersey.
Up front, it won’t be a surprise to see veteran Bok Bismarck du Plessis come into the starting line-up for Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who struggled with his lineouts, while there may be a tweak to the loose trio as well.
Either way, it will be as much about getting the Bulls back on track as it is countering the strengths that Munster have.
The Irish side have struggled since the departure of Johann van Graan, winning only their home game against Zebre while losing to Cardiff, Connacht and Dragons – all sides that are hardly in the top half of the competition.
But Munster will be getting a half dozen players back from the Emerging Ireland tour, where the team went unbeaten in Bloemfontein against the Pumas, Griquas and Cheetahs, and will definitely be bolstered by their presence.
Rossouw said that changes would be made, but more on a rotational basis.
“Jake also has a plan on how he wants to rotate the group, and one thing he made clear is that if there are any changes made, it is not in reference to the game and what happened last week. We are busy with a process and are building a team, and we are going to stick to that,” Rossouw said.
The Bulls backline coach was wary of the Irish team bouncing back and producing form against them and said the Bulls need to be up for the challenge.
“Munster didn’t start so well, but they have really good players there. They were also affected by some of their players being part of the Emerging Ireland team that played in South Africa, and they will get some of those guys back,” he added.
“They have a very good record in Limerick, and we are looking forward to bouncing back in this game. They have a strong pack and two good nines who can control the game.”
The Bulls would need to tighten up on their breakdowns, as it was an area that Glasgow Warriors targeted with success, often getting away with slowing the ball down.
“It was frustrating that we had multiple 22-metre entries, but couldn’t convert it into tries. The one reason is that our maul got disrupted — whether it was done legally or illegally — and we need to find a different way.
“They also attacked our breakdown, and we cleared up some issues with the ref there. But we noted that we need to make a step up in that department, as it was really disappointing.”
Either way the Bulls know they have work to do. And a response is not only needed, it is expected by their fans.