It is no easy task, but the Vodacom Bulls know that while they should be at the start of their pre-season, their biggest challenge is to be ready to face the All Blacks in the Greatest Rivalry Tour match on August 15.
The prescribed six-week rest period is a challenge after the team went all the way to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship final, and therefore while the game is a marquee fixture against the All Blacks, the Bulls will still technically be in the start of their pre-season, and therefore may well be a bit underdone.
But that won’t stop them from having a crack at the tourists, knowing that their fixture is normally the one in old-school tours where the All Blacks would test their test squad a week before the first test against the Springboks.
So while the management have had to have one eye on the upcoming URC season, and have appointed a new fitness head to get them ready, they will need to navigate the marquee fixture against the All Blacks first.
That means a bit of risk, and the rest period would be cut to three weeks now and three after the All Black fixture.
This means the Bulls are likely to go into the URC a bit short, needing to give some players a bit more rest than others.
It isn’t ideal, but it is what it is. And no player would turn down a chance at playing against the All Blacks.
While on one hand the Bulls want to be fitter, stronger and better equipped to finally overcome the hurdle they seem to miss in the URC, the bigger issue now is getting them ready for the All Blacks match and, to an extent, that they can challenge the touring team to the max.
“We probably do a little bit more conditioning than a normal week, game preparation,” Johan Ackermann said, “but it is a tough balance, because we can’t just do conditioning, but not get contact-ready.
“It’s not a warm up game where you play 30 odd players,” he says. “This is a full official match.”
Ackermann knows just how much a game like that will mean to a young squad.
“It’s a memory that will stay forever with them,” he says. “A great opportunity to measure yourself, but also to experience something that you’ve always probably only watched on TV.”
Despite all the hype, the Bulls coach can’t see the Boks faltering - and he has nine players in the national squad at the moment, one or two who may be released to face the All Blacks as well.
“The All Blacks will be a different team with Dave Rennie,” he says. “I still think the Springboks will win,” he says, “because I think we’re still settled, in our experience and depth, and quality, and set piece.”
“Everything in me says that the Springboks will be just too strong.”
The Bulls already have Embrose Papier back and will know in the next few days who else they get back, but for now the hard work continues, knowing that one game is all it takes to write a chapter in history, and they have a chance to do just that.