The Vodacom Bulls were given a significant boost ahead of their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Italian side Zebre Parma this weekend with the news that Springbok utility back Canan Moodie is a hopeful starter for the weekend.
While not confirming his selection, and pointing out a decision on whether or not to play him will only be made later this week, assistant coach Neil de Bruin said on Tuesday that Moodie had been back in full training and was looking good to have recovered from his hamstring injury.
“Canan was training nicely today, so without giving too much away he’s really looking as if he is in a good space. We will make a decision closer to the weekend,” De Bruin said.
“But yeah, he is obviously a key player for us and someone that we hope will be raring to go at the back end of the season.”
The Bulls are in a very good position going into the last two games, knowing they have two opponents in the bottom half of the log and are at home, meaning they can aim for a maximum of 10 points.
Zebre are bottom of the log at the moment, and while the Bulls can end up in the top four if all goes their way, they have to be wary of not taking their eye off the prize.
They know what they have to do, and while it may sound like a cliché, De Bruin says the idea is to keep focused on what is in front of you and not think about all the permutations.
“It sounds like a cliché but it is the case. I think if you get too bogged down or too intertwined with what can happen, and where are you going to play at home, where are you going to play away, things can go wrong,” De Bruin explained.
“I reckon if you try and get your next job in order, the next scrum, the next tackle, your next assignment, then those will add up to a good result. So it really is what we're focusing on, and we haven't spoken at all in our team meetings or individually even about the permutations.
“We've just got to be better than we were last week as a starting point.”
BULLS NOT THINKING ABOUT BONUS POINTS
And while bonus points will be on the minds of every Bulls’ supporter, there is a danger in looking too far ahead in a game, and not doing the job in front of you.
De Bruin has a simple solution.
“I think it's a really simple one. Don't think about the bonus points. Don't think about the result at the end. And like I mentioned previously, it's about getting your process right at the moment.
“And again, it sounds like a cliché, but it's the absolute truth. I think if you look too far into the game and think, well, we need to score four tries, you end up forcing things and chasing things. And we will try and stick as close to our processes as possible and try and beat, firstly, beat a really good Zebre side.
“I know they are lower down on the log, but if you actually watch them, like really watch them, there's a lot there. They've got a good attack. They've got some really hard hitting players in their defence
“They move well. So it's going to be a challenge to get the W first. And it's a completely internal focus for us. Make sure that we're on the mark and ready to go come game time. Not try and chase the bonus point at all. I believe that it'll be a result of good play.
“And so hopefully we can get that right on Saturday.”
The Bulls will name their side for the clash on Friday.