As the Hollywoodbets Sharks and DHL Stormers attract a lot of focus because of their respective early blips in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, the Vodacom Bulls go into round five with a great chance of clinching a 75 per cent tour record and solidifying their place at the top table.
Given he has both been a long time adversary and also a colleague and friend, Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt is probably the perfect person to assess what growth there has been and what their director of rugby Jake White has changed at the Bulls since last season.
The long time former Sharks employee, who had a brief stint with the Bulls as an assistant coach after breaking with the Durban franchise late last year, is busy preparing his new team for what he considers an important clash with the Bulls. Like the Bulls, it is a potential watershed moment at this point of the season because a win will propel his team to the upper reaches of the log table while defeat will send them tumbling back into the chasing pack.
“Jake and I go back a long way, back to 2014 when he coached the Sharks and I was one of the assistants, and while there has been rivalry we’ve also become good friends along the way,” said Everitt.
“He was kind enough to put his hand out when I left the Sharks. It was great to get that opportunity as a good way to get over adversity is to get back in the saddle and enjoy what you are doing and what you love. I had agreed a long term contract with the Bulls but there was an understanding that if a senior coaching position came up elsewhere I’d be free to take it.
“The Bulls have done well so far and their contracting has been very smart. They have the least Springboks away other than the Lions, so he will be able to build up the continuity he has now. He has also significantly strengthened the set piece with the addition of Wilco Louw and Akker van der Merwe.
“They have also acquired the services of Jaco van der Walt, who was formerly of Edinburgh and was a valuable member of this squad and I am sure will go on to be a valuable member of the Bulls group.”
WHITE HAS LEARNED FROM LAST SEASON’S MISTAKES
Everitt also added that there have been key changes to the Bulls’ on field strategy that will make them particularly difficult opponents for his team at the Hive Stadium (formerly DAM Health) in Edinburgh on Friday night.
“They were guilty of playing too much in their own half last year, but they have a better kicking game now. They also have depth in their set piece, and last week he appeared to start with his second stringers and then put the big guys on later in the game. It worked for them. They are going to be a very difficult team for us to crack and we’re under no illusions from a physical point of view. It will be a tough contest but I’m confident we can turn the Bulls over.”
Everitt was right in saying White’s off-season business was been shrewd, with the former Bok mentor having built depth in the very positions he requires it. It has enabled him to do what the best coaches do to distinguish themselves from the rest - namely learn from his mistakes. Last year his core team looked overplayed at times, whereas this season he’s shown a refreshing willingness to mix up his selections.
It’s not necessarily a complete pick up from what John Dobson did at the Stormers last year, with the Cape franchise using the most players over the first half of the URC. Dobson had the growth of depth in mind, whereas listening to White talk, his selection policy is more directed towards keeping players fresh.
“We’ve got Connacht next week, then the Sharks, and then we’ve got Saracens in the Champions Cup. It’s a tough month ahead for us and I would like to just rotate and keep guys fresh. You’ve got to keep them game-ready,” said White at his team announcement press conference.
“We’ve brought 33 guys on tour, which is a lot more than the other squads, and the reason for that is the board and my CEO Edgar Rathbone have understood that if we had played four weeks at home we wouldn’t have used the same 28 players.
“So I’m very fortunate we’ve been allowed to bring more players, and as it stands there’s only been one player who hasn’t played on tour and he’s the third-choice tighthead. It’s fantastic that we’re top of the log after a short stint but more importantly it’s fantastic that I’ve been able to use 32 of the 33 players, which is good for our depth, our confidence, and our morale.
“There’s a lot for us to play for and we’ve got an opportunity to stay top of the log, and any team would like to do that,” he added.
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COASTAL TEAMS HAVE BACKS TO THE WALL
The Bulls are currently the only South African team in the top eight, with the next best being the Stormers at ninth. The Cape team has a tough game against the new URC champions Munster at Limerick on Saturday night, a game that is arguably the game of the weekend in the competition, and their defeat in Treviso last week has put the Stormers under extra pressure to reverse the result of the 2022/23 final in Cape Town.
The Emirates Lions play at the same time as the Bulls and will be looking for another win to back up last week’s morale-boosting victory over Scarlets but will find it tough going at Ravenhill against Ulster, while the Sharks will be pleased to be back on the green grass, not to mention the warmth, of home as they look to pick up the pieces from a disastrous tour by hosting Connacht.
VODACOM UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES (round 5)
Edinburgh v Vodacom Bulls (Edinburgh, Friday 21.35)
Last week the Bulls coach made six changes to keep his players fresh, which was a brave move and it paid off for him as his men picked up their second tour win against Cardiff. This week he is keeping with the trend, with seven changes made to the starting pack for this important clash with Edinburgh, who are confident after a close but important win over high flying Connacht. All the changes appear to strengthen the Bulls. Edinburgh have former British and Irish Lions scrumhalf Ali Price in action for the first time this season and he will be an influential player but the Bulls appear to have overcome their problems with artificial pitches and should win.
Prediction: Bulls to win by 7.
Ulster v Emirates Lions (Belfast, Friday 21.35)
The Lions would have boosted their confidence immeasurably with their win at Scarlets, particularly as it was achieved in nailbiting fashion in a close game, something that had flowed in the opposite direction in earlier games. They’ve got Ruben Schoeman playing his 50th game for the Lions in an international competition game at Ravenhill and he is partnered by the formidable veteran Willem Alberts, while Sanele Nohamba has been retained as the flyhalf ahead of Jordan Hendrikse after his heroics of the previous week. It will be a surprise though if they beat Ulster on their own field.
Prediction: Ulster to win by 12 or more.
Zebre v Cardiff Rugby (Parma, Friday 21.35)
After breaking a long losing sequence with their win over the Sharks, the Italian team has a chance to do it again as they host the Cardiff side that lost at home to the Bulls in round 4.
Prediction: Cardiff to edge it.
Hollywoodbets Sharks v Connacht (Durban, Saturday 17.00)
The best thing going for the Sharks after a tour where the poor contracting of the past few years was shown up more than anything else is that the word ‘Durban’ appears in the venue column this week. They’ve been away for four weeks on a tour that started tough against two Irish teams but then was supposed to get easier and didn’t. The form book says this should be a win for Connacht, and the Sharks coach John Plumtree sees last season’s semifinalists as a dangerous team, but the fact they are sleeping in their own beds and playing in front of their home fans might just make a difference. Or is that clutching at straws? I got my prediction wrong on the Sharks in the last two games so hopefully this will be third time lucky. This might just be one of those backs to the wall days for the Sharks and they do often win those.
Prediction: Sharks to win by less than 7.
Dragons v Ospreys (Newport, Saturday 19.15)
The Ospreys are a bit off the pace after four games but not as much as their Welsh derby opponents, who are second last. The Dragons are at home at the Rodney Parade but on recent evidence it might be the visitors who have the edge.
Prediction: Ospreys to win by 6
Munster v DHL Stormers (Limerick, Saturday 19.15)
The one consoling aspect of last week’s defeat to Benetton for the Stormers was the fact that they played so poorly in so many areas, with some individuals really down on their form, and yet it was a game they should still have won. Joseph Dweba dotting down on the wrong line was comical but it cost his team. The Stormers’ best 40 minutes against Munster in four games was actually in their very first meeting, way back on the first URC tour in September/October 2022, when they built up a big lead at halftime and then blew it in the second half. They’ve grown since then, so perhaps that is encouraging. At the same time, Munster had the wood over them in Cape Town last season, and the Stormers were at full strength. They are not at full strength now, and their opponents are, so the head says Munster must be favourites.
Prediction: Munster to win by 7
Glasgow Warriors v Benetton (Glasgow, Saturday 21.35)
The Warriors under Franco Smith have been picking up an impressive head of steam since their loss to Connacht and should be strongly favoured to continue that in this home game against a Benetton team that has been flying but which shouldn’t be as threatening away from Treviso.
Prediction: Glasgow to win by 15.
Leinster v Scarlets (Dublin, Saturday 21.35)
Leinster have put their opening game blip against the Warriors behind them and are picking up momentum, something they should continue to do against a Scarlets side that doesn’t travel well.
Prediction: Leinster to win by 30