Learning curve ahead for Bulls pack

Editor

The Bulls will have to re-evaluate their situation after a 33-9 thumping to the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday.

Trevor Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss and Marcel van der Merwe started in the front row, but the Pretoria side were dominated upfront and their weaknesses were exposed.

Replacement props Hencus van Wyk and Lizo Gqoboka struggled when Springbok prop Frans Malherbe came on to boost the already-strong Stormers' pack, and Bulls forwards coach Gary Botha knows that they'll have to revise and prepare properly if they want to avoid another defeat.

South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth was also a thorn in the Bulls side with his work at the lineout.

“Back to the drawing board and we’ll have to climb in hard, there’s no other way,” Botha told Netwerk24.

“There won’t be drastic changes. There is progress in the scrums, but we saw on Saturday that there is still a long road ahead.

“Our preparation was good and even though there were a lot of debutants, we can’t use it as an excuse. 

"We’ll have to pay attention to a few things.”

The Bulls will host the Rebels at Loftus this Saturday.