Bulls coach pleased with win but targets improvements

Bulls director of rugby Jake White is on a crusade to build a squad capable of again competing at the business end of the United Rugby Championship (URC).

Unlike in 2021, his team got off to a winning start with a 31-15 win over the Lions at Ellis Park with a team featuring three debutants and several untested combinations.

White has made it clear he will tinker with his team this season as he spreads the workload across his squad and the start he got against the Lions, while not perfect, was a step in the right direction.

“Cohesion takes time,” White said. “I want to try different combinations in this competition.

“There is no way we can play the same seven backs and same eight forwards every week. It is nice to know a guy like Ruan [Vermaak] can play five, seven or even eight if I have to. The more adaptable our team is the better it is going to be going forward.”

In the backline in particular, the Bulls have several players capable of wearing different numbered jerseys. In former Lions outside centre Wandisile Simelane the Bulls have a star in the making but White believes only a shift in constellation will make him shine brightest.

“He’s a Jeppe Boy, so I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a good footballer,” the coach said about the player he redeployed at fullback.

“I told him ‘You have to play more than one position. You can’t just play outside centre. Unfortunately for you Lukhanyo Am plays in that position and he is probably the best outside centre in the world. If you want to play at a higher level I need you to play in a different position’.”

White thought Simelane was “all right” against his former teammates but he also pointed to one or two shortcomings.

“Once or twice he got caught out on certain things, whether space or understanding what to do in defence or attack. He’ll get better. He’s got feel and I rate him as a rugby player.

“The more he plays and the more he communicates with the guys around him the better he’ll be.”

The coach was more than satisfied to get a favourable result against a team that had a long time to prepare for their URC opener.

“I have no doubt the Lions would have targeted this game as one of their priorities. They had 10 weeks to prepare.

“They are a difficult side to break down and get rhythm in your attack. Cardiff beat Munster in Cardiff and Benetton beat Glasgow at home so for us to get an away win is a huge bonus. You have to win a couple away from home.”

White admitted his team was far from polished and that they “left a couple of points out there”.

“Over time it will come right. It's just the ability to transfer pressure into points. We often made line breaks and put a pass into touch or maybe made one offload before we had to.

“A couple of times we ran into midfield when we could have gone around them.

“As we create those pictures in pressure situations I feel our players will be good enough. It is the first time we've played that backline. It was not going to be cohesive from day one.”

The Bulls host recent quarterfinalists Edinburgh on Saturday while the Lions travel to Ospreys for their clash on the same day.