Ackers: Bulls tweaks aimed at countering Sharks’ threats
· Citizen
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann says that, much like his side, the Sharks have developed their game since their first leg in December, bringing new plans and personnel for the return fixture.
The teams play at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (kick-off 5pm) after the Sharks capitalised on opportunities near the end of their December match at Kings Park to win 21-12.
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Now, the Sharks are poised to secure the United Rugby Championship’s South African Shield for the second time after last year’s maiden victory.
The Bulls, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the Shield table and need a win from both their last matches against the Sharks and Stormers, with at least one bonus point to boot.
Both teams change fullbacks
The Sharks have brought six Springboks back into the starting XV for the clash, with coach JP Pietersen mixing experience and youth, even backing 20-year-old Jaco Williams to start at fullback for the first time in the crunch game.
Ackermann likewise has shuffled his team, naming his best available side though Springboks Cameron Hanekom, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp and Akker van der Merwe are all unavailable.
The Bulls also made a change at fullback, naming David Kriel there though he normally features at centre. Also, fullback Willie le Roux will, on another rare occasion, play back-up as flyhalf.
Furthermore, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who is normally a prop, gets another go at hooker after Johan Grobbelaar picked up a neck injury.
Marco van Staden may also be his replacement at two if the Bulls do not need him to play loose forward. Her has acted as hooker cover for the Springboks in the past, though he has not had a real hit-out yet.
“He’s training at hooker. It’s only in the game that we’ll make the decision whether we’ll play him as a hooker or in the back row,” Ackermann said.
On Kriel, Ackermann said: “He’s helped us all over the backline, at 12 and 13 and then he came on against the Lions at 15 and played really well.
“That was where we really started to think about that. And as the weeks passed we trained him there and he showed some good signs. We felt, let’s give him an opportunity.”
Bulls brace for Sharks threat come scrum time
The Bulls coach said the Sharks probably had a slight advantage returning from the URC break a week earlier, though the Pretoria union had a testing friendly against Boland last week.
“Both teams have developed their game and made changes to players. It’s a new game. We want to play to our standard and make sure we put a performance in we are proud of.
“But it’s a great team and credit to JP for instilling some great culture and values there. You can see it on the field.”
He said the Sharks were coming with confidence and a strong set piece. The Bulls bringing prop Sti Sithole onto the bench would be aimed at countering that.