Ken Borland

The Bulls may be the dominant force in South African rugby at the moment, but they will be fielding an exciting group of juniors in their opening preparation match against Eastern Province in Pretoria on Sunday, with coach Jake White entrusting them with starting new traditions at Loftus Versfeld.

“We will be unveiling our new jersey for the next couple of years and in many ways it goes back to our history, we want to remind the players what a privilege it is to play for the Bulls. A lot of work and design has gone into the jersey, and even the pants and socks are helluva important. I hope this team appreciates that the first time we wear this jersey we have given it to the next generation.

“These may just be friendlies, it’s not a competition, but it’s still Eastern Province versus Northern Transvaal and there’s a lot of culture that goes with that. I remember guys like Schalk Burger, George Rautenbach, Frans Erasmus and Danie Gerber playing for EP, so they have an unbelievably strong history and they want to revive that brand which is important for South African rugby,” White said on Friday.

So who are the exciting Bulls players to look out for on Sunday?

Janko Swanepoel

The two-metre SA U20 lock from 2019 hails from Durbanville and is an impressive athlete.

“Janko is an U21 Currie Cup winner and probably good enough to play four and five. He’s tall, really good in the lineouts and athletic, and I’m keen to see his combination with Jan Uys, who is a solid four,” White said.

Stravino Jacobs

Jacobs is a Paarl Gim product and an example of someone really taking their opportunities, the leading try-scorer in last year’s triumphant U21 campaign burst into the limelight in the latter stages of the Bulls senior team’s Currie Cup march.

“He’s certainly got something, he’s just turned 21 and there are exciting times ahead for him. I’m really looking forward to seeing him grow as a player, he’s gone from 108kg to 94kg since he’s been with us and has really put the effort in. Stravino is one of the guys I’m really excited about, from not being in the team he’s now the first name we put down at wing and he can become really important for the way we want to play as the Bulls,” White said.

WJ Steenkamp

The Grey College old boy began his Bulls career on the flank, but will play eighthman on Sunday.

“WJ is incredibly quick and will bring something different, I see him as an eighthman at the moment. I don’t see Tim Agaba as a No.8, I see him as a tall No.7, while Nizaam Carr has unbelievable skills and can play six, seven and eight. But I would like to see him as an openside flank, that way he could offer our first-choice team so much on the bench, it would mean he would be in every 23. Without Marco van Staden [Leicester-bound] we need some back-up,” White said.

Bulls team: David Kriel, Madosh Tambwe, Marnus Potgieter, Marco Jansen van Vuren, Stravino Jacobs, Chris Smith, Embrose Papier, WJ Steenkamp, Tim Agaba, Nizaam Carr (c), Janko Swanepoel, Jan Uys, Mornay Smith, Joe van Zyl, Gerhard Steenekamp. Bench – Janco Uys, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard van der Merwe, Raynard Roets, Uzile Tele, Keagan Johannes, Jandre Burger, Diego Appollis, Reinhardt Ludwig, Werner Gouws, Dawid Kellerman.

Ox Nche has played two seasons of Pro14 rugby in Europe with the Cheetahs so he has intimate knowledge of exactly what is required to succeed when the Sharks and the other South African franchises play in the Rainbow Cup Pro16 tournament from April.

In the Cheetahs’ debut season in Europe, in 2017/18, the loosehead prop was involved in every game which meant he played 10 matches in places like Limerick, Galway, Glasgow and Llanelli. In 2018/19 he played another eight games overseas.

SA Rugby has organised a series of preparation matches for the franchises which begin this weekend, with the Sharks hosting Griquas on Sunday. So, according to Nche, what has to be the focus for the Sharks as they prepare for Europe?

They have to trust their game-plan even more

The Sharks reached the Currie Cup final with a definite game-plan of using contestable kicks and then playing off turnover ball or mistakes by the opposition, which would seem to be a fitting tactic for the sodden pitches of Europe. But Nkwe says they need to be even more determined to ruthlessly execute that game-plan.

“We still need to grow as a squad and trust the process even more. We need more consistency in following the game-plan, we saw lots of potential in the Currie Cup, but there’s still lots of work to be done. The processes are more important in these preparation matches than the results and our aim is to get better as rugby players,” Nche said on Tuesday.

Their set-pieces have to be rock-solid

“Going into Pro16 we have to make sure that our set-pieces are unstoppable, we need to make sure in these local matches that our depth is ready. The European teams have good plans and strategies and they do the basics well. But we have to make up our minds that we are going to dominate at set-piece, I absolutely think we’re going to do good there and we will make our mark,” Nche said.

Mindset is vital

The conditions are going to be foreign, they will be away from home and probably stuck in biobubbles, so keeping mentally strong will be crucial.

“We have the skillsets and the players, it’s just about our mindset. Getting the chance to express our passion for the game should be all we want to do. Mental preparation is everything and having the attitude that we will do whatever it takes is most important. We need to get into that mindset that we are going to be the best we can be,” Nche said.

SuperSport are all about the product out on the park, which is why they were delighted to hand a controlling stake in the Sharks to MVM Holdings, according to the broadcaster’s CEO Marc Jury.

SuperSport International and the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union were the majority shareholders in the Sharks franchise but last month they agreed to sell a 51% stake to the U.S. investment consortium headed by Marco Masotti. It has been the most high-profile equity deal thus far in South African rugby and Jury told The Citizen there were no qualms about handing over control of the Sharks because it provides a wonderful opportunity for all concerned.

“Private equity can provide some fantastic opportunities but it’s not just about who you partner with but also what their intentions are. And MVM Holdings have some wonderful ideas that will take the franchise to the next level and allow us to show the best rugby possible. Any investment in the game has to be a positive and this deal will allow the Sharks to retain some great talent.

“That’s what we as SuperSport want as well, to keep the best players here. We just want to show the best possible product which is why we have invested such large amounts in local rugby and forged a very close relationship with the mother body. We have invested heavily in the Sharks for a long time but we feel this partnership can help South African rugby,” Jury said.

Jury acknowledged that it has been a difficult time for all involved in SA Rugby competitions. Playing in the heat and humidity of mid-summer was a new challenge and testing protocols played havoc with the usual training week of the teams.

“These have been tough times and we have to remember that Covid will pass. We have stayed very close to SA Rugby through the whole period and playing in a bubble and not being able to prepare properly has not been good for the players mentally. There have also been no crowds and a great degree of anxiety, so there have not been the ingredients for the players to produce their best rugby.

“I think the teams did the best they could with a very difficult situation. But everyone is just hoping for some normality soon and the thing people miss the most is the whole experience of coming together and watching their favourite team. Hopefully they have missed it so much that when normality does return they will watch the rugby more than ever,” Jury said.

Nizaam Carr is a Springbok loose forward who hasn’t had much game time since joining the Bulls, but he said on Tuesday that working with coach Jake White has been one of the best relationships of his career and the desire at Loftus Versfeld is strong to avoid what the player called “the same fate as Liverpool”.

With the talismanic Duane Vermeulen currently unavailable after minor knee surgery, Carr could well get his chance to shine in the preparation series that starts this weekend, with the Bulls taking on Eastern Province in Pretoria on Sunday. The former Stormers and Wasps star said the message from White has been clear: Even though several of the stars who won both SuperRugby Unlocked and the Currie Cup might not be playing, the Bulls are looking to improve their game still further.

“The message from Jake was that we have to take it to the next level, whether that’s in our diet, our training, our gym or whatever. What happened to Liverpool, what my friends have been telling me about them because I’m not a big football fan … we don’t want to suffer the same fate. So we need to do something different to stay on top, we need to take our game up a notch.

“This series is the perfect opportunity for us to prepare and you can see everyone want this opportunity. I always back myself to start but I will do whatever I can to help the team, like I had to do for the Currie Cup final. But I have a good understanding with Jake and the other coaches, in fact my relationship with Jake is one of the best I’ve experienced with a coach. It’s been fantastic to continue my journey with these fantastic people,” Carr said on Tuesday.

Carr is probably competing with former Springbok Sevens star Tim Agaba for the eighthman berth vacated by Vermeulen. While Agaba will bring work-rate and physicality to the role, Carr said he sees his strength as being the more classical ability to link with the backs.

“I want to play eighthman, I feel I am best there, but it is nice that I can cover a lot of options and different coaches want different things from their eighthman. My strength is linking, mixing it up with the forwards and backs, doing the dirty work if necessary and bringing a high tackle count. I’m also a lineout option although I’m not the biggest guy.

“I’m not one of those 120kg or 1.95 metres guys, but I bring something else to the party. I have not played as much as I would have liked here, so it feels like my first game again, something I am really looking forward to. It’s a big opportunity, that’s the motivator for all of us, we want to showcase what we’ve got, show that we can turn up at this level, given the opportunity,” Carr said.