Bulls show they can get the job done without their Boks

The Bulls once again showed that they are a strong unit without their Springboks with their dominant performance against the Bristol Bears in the Champions Cup last weekend.

We have seen the likes of the Stormers and Sharks struggle without their internationals this season but that has not been the case with the Bulls. They can get by with and without them.

The balance the Bulls have found with their Springboks and the rest of the core is something the Sharks are aspiring for because it is a perfect formula.

The Bulls’ pre-season was key to this; it was a long pre-season with the core of the team present. The fact that they had only Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Marco van Staden and Willie le Roux at the Rugby World Cup helped them, compared to the other teams who had a significant core missing.

Using Boks well

The Pretoria side have done well this season with regards to the internationals. At times last season, there was an overreliance on the likes of Krut-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie to save them when they were going through a slump.

This term the Boks make the Bulls stronger, with the culture already established by the rest of the group. They take the level of the team up a notch instead of trying to save it like their fellow internationals from Durban.

Rotation

Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, has also been meticulous with how he has managed his internationals, especially around their compulsory break.

He has brought in Van Staden when Marcell Coetzee is absent and given him a rest when his captain is back. The back trio of Arendse, Moodie and Le Roux has played together this season with Sebastian de Klerk, Sergeal Petersen, and Devon Williams filling in perfectly when they are not playing.

It will be interesting to see how the Bulls will progress beyond this season, as they are likely to have more players called up to the Boks later in the year and beyond. That is something White has been pushing for, but it also comes at a cost as we have seen with the Sharks this season.