‘Bulls are not pointing fingers amid losing streak’

Bulls speedster Stedman Gans said it was very easy to be negative and point fingers during a team’s dry spell, but they are instead focusing on finding a solution ahead of their final Champions Cup pool game against Stade Français on Saturday.

The Bulls are on a four-game losing streak after being knocked out of the running for a Champions Cup play-off place with their disastrous 49-10 hammering at the hands of Castres Olympique last weekend.

They also lost to Saracens (27–5) and Northampton Saints (30–21) in the same tournament and the Sharks (20–17) in the United Rugby Championship.

The Bulls must now beat Stade Français by a large margin at Loftus and ensure the opposition do not score a losing bonus point, to finish fifth in pool 3.

This will allow the Bulls to drop to the round of 16 of the second-tier tournament, the Challenge Cup.

Anything less than that and their Champions Cup and Challenge Cup dreams are over this year.

Bulls are learning to stick together

“It is very easy to become negative within the squad during these times. We are not doing that. We are fighting to be part of the solution and get better every day,” the former Blitzboks star said.

“All of us are trying to get back to winning ways. That is the most important part – just to be the positive guy who trains hard, comes up with new ideas, new solutions, and makes suggestions because it is very easy to start pointing fingers and being negative.”

Gans said the most important lesson players are learning amid this difficult patch is how they have to stick together as a group.

He said the Bulls had made many unforced errors in their last few matches that keep their opponents in the game. This will be a focus for the Bulls against Stade Français.

“It’s small stuff sometimes. Things we are more than capable of getting right. At this stage it’s just about keeping our heads down and stay positive. I’m sure we will turn it around. We don’t want to go into a downward spiral where we start to compound the negatives on the field and in our minds.”

Stade Français are currently fifth in the pool and will not give up their spot lightly.

They have also had a difficult Champions Cup campaign though they are fresh from a bonus-point win over Northampton Saints last weekend (final score 45–35). There, loose forward Yoan Tanga scored a brace of tries.

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