Talking points from the weekend’s Super Rugby action

Is the ‘Travelling Bonuspoint’ rearing its ugly face again?

Cash van Rooyen. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Ten years ago, the Lions were known to give away bonus point defeats almost at will under former coach Dick Muir.

That season, they lost all 13 games and leaked a then record number of points.

This will naturally sound alarmist, but the class of 2020 is heading in that direction rapidly.

MATCH REPORT: Toothless Lions suffer first defeat ever to Rebels

Cash van Rooyen’s charges have succumbed to consecutive bonus point defeats to the Waratahs and Rebels on their current tour of Australasia, conceding 10 tries and only scoring four.

Fingers have been pointed at Van Rooyen, captain Elton Jantjies and defence coach Sean Erasmus and it’s difficult to see them turning the team’s fortunes around in their last two tour matches against the Blues and Highlanders.

The the three-time champions look like a sub-standard franchise and former Bok coach Nick Mallett rightly pointed out that they look like a team who lack a strong culture, with the players seeming not willing to work hard for each other.

The demise of the once mighty Lions is certainly one of the saddest South African rugby stories of the season already. – Rudolph Jacobs

Sharks need to balance workload carefully

An increasingly restless South African rugby public will hope the Sharks’ wayward end to an otherwise sterling performance against the Jaguares was merely the effects of jet lag.

Coach Sean Everitt revealed afterwards that the team actually missed out on a extra day of recuperation after missing their connecting flight to Durban last Sunday night, leaving them in Johannesburg till the Monday.

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For 63 minutes they didn’t show a single shred of evidence that they were tired, before their execution went missing in the final quarter.

Everitt is justified in believing this was merely a blip, but the Sharks still have to high-octane games – against the Stormers and Chiefs – to negotiate before finally enjoying a bye.

Whether one wants to believe it or not, the Sharks don’t necessarily have a deep squad and team management will hope the first-choicers can hold out for another two weeks.

Or is there a case to be made to rotate, despite the clear importance of the next fortnight? – Heinz Schenk

Strauss’ emergence is timely 

Josh Strauss. (Photo by Gordon Arons/Gallo Images)

For the past two weeks, the Bulls have made a conscious effort to tell their supporters that they were committed to a more attractive brand of rugby.

However, to play in a more attacking manner, you need a solid foundation up front.

And the Bulls only really got that for the first time this weekend against the Highlanders, a battle won emphatically 38-13.

MATCH REPORT: Bulls inspired by ‘Specmagic’ as they finally open account

It was undoubtedly a team effort, but one had to laud the efforts of veteran flanker Josh Strauss.

The 33-year-old has struggled to integrate himself since arriving in the off-season, but delivered a robust performance, particularly in the collisions.

The Bulls don’t have a particularly meaty group of loose forwards, meaning Strauss is one of the few individuals with the bulk to consistently provide go-forward ball.

His continued improvement in form will be vital. – Heinz Schenk

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