Western Province continued their winning start to the Currie Cup with a 41-33 win over the Bulls on Saturday night. It was their second win after defeating the Lions in their opening game last weekend. For the Bulls, the search for their first Currie Cup victory continues.
Despite the loss, Bulls Currie Cup coach Edgar Marutlulle was pleased with certain aspects of the game, having led 33-25 at some stages in the second half.
“I thought in most games we really played better rugby with all the possession, we dominated the contact and went forward.
“Just one more time in transition, some lapses and maybe just in transition, but I think I improved a lot. I think that this transition time cost our game today,” said Marutlulle.
Winless in six games
The Bulls are winless in six games in all competitions, last tasting victory in January against Exeter Chiefs in the Champions Cup and have taken 104 points from their first two games in the Currie Cup.
Bulls director of rugby Jake White said he took responsibility for the terrible run and that he should be responsible for another loss and not Marutlulle.
“The reason I am the director of rugby is because this week I took this group of players. I want to use it as an opportunity for next week, so it is not fair for Edgar to take the negativity of this result,” he said.
‘What’s going on?’
“There is no reason. I try to reflect and be philosophical about where we are as a group.
“We’ve dominated as a union for the last three seasons – juniors, seniors, Currie Cup, URC finals – and I thought, what went wrong?
“The answer for me is that I got sick in December, and again it’s not an excuse, and I’m probably a bit disconnected from the group.
“I think changing the group and the team and giving some people time off last year made it very difficult for everyone to back up every week, like we did when we played on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the end of the year.
“First of all as a group we may be under pressure, and it’s a different pressure than we’ve been under before. We just have to make sure we get through this. It doesn’t mean it’s going to change in a week, but we have to get through it as a union.
“I’m a responsible person and I have to make decisions, and most of the decisions we’ve made over the years have benefited us.”