Whether he’s locking down the midfield or flying down the wing, Canan Moodie is pure class, according to Bulls coach Johan Ackermann. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann says his team is chasing a win at all costs against the Dragons in Newport on Friday night, and if they have a bonus point at the end, it will be exactly that — a bonus.
The Bulls are in the tenuous eighth spot in the United Rugby Championship (URC) top eight, and with only five of the 16 teams completely out of the playoff race, the pressure is on to win all four remaining matches.
However, if the Bulls do beat the Dragons, it will be a major surprise if they have not scored at least four tries to nail that extra point — the Bulls are one of the tournament’s most lethal attacking forces. They are tied with Glasgow for the most tries in the competition (58). The Bulls have also won five of their last six URC outings.
“The reality is we have to win, and we know it,” Ackermann said, from Wales on Thursday.
“I don’t even care about the bonus point. Of course, a bonus-point win will be the best-case scenario, but we just need to win.”
The Bulls backline is littered with attack threats, from Embrose Papier to Stedman Gans, David Kriel, and Canan Moodie. A key catalyst in many of those 58 tries has been scrumhalf Papier, who enters the match on fire with six tries in his last four appearances.
While the Dragons carry momentum from two European Challenge Cup wins, they haven’t won three consecutive matches in all competitions since 2015. Their URC form remains a concern, with their last league victory dating back to New Year’s Day. The Dragons have never beaten the Bulls in four attempts and are second bottom on the URC table. But Ackermann says there is zero chance of complacency.
“Where they lie on the log is not a true reflection of who they are as a team,” he said.
“They are up there when it comes to their stats. They’re good in the air, have a good set-piece, and they play an exciting brand.
“We saw how they pushed the Stormers and the Lions all the way. We also saw what they did in Europe, and now they’re through to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup. They’re a quality side, and they’ll back themselves at home, so we know it’s going to be a big challenge.”
The Bulls' backline looks classy despite injuries to Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheswill Jooste, forcing Ackermann to make positional switches, such as Moodie switching from centre to wing and Kriel from 15 to wing.
“Canan and David are both very good in the aerial game and have played on the wing at the highest level, so we felt that they were our best options there,” said Ackermann.
“Cheswill is a four-week injury (foot), but he is responding well to treatment, so we’re going to keep him with us and see how he tracks. The Scarlets are three weeks away, and just maybe he’ll be ready to play. Kurt-Lee (finger) is also two to three weeks away. He’s still in a fair amount of pain. We’ll reassess that on Monday.”
Devon Williams returns to the side at full-back, with Willie le Roux providing backline cover off the bench.
Bulls starting XV: 15 Devon Williams, 14 David Kriel, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marcelle Coetzee (capt), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp; Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan Hendrik Wessels, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Willie le Roux, 23 Sergeal Petersen