CAPE TOWN - The latest injury to Gio Aplon has just laid bare the desperate situation the Bulls find themselves in ahead of their next Currie Cup match against the Cheetahs on Wednesday.
Apart from Springboks Morné Steyn, Marco van Staden, Trevor Nyakane and the injured Duane Vermeulen, they are also missing Stedman Gans and Kurt-Lee Arendse, who are at the Springboks. Then there are also numerous youngsters with the Junior Springboks, including frontrower Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
But there are a whole host of others who are injured and are trying to get back, while new signings Johan Goosen and Jacques du Plessis will be eligible to play from July 1.
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Coach Jake White mentioned ahead of the 32-27 victory over the Pumas on Friday night that he has signed “some centres and outside backs” that will be announced over the next few days, and that will provide some relief.
It’s believed that Springboks Ruan Combrinck and Lionel Mapoe are likely to join to the Pretoria outfit.
But at the moment, he is battling to select a competitive team for the Cheetahs clash in Bloemfontein, and he added that the scheduling of Bulls matches is not helping matters either.
Aplon hurt the same left knee that kept him out for seven months previously, with White saying “it’s not looking good”. At least he could be pleased with new No 13 Harold Vorster’s performance against the Pumas, with the former Lions star scoring a superb try as well.
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“It’s just unfortunate – (hooker) Sidney Tobias comes in and twisted his ankle (against the Pumas). I’ve got (lock) Sintu Manjezi out at this stage, and I’m trying to get him back on the field. (Wing) Travis Ismaiel has hurt his shoulder and hasn’t recovered as he would’ve liked. Diego Appollis, one of our centres that I was going to use as well, had a finger operation,” the former Bok coach said.
“I knew it was going to happen. We are playing so much rugby and it’s so competitive.
“It’s week after week after week. We are playing against a team like the Pumas, and people would think it’s an easy fixture.
“But there are no easy fixtures in South Africa, and week after week we see the attrition rate and the physicality of what’s happening in this league is taking its toll on everybody. I’m sure every team is sitting (with) the same (situation), but I can only speak for myself.
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“A lot of planning will have to go into the next couple of days – about what we’re going to do – and remembering that once we finish the (British and Irish) Lions game (on July 10), we’re the one team that get a bye in the Currie Cup the weekend we play them.
“It’s again crazy. We didn’t get a bye last week, and had to travel, and then we don’t get a bye because we actually play the Lions. So, we play continually right through. The Sharks have had a bye now, the Free State Cheetahs have had a bye on weekends where every other team has been playing.”
“You’re too small” “you’re too old” “no player comes back from a torn ACL at 38” Gio Aplon, ready to prove the haters wrong tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/emPuMn4CIp
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) June 25, 2021
But after all the trials and tribulations with the Rainbow Cup final defeat to Benetton in Italy last week, White was delighted that the Bulls could show real hunger to stave off a determined Pumas side that never gave up at Loftus.
“I thought we played really nicely, considering that we had just flown around the world and a short turnaround.
“We changed a little bit from what we learnt last week. I thought we kicked the ball away too easily last week – this week, we kept the ball and built some phases, which I really wanted them to do,” he said.
“Let’s never underestimate the fact that it’s a good Pumas side. They beat the Lions the other day with a bonus point, and they’ve had probably three months to prepare.
“So, I’m obviously very happy that we got that result, and we got five points. Back at home after a long travel, and we had to dig deep, which is also a pleasing thing for me as a Bulls coach.”