Bulls captain and Springbok eighthman Pierre Spies has been ruled out of rugby for around six months after suffering an injury in his team’s loss to the Cheetahs on the weekend, adding more worry and pressure for a Bulls side in a state of rebuilding.
By Michael Marnewick
The Bulls lost to the Shark in round one and suffered a second consecutive defeat to the Cheetahs this last weekend, something of a turnaround from 2013 when they were the top South African side (and conference winner) and finished a praiseworthy second on the overall log.
Last year was a rebuilding stage too but they overcame many odds to enjoy a good season, although they lost in the knock-out rounds to the visiting Brumbies.
But after a somewhat disastrous Currie Cup campaign last year when they spent some of the time at the bottom of the log, they managed to finish one position above the eventual cellar-dwellers, Griquas. Their fifth place finish denied them a spot in the semi-finals and a young, inexperienced side seems not to have risen from those ashes.
The Bulls system of ‘Accuracy before innovation’ has worked in the past. Perfectly executed lineouts, scrums, high kick chases and goal-kicking delivered three Super Rugby trophies in short time. But the game changes and if you’re left behind, and you have a young team sometimes acting like deer caught in the headlights, there are going to be problems.
They have one point from two games, scored one try and conceded four and boast the third worst points’ differential in the competition.
In short, they are in a spot of bother. Losing Spies to the same bicep muscle injury that saw him miss the second half of the 2013 season couldn’t come at a more inopportune time.
The Bulls are now facing a number of questions over their ability to execute and win, and without their captain, the leadership is somewhat diminished. They are suffering inexperience having lost a number of players to overseas clubs and at flyhalf, Louis Fouche is simply not delivering to the standard set by Morne Steyn.
He has missed six kicks at goal in the first two losses, and was replaced early in his team’s 15-9 defeat to the Cheetahs this weekend.
Spies may have his detractors who see him more as an athlete than a rugby player, someone more willing to score tries than get dirty in the thick of the tight phases (he was previously a wing, so making the transition to eighthman was never going to deliver the complete loose-forward anyway).
That he is an exceptional athlete is beyond question, but his work in less glamorous aspects of the game has been highlighted.
Think chariot racer rather than gladiator.
But what cannot be denied is his leadership ability and how it will affect his young team now that he is not going to be on the field of battle with them. His loss as a player is perhaps not going to be quite as keenly felt as the loss of their leader.
