ALTHOUGH it was a happy start to the new season for the Springboks and Springboks ‘A’ who defeated the Barbarians and Zimbabwe respectively, the continued bad luck of the Vodacom Bulls in the finals of the United Rugby Championship (URC) marred what should have been a festive weekend.
The boys, led by Siya Kolisi, beat Barbaria 80-31 in the opening match of the new South African rugby season.
This game which was held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha on Saturday was played by the Springboks ‘A’ who defeated Zimbabwe 40-0.
It must have been exciting for South African rugby fans to start with this gear for the national teams coached by Rassie Erasmus and Mzwandele Stick respectively.
What is noticeable about them is that they were full of experience, they were impressed by the players who were in the national team under 20 months ago.
All this happiness was disappointed by the fact that the Bulls again cried in the final game for the third time in the last five seasons.
This time the Bulls were defeated by Leintser from Ireland 36-7. This clearly shows the difficulties that this South African team carried in this game on Friday night in Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland.
A lot of mistakes in this team from Pretoria coached by Johan Ackerman is what made it clear that the game will be tough from the start.
It should soften their wounds, however, that there are more than 10 Bulls players in the Bobokhoko squad that will face England, in Johannesburg on July 4 in the first game of the Nations Championship.
Among the few Bulls players included by Erasmus in his squad announced at the weekend are Ruan Nortje, Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Handre Pollard.