BLUE Bulls coach Phiwe Nomlomo replied with a curt “no” when asked if he was worried when the score was 26-24 against the Pumas in their Currie Cup clash at the weekend.
But the Pretoria side know that they still have a few issues to address if they want to go all the way to the title, despite what was a comfortable 40-24 victory at Mbombela Stadium in the end last Friday night.
The Bulls are flying high on 31 points at the top of the log, following six wins and a draw, and will want to keep their unbeaten run going against Griquas at Loftus Versfeld this Friday (7.05pm start).
But Nomlomo mentioned that they will be losing some of their top performers to Jake White’s United Rugby Championship squad this week as the senior side prepare for their blockbuster season-opener against the Stormers in Cape Town on September 21.
The rest of the squad will look to avoid repeating their mid-match lapse against the Pumas, where they went from 26-0 up to conceding a few tries and allowing the Pumas back into the match at 26-24 at the 50-minute mark.
Tries by centre Cornel Smit, wing Sibongile Novuka and a brace by hooker Joe van Zyl were the fruits of the Bulls’ early onslaught, but the Pumas hit back through five-pointers by hooker Eduan Swart, wing Darren Adonis, flyhalf Clinton Swart and fullback Tino Swanepoel either side of half-time.
But the try of the match by Bulls fullback and former Pumas stalwart Devon Williams, which saw some powerful runs and classy off-loads by Nizaam Carr, Canan Moodie and Sintu Manjezi, saw the visitors regain the momentum.
That no-look assist from Canan Moodie 🥶
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 16, 2024
The Vodacom Bulls balling out in their 40-24 win over the Airlink Pumas.
They remain unbeaten after seven rounds of #CarlingCurrieCup action 👏 pic.twitter.com/Q9UNjVuWom
“No (he was not worried at 26-24). The minute before half-time and the eight minutes into the second half, that’s something we need to get out of our system as quickly as possible,” Nomlomo said.
“That’s not how we play rugby, that’s not how we train... That’s not who we are. So, we will look at that. For 70 minutes of that game, we were incredibly good.
“We do know (how to fix the problem). It’s probably just a lapse in concentration, because we are prepared if we get a yellow or a red card, so we know what to do.
“That was a time when we should’ve just managed the game a bit better.
“I thought the guys were incredible out there. The effort was amazing. The accuracy in that first 40 was unbelievable.
“They are a team that wants to start well, so I thought we managed that quite well. We didn’t allow them to get the ascendancy that they normally get, and that was the pleasing part of the whole game.
“Of course, that’s where it all starts (with the forwards). Our maul was working well, and I thought we could’ve been rewarded a bit more, and we will have a look at that.
“We have guys who can finish well. It’s testament to a guy like Chris Barend Smit, who comes in and is the Man of the Match... That’s due to the work that’s done up front, and he just had to finish it off for us.”
Points-Scorers
Pumas 24 – Tries: Eduan Swart, Darren Adonis, Clinton Swart, Tino Swanepoel. Conversions: Clinton Swart (2).
Bulls 40 – Tries: Cornel Smit, Sibongile Novuka, Joe van Zyl (2), Devon Williams, Chris Barend Smit. Conversions: Keagan Johannes (4), Jaco van der Walt (1).