No daydreaming for Bulls

2005-04-18 21:56

Morris Gilbert

Pretoria - The biggest mistake the Bulls rugby team can make after their victories over the Crusaders and the Reds is "to start dreaming of a place in the Super 12 semi-finals while there are still four difficult games ahead".

Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer made it clear at the first practice session of the week on Monday that "we have our target set only on the Chiefs".

"If we want to reach the semi-finals, we have to win the next four games and that is why we have to approach each of them like a final.

"Against the Chiefs, we will have to outperform ourselves physically, because they are a team that can easily intimidate you if you don't keep them on the back foot.

"They have a very good back three, outside centre and loose trio. Like us, the Chiefs are also involved in the battle for the fourth place in the semi-finals, because, as far as I'm concerned, the Waratahs, Hurricanes and Crusaders are already sure of their places.

"After the Chiefs, the Blues will be waiting and we have never been able to beat them in the Super12 series. Then the two local derbies (Sharks in Durban and the Stormers in Pretoria).

"The road ahead is full of stumbling blocks and you can only take them on one at a time."

Meyer will concentrate this week on keeping his players "sharp" since the season "has taken a lot out of them".

"Luckily it does not look as if we have any serious injuries and it will therefore not be necessary to make a lot of changes to the 22 who played against the Reds."

- Beeld