Jake White has given the responsibility to Springbok star Canan Moodie of “being the mouthpiece” in the Vodacom Bulls backline against the Scarlets in Wales on Friday.
Speaking in a Bulls conference from Llanelli on Thursday, White was confident that his Bulls side is well prepared for the round 5 Vodacom URC clash at Parc y Scarlets, despite significant changes to the lineup.
With eight starting XV alterations from last week’s bonus-point win over Ospreys, the director of rugby emphasised the importance of depth and squad rotation as key factors in their success.
“We were always going to rotate our squad and keep our players fresh,” White told reporters. “There’s a lot of guys who are really fresh because they haven’t had much rugby, and I’m hoping that energy and freshness will be seen tomorrow.”
He highlighted the need to rest seasoned Springboks, such as Le Roux, ahead of their upcoming international duties. “It was only fair that after a long Rugby Championship and incoming tour series that some of those players got time off.”
Stepping in for Le Roux at fullback is Henry Immelman, while 21-year-old outside centre Moodie has been tasked with a leadership role in the backline.
TEAM: Bulls switch up for Scarlets clash
White is excited to see Moodie’s growth in this new capacity. “It’s something that I’m pushing really hard with Canan, to spend lots of time with Willie and almost try and mimic what Willie does. He’s been given the responsibility of being the mouthpiece… It’ll make him a much better player.”
In the forward pack, Akker van der Merwe assumes the captaincy in the absence of co-captains Elrigh Louw and Ruan Nortje. White praised Van der Merwe’s leadership, noting that he captained the Bulls against Edinburgh earlier in the season. “If he comes off, we’ve got Johan Grobbelaar and Reinhardt Ludwig who can take over.”
One key area for the Bulls will be the lineouts, with Nortje, who now also calls lineouts for the Boks, sitting out. White expressed confidence in his replacements: “We can’t rely on Ruan every single Saturday for 80 minutes. We’ve got to be able to upskill players… Reinhardt has called the lineout before, as has Cobus Wiese. So we should be covered there.”
The Bulls head into the game unbeaten in three matches, but White is wary of the challenge posed by Scarlets, who are fresh off a win against Cardiff. “We’re under no false illusions that next week won’t be as tough as this week,” he remarked.
Adding a boost to the Bulls, inside centre David Kriel’s red card from last week’s match against Ospreys was rescinded, allowing him to play next week if White chooses him.
White expressed satisfaction with the outcome: “It’s a vindication that this competition will grow. The coaches want a player to have an opportunity to state their case. I have to compliment the judiciary… it was handled incredibly professionally.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
