The Bulls pack has dominated in recent weeks, but have failed to secure victory. | BackpagePix
The Lions and Bulls have some soul-searching to do after their defeats this past weekend, but they will have a two-week break to lick their wounds before their next matches.
While the Jukskei derby between the two sides in the United Rugby Championship (uRC) is scheduled for January 25, the northern neighbours will have two European clashes next month to pick up some momentum ahead of facing each other.
The Lions succumbed to the Stormers in Cape Town, while the Bulls fell to a depleted Sharks despite fielding a strong side.
Both sides have some introspection to do over the next couple of weeks, especially because their URC campaigns started so well that they became the tone-setting teams in South Africa. But after a couple of losses, they must now find momentum in the Champions Cup (for the Bulls) and Challenge Cup (for the Lions) to get their season back on track.
The scrum battle between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Vodacom Bulls went a little like this 💥💪 pic.twitter.com/Stmjo82euX
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) December 23, 2024
The Bulls are on a three-match losing streak and in two of those games their pack dominated the scrums to a point where you wonder how they ended up on the losing side. But there clearly are some things that are not working for the Loftus outfit and they have over the next couple of weeks to find a solution.
While the scrums are walking with other packs, their soft skills, coupled with decision-making are letting them down, especially amongst the backs. They possess such potent attackers, but they struggle to utilize the go-forward ball the forwards create, especially from a forward-marching scrum.
🗣️ "It's got to be me because I can't seem to get them to understand what page they're on."
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) December 23, 2024
Jake White said he feels like Pep Guardiola after the Vodacom Bulls suffered their third loss in a row. pic.twitter.com/UYPhJuqkhB
Director of rugby Jake White candidly compared his side's struggles to those of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, signalling the frustration felt at Loftus Versfeld. While White emphasises the need for the side to get on the same page, it is clear that the team must address their broader issues if they hope to climb the league standings and catch up to formidable opponents like Leinster and Glasgow Warriors.
In the Lions den, injuries to key players halted their strong showings over the last couple of weeks, but they expect two stars back ahead of their Challenge Cup matches.
Round 8's festive derbies underway… 🎄✨
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) December 23, 2024
Here’s how the league table looks so far 👀@Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/Mb40TuTNA6
That should allow head coach Ivan van Rooyen to get his strongest side on the field for hopefully the rest of next month. When the Johannesburg team is on song, they have the potential to go toe-to-toe with the top URC sides.
However, their inconsistent performances must be addressed. Even without Springbok fullback Quan Horn and star outside centre Henco van Wyk, they challenged the Stormers. But a hot and cold performance prevented an upset.
While they have been learning as a side for the last couple of seasons, the time for learning should be done. They must seize these opportunities against tougher opponents if they want to reach the knockouts of the URC and play in the Champions Cup next season.