Bulls prepare for challenging URC start — TimesLIVE
South African rugby club Bulls are preparing for a challenging start to the United Rugby Championship (URC) season: in their first two matches, the team will play away against Italy's Zebre and Ireland's Munster. TimesLIVE reports, citing head coach Johan Ackermann.
Matches in Italy and Ireland
Bulls will play Zebre on September 26 and face Munster in Ireland on October 3. According to Ackermann, Zebre have changed captains and significantly refreshed their squad. He noted that all teams are particularly motivated in the opening round, so the opponent will be dangerous.
The coach said that his teams had previously needed to play the full 80 minutes on the field to beat Zebre. He called the match against Munster another serious test, and Limerick one of the most hostile places for visiting teams to play.
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Preparation and injuries
Last season, Bulls lost to Leinster in the URC final in Dublin. Ackermann said that this time the team are better prepared in terms of planning: apart from a few new players, the players already know the coaching staff's requirements, and the club aims to build on the work from the previous season.
At the same time, the match against the All Blacks affected Bulls' physical preparation, as the players had to return to rugby immediately after the break. The coach added that despite this, the team are in better condition than last year.
In a pre-season match at Faure Street Stadium in Paarl, Bulls defeated Stormers 38-26. However, the team's new fly-half, Kerwin Bosch, missed the game because of a calf problem sustained in training. His availability for the opening round has not yet been determined. Scrum-half Embrose Papier may also fail to recover in time for the start of the season because of an ankle injury sustained in the Nations Championship series.
