Expansive Bulls cherish possession

Cynics suggest talk about the Bulls embracing a more expansive approach in 2015 is just 'smoke and mirrors' and that nothing will change.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, himself under fire in certain sections of the media in the wake of the poor results of the past year, is adamant the men from Pretoria will have a few additional arrows in their quiver next year.

Speaking to rugby365 in an exclusive interview during their pre-season build-up, Ludeke said the biggest problem was their inability to retain possession at crucial stages.

This was a blight in all competitions.

They scraped into the Currie Cup play-offs with a late-season rally, where they lost to eventual champions Western Province in the semifinal, and barely finished inside the top 10 in Super Rugby.

However, with the necessary adjustments, these 'failures' can be turned into successes.

"We often put ourselves into good positions," Ludeke said, when asked about the past year.

"The key for us is to finish off those opportunities and also to retain the ball in contact - that is how you put pressure on and create 'weak numbers'.

"Through that you create opportunities for your game-breakers."

He made it clear they will look at the way they attack, as the pre-season progresses.

"We don't want to overemphasise that, but we will have a more attacking approach.

"You can look at competitions in recent years, the teams scoring the most tries most often come out on top."

However, he admitted that one of the key aspects in their game - a big problem this past year - is ball retention.

He felt that no matter what a team's tactics are, if you don't retain the ball nothing will work.

"That is why it is important for the new generation that are coming through, to have that discipline in the game," Ludeke told rugby365.

"It is often that poor pass in contact, better decision-making, as well as your contact skills and the support players.

"Those are the things that will receive a lot of attention," he said, adding: "There will be some adjustments to the culture in this pre-season, to ensure that when the tough times come we stay strong as a group.

"We'll also work on some mental aspects.

"It will be a bit of trial and error to see how players respond under pressure.

"It is also important that the players know and understand their individual roles in the game."

By Jan de Koning

@King365ed