Van As in pursuit of excellence

The Vodacom Bulls' emphatic win over the Chiefs in the 2009 Super 14 Final was the closest to 80 minutes of total brilliance SA rugby has seen in many years, according to FNB UJ head coach Hugo van As.

"And even in that match the Bulls, with all guns blazing, managed only to play to their full potential for 65 minutes at most," Van As, speaking ahead of Monday's clash with the Maties in Johannesburg, told varsitycup.co.za.

"Keeping this in mind, I will not be looking for 80 minutes of equal consistency against the Maties on Monday as that will be too much to ask," he added, "I will, however, expect our team to improve such that the anticipated better concentration will be obvious in everything that we do."

He added that the clinical application of the tackle ball rule by referees in the first two rounds of the competition had made turnover possession almost impossible.

"We've been struggling to adapt to the new interpretation quickly enough, but the big bonus is that your possession is more secure now, allowing you to take the ball through up to five phases much faster," he explained.

"There is no doubt that the role of the (ball) fetcher has been redefined by the tackle ball rule," he added.

"In this regard it's going to be most interesting to see how master fetchers like Heinrich Brüssow [Cheetahs] and Deon Stegmann [Bulls] adapt (themselves) to it, as well as how consistent Super 14 referees will be in adjudicating at the breakdowns," added Van As.

When asked about his impressions of the first two rounds of the 2010 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International, Van As said the standard, tempo and intensity were more or less on par with that of 2009.

However, the only worrying factor is that it has become too clear - after only 160 minutes of action this season - which teams are in with a chance to make the semifinals... and those that are not.

By Morris Gilbert