Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said his side’s 34-all draw with the defending Vodacom Super Rugby champions, the Chiefs, will set the standard in terms of what to expect for their four-week away leg of the competition.

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Ludeke was still smarting from his side losing a 31-16 lead to let in three tries in the last 10 minutes on Saturday to give the Chiefs a draw. He said, though, that the way the Chiefs play, as well as the way they attack would be the same blueprint for what the Bulls expect in their opening two tour games against the Hurricanes and Highlanders.

“All the New Zealand sides have a strong attacking mindset, although the Hurricanes play a little bit more tactically,” Ludeke said.

“They definitely know how to look after the ball and carry it from deep in their half. The same challenge will be there for the whole tour.”

Ludeke said the team would put the disappointment of Saturday’s result behind them and it was important to get the players in the right frame of mind for the short week.

After completing their preparations at Loftus, the team will board a plane on Tuesday afternoon and arrive in Wellington late Wednesday night New Zealand time. They will have a light run on Thursday and Friday and face the Hurricanes in Napier on Saturday.

“It’s a long competition and things like this happen. We have to work through it and put it behind us. We will have to go and have a look where we weren’t that accurate in the last 10/15 minutes,” Ludeke added.

“It will be a new game and definitely a new focus, and going on tour also creates a lot of excitement. The players enjoy going on tour and it will be a great challenge playing the Hurricanes. We’re looking forward to it.

“This week is a vital one for us, getting the players in a good frame of mind. We need to travel well and plan well when we get there.

“We then need to work to get a good result. We have to take it week by week, you can’t get ahead of yourself.”

The Bulls face the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Waratahs and Western Force in their four weeks away from home, a month that will make or break their playoff aspirations this year.