The Vodacom Blue Bulls are already in crisis mode – and it’s only the first round of the Absa Currie Cup season.
Coach Frans Ludeke called in the players to Loftus Versfeld on Sunday night for an emergency meeting – following their humiliating 41-13 opening loss to the Xerox Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday – where players were read the riot act.
Following a disappointing Vodacom Super Rugby season, and this start to a much-vaunted Currie Cup campaign, the players were told to either shape up or ship out as Ludeke vented his anger after the loss.
SuperSport
The meeting – extremely rare in Ludeke’s time as head coach – comes after fears the union may be on a downward spiral and much soul-searching will need to take place this week ahead of their next fixture against Western Province at Newlands on Saturday.
Should the Blue Bulls also lose that game against the old enemy, it will mean they are zero from two and just like their Super Rugby campaign will have to play catch up.
This all a week after Ludeke was saying he was satisfied with the continuity as only one player – debutant Burger Odendaal – was not involved in the previous Currie Cup campaign.
And the pressure will continue to mount, given Ludeke has been summoned to explain to the Blue Bulls board of directors Monday night as to the result, and just what is happening behind the scenes at the union.
In the game against the Golden Lions however, it was the same problems that beset the Super Rugby campaign that came back to haunt the Bulls.
While Ludeke said afterward his side had given the Golden Lions too much broken field ball, and had not executed well when they had possession, the problem lies deeper than this.
As long as the Blue Bulls continue on their current path they are unlikely to see the sort of success that brought two Super Rugby titles in 2009 and 2010, and made Ludeke the most successful South African coach in this regard.
BADLY HANDLED NEGOTIATIONS
Unhappiness in the changeroom has been mounting all season, especially with some of the decisions that have been made.
Consistent negativity at the role of the contracting process – under the guidance of High Performance Manager, Xander Janse van Rensburg – has seen a host of players leave over the past two seasons. While many of them were lured by the strength of the Euro and Yen, there are a number who have confided they would have stayed if only the negotiations weren’t handled so badly.
One such situation is that of outgoing hooker Bongi Mbonambi, who was repeatedly told in his negotiations that the Bulls weren’t negotiating with another hooker, only to see Springbok Adriaan Strauss sign for the union. Mbonambi made his decision as a result of that, and had the Blue Bulls played open cards with him, things may have been different.
The problems lie deeper than that though, as on Saturday the Blue Bulls much vaunted Under 21 side – made up of the core of players from the SA Under 20 side – also lost against their Golden Lions age-group counterparts.
Couple this with selection headaches that have plagued management and an over-reliance on players who simply haven’t performed, it has made gaining any momentum difficult for the side.
It isn’t a surprise then that, when players such as Handré Pollard and Marcel van der Merwe are given their Springbok caps while Ludeke prefers other players in their positions, that somewhere something isn’t right.
Callie Visagie’s continued presence in the front row was apparently for his scrumming prowess, while Ludeke continues to believe that Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling are the way to go in the front row. This despite them being the most penalised front row in Super Rugby over the last two seasons and again receiving a lesson at the hands of the Golden Lions on Saturday.
And then there was the ineffective loose trio on Saturday – virtually the same one that hasn’t fired all season as a unit – and who were beaten on several occasions at the breakdown by the Golden Lions once again.
Ludeke, being a positive coach, has not thrown in the towel yet. It can be expected however, that since he was ordered by the board to coach the Currie Cup side again after three seasons without a trophy, the pressure will be on him and his team.
But it is clear that he may have to take some big decisions this coming week if the team is to return to winning ways.
Decisions that have not been taken all season long.
This all a week after Ludeke was saying he was satisfied with the continuity as only one player – debutant
Burger Odendaal – was not involved in the previous Currie Cup campaign.
Ag my fok ek wou nie eers verder lees nie… lyk my iemand moet n bietjie ludeke uitkak.
nortierd wrote:
gaan spring in n dam man… as jy so aanhou gaan ek loop.
MacroBok wrote:
Een Charo wat oorsensitief raak is genoeg vir die site
@ nortierd:
jy geniet ons ellende veels te veel na my smaak 😡
@ nortierd:
ag wel dit kon erger gewees het… ek kon n sharks ondersteuner gewees het. 😀
MacroBok wrote:
Ek se ook daai ding, dan het ons ook weggebly van websites waar nie almal liefdevol is teenoor mekaar nie en kumbaja sing as die Sharks uitdraf nie.
Do I smell one very specific bad apple in most of this… and he goes by the name of Xander Janse van Rensburg!
Totally out of his depth… totally!
… and then there is Frans Ludeke, a truly nice gentleman, very approachable, easy to talk to…. but is that all you need in a coach… certainly NOT!
Last year already, with a few Super Rugby games to go, I questioned Ludeke’s continued selection of both Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger and voiced my opinion loudly at a after match Press Conference… and I was fed the same bullshit as is currently still dished out by Ludeke in the same regard!
Frans Ludeke & Blue Bulls Company… this simply is not good enough!
Buck up or ship out, it’s as easy as that!
Koppe word geeis en tereg so.
Kyk hoe moerig is die getroue Bul ondersteuners. Barend is History as dit van hulle afhang.
Lees die kommentare of hierdie berig
http://thebulls.co.za/news/2014/08/09/currie-cup-lions/
9 @ superBul:
Shjoe. Maar die BB ondersteuners is maar woes op daardie blog.
“Welcome to my world” 13 years of re-building in JHB.
R.I.P. Robin Williams
vnd.youtube:iqdSagycCWc?vndapp=youtube_mobile&vndclient=mv-google&vndel=watch
12 @ MacroBok:
Unfortunately I can’t access the video from where I am.
Such a pity that he decided to end his life. It’ll be a long time before the world sees such a talented comedian again.
I believe Robin was a MASSIVE Rugby fan who’s favourite player was Lomu.
Terrible news…RIP… I will always remember the first part in this scene from “Morning Vietnam”..
He was so talented…a huge music fan who could sing too .. From the George Martin Album:
Very sad news indeed, but should we read something more sinister into the fact that you guys decided to write about his depression and apparent suicide on a thread where the Bull supporters are also depressed and close to breaking point?
🙄
@ nortierd:
It is not that bad, at least we still have 2007,2009 and 2010… how about your team? 😀
Seeing that we are on Robin Williams, one of my favorite skits of his.
MacroBok wrote:
CC history stretching back before Uli se pappa was a gleam in his great great grandaddies eye 😀
nortierd wrote:
WP 32/73 currie cup wins (44% Success Rate)
NTVL (43%)
Hmm ill give it to you…but
WP/Stormers 0/18 (0%)
NTVL/Bulls 3/19 (more than the Stormers)
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
The arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
Chris Vermaak
Kommentaar op Bulls site
Aug 12, 2014 at 07:03 AM
Dit was duidelik die spelers speel nie saam as n span nie. Elkeen is op sy eie.
Bulle het nou n te groot maatskappy geword met performance managers om die performance managers te manage en fisio managers om die fisio managers te manage ens ens.
Daar is geen siel in daai kamp nie. Net administrasie op administrasie en almal op die payroll en dit wat saakmaak naamlik die spelers is nou net n aangkoopte bate en onkoste wat nou nie “deliver” nie. Dit is tipies van n maatskappy waar die overheads (die waterkop) heeltemal te groot is en die essence van die rede vir die bestaan van die maatskappy nie meer saak maak nie.
Dit is hoekom die Pumas met baie klein administrasie maar noue kontak tussen Stonehouse en spelers eintlik baie baie meer sukses behaal as jy na hulle budget kyk in vergelyking met die Bulls
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