Handré Pollard
After a stellar 2014 season, Springbok and Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard knows he will be a marked man this year.
Pollard, 20, was at the weekend named SA Rugby Young Player of the Year after moving from the Baby Boks into the senior national team with aplomb.
He expects opposition teams to analyse him a little more thoroughly in 2015.
“I believe that will be the case,” he said. “We all analyse our opponents to try and disrupt them. That is my main challenge this year – to follow last season up with another good year. It will take a lot of hard work.”
Pollard said consistency in every game would be key.
“That is something which differentiates Jean de Villiers as an excellent player. I strive towards playing well every week.”
Pollard was used at inside centre at times by the Bulls last year, but the youngster doesn’t expect that to be the case this year.
“I highly doubt it, unless there are injuries. But the Bulls have decent depth at centre.”
The Bulls start their Super Rugby campaign at home against the Stormers on Saturday, with Pollard at flyhalf.
Kick-off for Saturday’s game at Loftus Versfeld is scheduled for 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
Sport24
With the playing personnel at Frans Ludeke’s disposal, the Bulls could theoretically pack the meanest punch out there on attack with their backline and assisted by their forwards to back it up and provide the good ball to do it.
Piet van Zyl’s nippyness at scrummie, Pollard’s hard running and distribution and attacking the line, All the available centres’ running and line breaking capability (Burger Odendaal, Jan Serfontein, William Small-Smith… and to a much lesser extent JJ Engelbrecht), Good finishing wings in Francois Hougaard & Bjorn Basson, and an excellent attacker from the back in Jesse Kriel.
But we all know that Frans is slow to change and too unimaginative to innovate and bring a plan out which suits those players.
We also already know Ludeke will keep on selecting who he rates but who do not cut the mustard, like Jurgen Visser, JJ Engelbrecht, Werner kruger, Callie Visagie, Dean Greyling and Pierre Spies.
Early warm-up form looked to me like a lot of good attention was given to breakdown and ground-ball play as well as great counter-rucking… but then you have to continue with those players who have achieved it… Lappies, Stegmann, Hanro Liebenberg, Jacques du Plessis, Grant Hattingh… and now with Adriaan Strauss added to that mix.
Fark, I am so worried about the Bulls scrumming though.. Wessel Roux just does not inspire me with his abilities or lack thereof to coach proper scrumming!