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Duane Vermeulen (C) of the Vodacom Bulls is unhappy about something during the Super Rugby Unlocked match between Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls at Emirates Airline Park on November 7, 2020 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Gordon Arons / Gallo Images)
- The Bulls are preparing assuming their Super Rugby Unlocked match against the Covid-19 hit Pumas will go ahead.
- However, the nature of the Lowvelders outbreak, as well as the resources of their players, makes another postponement likely.
- If both Pumas games were somehow rescheduled, the Cheetahs could be at a disadvantage again.
The Bulls continue as usual as they await clarity on whether they will be able to meet their final Super Rugby Unlocked game against the Pumas this weekend.
At least three players from the Nelspruit-based team tested positive for Covid-19 last week, prompting SA Rugby and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) to postpone their meeting with the Lions in Ellis Park.
The continuing uncertainty could have a massive influence on the Bulls’ ability to potentially clinch the title, as another postponement or even cancellation would mean they are only awarded two record points, putting them at 21.
Jake White’s men still top the unlocked trunk as is.
Such a scenario would still put the Sharks and Stormers in frame to surpass them after this week’s final round of matches, a bitter pill for the Bulls to swallow as they emphatically defeated both teams by scores of 41-14 and 39- 6 respectively.
“We’re training with the assumption that the game goes on,” Joey Mongalo, the Bulls defense coach, said Monday.
“It’s also a way of limiting uncertainty. The only thing that can change then is that we get ‘bad news’ (in terms of postponement). But I’m sure the Pumas will be very eager to play this game, as I’ve now been inactive for almost three weeks (due to a break too). “
Complicating matters is the fact that all of the infected Pumas players are forwards and it was understood that they had been in close contact with other teammates in a scrum session.
Given that Jimmy Stonehouse’s team lacks the depth of the other sides, it seems unlikely they will have enough resources to call if Monday’s latest round of mandatory testing reveals further spread.
Bulls wing Travis Ismaiel shared Monaglo’s sentiment from the players’ perspective.
“We found out last week, obviously, that the (Ellis Park) game was canceled, but we’re preparing like it’s happening,” Springbok said.
“It’s about waiting. We always knew before this campaign started, with Covid in mind, that these things could happen. You just have to continue with your weekly routines and we’ve been working to develop our ability to adapt to the field. We’re just doing what what we can do, the rest is out of our hands. ”
SA Rugby said in a statement last week that it was already in the process of trying to reschedule the Ellis Park and Loftus games, a call repeated by Lions boss Rudolf Straeuli.
That, however, seems unlikely given the congested nature of the national program, with the Currie Cup starting next weekend.
Should the relevant games be somehow accommodated at later dates, SA Rugby will also fall out of favor with the Cheetahs once again, who agreed with the Lions that their previous battle in the competition could not be rescheduled.
“I can understand that the Bulls and Cougars game could still go ahead, but I don’t think the Lions game against the Cougars should be rescheduled. It would be unfair,” said Hawies Fourie, the Cheetahs head coach, after that. of his team’s 30-13 loss to the Stormers.
“I don’t think it’s fair that some games are repeated and others are not. It would put the integrity of the competition at stake.
“We had communication from the Lions CEO about replaying their game, but I think the communication should come from SA Rugby, and they ruled that the game was canceled.”
