Bulls ready to 'crawl again'
Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:00
Back at the Bulls: Springbok hooker Gary Botha
The Bulls, as defending champions, are well aware that they will be a big target for the 13 other competitors in the Super 14, but the Men from Pretoria are confident that they are up for the challenge.
World Cup-winning Springbok hooker Gary Botha, back with the Bulls after a sting playing for London Harlequins in England’s Premiership and European competitions during 2008 and 2009, said the Bulls are prepared to go back to the basics - "crawl again" so to speak - to ensure they have a shot at success in 2010.
"Yes, that is certainly a big challenge for us," he told rugby365.com, when asked about the pressure of being the defending champions.
"We know very well how tough it is to defend a title, but that is obviously our main goal.
"We also know that we can't expect success to just fall into our laps, we'll have to work hard for it. We will have to crawl first, before we can walk again."
Botha spoke about looking after the "little things" that brought them success over the years - which include two Super Rugby and four Currie Cup titles since 2002.
"We must ensure that those are in place and the foundations are solid again," he told rugby365.com, adding: "We are certainly not going to go wild, we are going to stick to our structures and the players are taking responsibility to ensure they are better prepared than in the past.
"Yes, being defending champions is a huge challenge, but we are up for it."
The Bulls hooker also spoke of the continuity in the Bulls set-up, which are playing such a huge role in their success - much like it did for the seven-time champion Crusaders.
"Certainly, the Bulls are one of the South African teams that have come a long way along that path [of continuity].
"You can also see it more among the other South African teams, who also realise the value of continuity and that is a big plus and a boost to South African rugby in general.
"The Bulls have established systems, which in turn makes it easier for the new players to settle in at the Bulls. That all helps the system and the franchise to grow."
Botha said he was "happy" to be back in Pretoria, where his young family has also settled back into a familiar routine.
But it is on the rugby pitch where he has enjoyed his return the most, after two years in the cold and wet climates of the northern hemisphere.
"I have been through a few Super 14 build-ups, but I can see some changes," he told this website, when asked about being back after a two-year absence.
"It is a bit of an adjustment to what I got accustomed to for pre-season training abroad," Botha said, adding: "But we have several weeks to go before our first game, so there's plenty of building blocks still to be put in place.
"I can see how the players have grown as individuals [since my last stint at the Bulls] and how the systems have grown.
"You appreciate the true value of these systems only once you have been away and then come back. That is certainly a big positive of being back, but another big plus is that you still have all the same faces and the same people running the structures. It makes settling back in so much easier."
With the flame of adding to his 12 Bok caps still burning as strong as ever, Botha said time would tell how much he had gained from his stint abroad.
"You obviously gain experience abroad and show growth, but only time will tell how I will be able to apply that to what is expected of me at the Bulls.
"I'm very positive and happy to be back, but I'm certainly not coming here to teach the players new tricks. I think we must learn and grow as a team, as a unit.
"I feel that personally there was some benefit from having played abroad, but time will tell how it can benefit the team."
He said the other aspect that makes the Bulls a success is that players never see themselves as bigger than the game and are always willing to continue learning and growing.
"You can go back several years, when they started to put these structures in place, and one of the keys was that as players we were always willing to learn and grow within those structures.
"Nobody ever thought they knew it all and that is what makes it so great, the players keep each other on their toes and take each other outside of our comfort zones. As we all know, there's always room for growth."
By Jan de Koning
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