Trevor Nyakane of the Bulls dejected during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls at DHL Newlands on February 08, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Nyakane urges Bulls to make Loftus a fortress again
The Bulls have lost every match of their 2020 Super Rugby campaign so far including their last two matches at their home ground Loftus.
Trevor Nyakane of the Bulls dejected during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls at DHL Newlands on February 08, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
The Blue Bulls have endured a wretched start to the 2020 Super Rugby season and head into round six as the only team without a win in the bank.
To make matters worse the Bulls have been poor at home and still need to embark on their four-week tour of Australasia.
Winless Bulls have a point to prove
The Bulls welcome the Highlanders to Loftus this weekend before jetting down under to start their tour against the Reds in Queensland next week.
Bulls and Springbok front ranker Trevor Nyakane feels that the team need to lay down a marker against the Highlanders to re-establish their famous home ground as a fortress.
Nyakane suggests that the Bulls won’t be trying to reinvent themselves as a team when they take on the Highlanders. Their rivals from New Zealand like to play a fast-paced game and it is up to the Bulls to grind that to a halt.
No fear in coming to Loftus
The Springbok bruiser believes that visiting teams no longer fear coming to Loftus with results unable to uphold the venue’s mystique.
“Teams are bit comfortable now coming to Loftus,” Nyakane said this week at a press conference alongside coach Pote Human.
“We need to let teams know that when they come here it’s not just going to be a walk in the park.
“Even when I was at the Cheetahs, you feared to come to Loftus; it was a very tough place to come play. We need to try to bring that back.
“The Highlanders like fast rugby and to keep the ball in play. That’s what they are going to bring here to Loftus but we know what we need to do to counter that and make it more uncomfortable for them.”
Super Rugby team tracker: Round 6
Bulls v Highlanders
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Nafi Tuitavake, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Muller Uys, 7 Josh Strauss, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Ian Groenewald, 3 Trevor Nyakane (c), 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Lizo Gqoboka
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Ryno Pieterse, 20 Ruan Steenkamp, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Morné Steyn, 23 Divan Rossouw
Highlanders: 15 Michael Collins, 14 Josh McKay, 13 Ngane Punivai, 12 Josh Ioane, 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Mitch Hunt, 9 Aaron Smith (cc), 8 Marino Mikaele Tu’u, 7 Dillon Hunt, 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 4 Jesse Parete, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Ayden Johnstone
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon (cc), 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Jack Whetton, 20 Teariki Ben-Nicholas, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Teihorangi Walden, 23 Tima Fainga’anuku
