Gerhard Steenekamp’s journey from a rewarding international season with the Springboks has equipped him with invaluable experiences that he can implement at the Bulls. Photo: BackpagePix
The Bulls are determined to bounce back at home in the Champions Cup from a harsh lesson learned amidst the damp conditions in England.
After being comprehensively outplayed by Saracens in their opener last week, the South African side are setting their sights on a much-needed victory against the Northampton Saints in round two of the prestigious competition at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
The last time the Vodacom Bulls faced Northampton Saints 😬
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) December 11, 2024
It ended in a 59-22 defeat in the quarter-finals up at Franklin's Gardens ❌
Will they get their #InvestecChampionsCup revenge on Saturday? pic.twitter.com/dYeSGoX7ns
The 27-5 defeat to Saracens in London last weekend was a wake-up call for the Bulls, and now they are laser-focused on rectifying the errors that cost them dearly.
For loosehead prop Gerhard Steenekamp, the impending showdown against Northampton presents an exciting challenge, particularly in the scrum department.
“I enjoy scrumming against a side like Northampton with a good set-piece,” Steenekamp said yesterday, highlighting the Saints’ impressive scrum record in the English Premiership.
The Springbok front-ranker is fully aware that the competition will be fierce.
After all, Northampton knocked the Bulls out of the Champions Cup last season in the quarter-finals, so there’s a more personal edge to this encounter.
“We want to improve on that game. We also want to ensure we are better than last week. It’s going to be a different game (from last week) because we are at home,” he added.
The stark reality is that last week’s performance exposed critical flaws in the Bulls’ game, particularly at the breakdown and in terms of discipline.
“The penalties we gave Saracens allowed them plenty of easy entries into our 22-metre area,” Steenekamp noted, underlining the need to tighten their approach ahead of Saturday’s fixture.
With the Northampton Saints arriving at Loftus Versfeld, the Bulls know they must shift their focus away from what the opposition brings and instead concentrate on executing their own game-plan.
Steenekamp understood that adapting to tough conditions that the South African sides are not used to is part of the sport.
“The weather caught us off guard a bit, but I don’t want to keep going back to that because it’s not an excuse. We must be able to adapt. They played good rugby in it. It is not a case of us struggling against English teams... we just had an off week.”
Nonetheless, despite the setback, the Bulls remain hopeful regarding their potential for the Champions Cup playoffs.
Achieving victory against Northampton will be critical. It will keep them in the hunt for the knockouts, and with only two pool matches remaining after Saturday, a win in at least one of them could prove decisive.
A victory would also serve to build momentum leading into the intense United Rugby Championship local derbies against the Sharks and Lions during the festive period.
Steenekamp’s journey from a challenging, but rewarding international season with the Springboks has equipped him with invaluable experiences, which he now seeks to share with the Bulls’ younger scrummagers.
“That is how I improved myself, and now I am in that position where I need to ensure that I influence the players around me. That I pull the guy (behind me) forwards, just like the guys at the Boks did with me and helped me improve.”
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