Mitchell: There comes a point where Bulls have to stop learning and make it happen
PRETORIA: It won’t be much of an edge but the Bulls will take it anyway.
While the Stormers have struggled to win away from Newlands this year, the Bulls will take some belief and confidence from their solitary away win (40-10) against the Sharks two weeks ago when they head to Cape Town this weekend.
It might be clutching at straws but the men in blue will need to muster all the belief they can if they are to become the first visiting team to win at Newlands this year.
And in order for coach John Mitchell’s men to silence the Newlands faithful and get back to winning ways after last weekend’s defeat against the Highlanders, Mitchell says it will be important for them to use the lessons from their victories and defeats this season to finally put on that performance they have been chasing.
“It is certainly a deposit of belief for us. But it is about us getting it right on the day. I think for every team now, every game counts. You just focus on one race at a time and trying to get better. There comes a point where you got to make a choice of whether you want to get better and stop learning as a result because there comes a point where you’ve got to accept that there has been enough learning and you’ve had enough situations that you’ve experienced that allows to be able to cope with any situation. I think we’ve had enough situations in this competition to realise and make the most of whatever comes our way. I think there comes a point where we’ve actually got to stop learning and make it happen,” said Mitchell at yesterday’s team announcement.
It is in maintaining almost the same team for the past four matches that Mitchell is hoping that his side will produce that near flawless performance that will hand them victory.
Mitchell has made one change with Andre Warner starting at scrumhalf in place of Ivan van Zyl who drops to the bench, while the Bulls medical staff is confident that forward Jason Jenkins and wing Divan Rossouw will recover from their injuries to take up their starting positions.
The Bulls have made the necessary plans if Jenkins and Rossouw fail to be fit with a reshuffle of the loose trio on the cards and Travis Ismaiel coming in on the wing.
But as much as Mitchell doesn’t want to change much in his team’s approach and game plan, the former All Black coach knows that he will need to make some minor adjustments in order to catch out the Stormers.