The Vodacom Bulls Under-20 side may have come up just short in their season-opening friendly against a touring French Navy outfit at Loftus yesterday, going down 31-21, but coach James Winstanley left the clash with plenty to be positive about.
Facing a vastly more experienced French Navy team, with an average age of 25 and several players turning out professionally and semi-professionally in France, the young Vodacom Bulls matched their opponents for large stretches of the contest, only for the result to slip away late on.
Tyler Mason, recenly back from a spell at Bath, on the attack.
“I’m pleased with the performance of the boys, particularly against quite an accomplished team,” Winstanley said after the final whistle. “We stuck it to them for large periods of the game.”
The hosts started brightly, but a dip in the scrum after the break proved costly, along with a handful of missed opportunities close to the try line.
“It came down to the scrum – that was one of the big areas that let us down,” Winstanley explained, adding that his young pack simply wasn’t used to being outmuscled up front. A costly five-metre maul in particular swung momentum in the visitors’ favour, while a few missed 22-metre entries meant the Vodacom Bulls U20s couldn’t capitalise on their pressure.
The Vodacom Bulls U-20s coaching management, left, handed over a signed shirt to delegates from the French Navy side.
Despite the result, Winstanley was quick to highlight his side’s composure and adaptability, a promising sign for a squad largely made up of 18 and 19-year-olds.
“The way we adapted at halftime . . . there were two clear messages and we executed both,” he said. “That’s the kind of thing you want to see, that a team can adjust during the course of a game.”
With several first-choice players currently on rest duties, yesterday’s clash doubled as a valuable audition for members of the extended squad.
“There’s a lot of players in the squad who haven’t had rugby this year and this was a chance for them to put their hand up,” Winstanley said. “I learned a lot about some of the players, which was hugely important.”
Franko Rossouw getting stuck into the French Navy team.
The squad will now take a short break before heading to a three-day camp in Hilton, which includes a match against the Sharks. From there, attention turns to the real business of the season, with the U20s opening their competition campaign against the Leopards.
“Very excited to actually get going,“ Winstanley said.
While the scoreboard didn’t go their way on this occasion, the signs of attacking flair, structure, and in-game adaptability will give the Bulls faithful plenty to look forward to as the young side builds towards their title challenge.
