Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani said his team are not concerned about which players the Bulls use when the sides meet in their highly anticipated United Rugby Championship (URC) encounter in Cape Town on Friday.
Bulls director of rugby opted to rest 21 senior players for their recent Champions Cup matches against Lyon and Exeter Chiefs. The Pretoria-based side fielded matchday squads which featured mostly Currie Cup players and some veteran Springboks.
Meanwhile, the Stormers were also not at full strength for their fixtures against Clermont Auvergne and London Irish but retained the core personnel, which helped them to win the inaugural URC.
Different selection approach
Stormers head coach John Dobson selected sides according to squad availability and game-time requirements.
Both the Bulls and the Stormers registered a victory and a defeat in their two respective Champions Cup games, and Friday’s clash between the two sides should reveal which selection strategy was the better one.
“We’ll have to wait and see on Friday night, but people have their own plans, and we have ours like the Bulls have,” Hlungwani told Sport24.
“We back our plans like they back theirs, and we’ll just have to wait and see on the day which approach works.
“We’re quite confident and happy with how we’ve prepared and planned over the past couple of weeks.
“It wasn’t just about the coming game this weekend; it was a long-term-ish plan, and we’ve stuck by it, and we’re quite happy with where we are.”
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Hlungani said he wasn’t sure whether the decision to rest the bulk of their first-choice players was White’s way of making it the Stormers v Bulls clash a “personal” one.
Last season’s URC final between the sides saw the Stormers lifting their first international franchise trophy in their history.
“I’m not sure [if it’s personal],” Hlungwani said.
“It could be anything. It could be them wanting a different group of players to experience Champions Cup rugby and another team in the URC.
Have to be ready
“We have no idea, and we don’t know what will run out of the tunnel on Friday. But we just need to make sure we’re nice and ready to face whoever comes out.
“I’m not sure whether they’re investing in beating us or investing in their team to play more in the URC than the Champions Cup. All we can do is speculate.”