Turning pressure into points: Five areas the Bulls must get right to tame Bristol Bears

THE Bulls showed plenty of fight against the Stormers in Cape Town, but their inability to seize control during periods when they held the upper hand ultimately came back to haunt them in defeat.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

As they prepare to face the Bristol Bears in the Champions Cup at Loftus Versfeld, the emphasis will be on delivering a complete performance to halt their losing streak.

They enjoyed scrum dominance, brought plenty of physicality, and showed encouraging signs on attack.

With the Bears visiting Pretoria for a 3pm kickoff, we highlight five areas where the Bulls can assert themselves, claim a vital victory, and spark a turnaround in their season.

The scrum

The Bulls are generating a solid scrum platform, but too often it goes unused. They need to turn forward dominance into clear attacking opportunities rather than letting pressure slip away.

It has become a cause for concern over the last couple of seasons, and still, there is no answer for where they are going wrong.

They need clearer plans off first phase — whether that’s using the bruising runs at No 8, setting up a midfield carry, or going wide early to strike — to ensure their forwards’ hard work pays dividends.

Defensive soundness