Bulls engine room cupboard is bare

While the departure of Handre Pollard and return of Morne Steyn have dominated Vodacom Bulls news this week, a bigger crisis is laying in wait for the Super Rugby side as 2020 looms large after the exodus of a host of players.

The Bulls are set to suffer more than most teams with their top Springboks all being lured back and the new management under new CEO Alfons Meyer virtually powerless to stop it all.

But the reality is that the Bulls will probably have to start over in 2020 – and this time one of their biggest strengths – their engine room – will virtually be bare after the cleanout ends.

While the Bulls are privately saying they are “looking at options” for the future, one of the hallmarks of the Pretoria side throughout time has been its exceptional ability to ensure the top locks in Springbok rugby are always around Pretoria.

Thinking of the likes of Frik du Preez, Moaner van Heerden, Adolf Malan, Krynauw Otto, Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, there has always been plenty to offer in the engine room, but it may be the current exodus has left the Pretoria side almost at breaking point.

At the beginning of this year’s Super Rugby series, most pundits were gushing about the wealth of lock talent in the Bulls system. It seemed to be overflowing, with the basis of their pack’s physicality directly related to their lock prowess this year.

So much so that when they lost Ruben van Heerden to the Sharks last year they didn’t even flinch. The same when Hendre Stassen was lured away by Stade Francais after enjoying his loan spell at Heyneke Meyer’s club that he decided to stay.

At that stage the Bulls were still hopeful that they would keep some of their Springboks, despite all indications being that the cause was a lost one when the lure of Euros and Yen came calling.

But the past few months have seen the cupboard raided completely. From young Eli Snyman who signed with Treviso at the end of last year (to his credit he didn’t expect to play Super Rugby this year when he made his decision) and Jason Jenkins who has a long term contract with his Japanese club Toyota Verblitz and has long committed his post-Super Rugby time to Japan rather than Currie Cup.

Lood de Jager signed with Sale Sharks last month and virtually caused a mini-panic among Bulls supporters, who saw the inevitable coming.

And now RG Snyman is confirmed to leave the Bulls for a big-money deal with Honda Heat.

While the Bulls will pursue a deal similar to that of Sam Whitelock and the All Blacks – where Snyman will not be stopped to take up the position in Japan by agreeing to return to South Africa for Super Rugby in 2021, they will offset the loss a bit with the promise of a return.

Still that is just one piece of the puzzle and while the Bulls do have players in reserve in other positions and Steyn’s return adds a lot of experience to a side desperately in need of experience, the engine room has been the heart and soul of Bulls packs over the years.

But now, for the first time in their illustrious history, it seems the cupboard truly is bare.