Merciless training gets Bulls into shape

Bulls rugby coach Phil Pretorius has a "blood and guts" prescription he believes will put the pride and passion back into the once-proud former rugby stronghold based around the South African city of Pretoria.

The doctor of psychology has devised a training regime that would kill lesser men, and sorely test the fortitude of the group he's brought to New Zealand and Australia for Super 12 matches.

Pretorius showed his feelings straight away this week by hammering his players - just off the aircraft from Johannesburg late the previous day - for over three hours as they started their preparation for Saturday's Super 12 match with the Hurricanes in Wellington.

Then a few hours later he took them back for another dose, this time aimed specifically at scrummaging and lineout work in the forwards.

"Our guys are on a learning curve. Sometimes, wearing a Bulls tee shirt on the streets, one could feel a little ashamed of it, because they've got a very bad track record in the Super 12," Pretorius said.

"So my main aim this season is to put some pride and passion back into this team. We don't have the great names, except for Joost (van der Westhuizen), so there's only one way - and that's hard work and teamwork, and passion."

"It's no good having unrealistic ambitions this season. All we're looking for is to improve on the past three seasons. They've [the Bulls] been stuck in the last two for the past three seasons.

"It's a pathetic record. It's such a tough job changing a losing culture. And the only way to change it is through blood and guts."

Pretorius said it was unrealistic to expect the Bulls to beat the Hurricanes away, though he expects the side to become competitive at home.

"I just want to do away with the 70s and 60s, because regularly in the past few years they've conceded those kind of points.

"Rugby in the area has been through a terrific slump in the past few years, and when I took on the job I knew it was going to be terribly difficult.

"We've got a schedule from hell, starting with six away games. We've lost, in the last few months, guys like Ruben Kruger, Krynauw Otto, Os du Randt and Jannie de Beer - all the big names from last year.

"This is actually a very unknown side, but as you can see from this training, I just won't stop till they progress."

Pretorius was realistic about Saturday's assignment.

"Our main aim should be to see if we can [feel comfortable], do some nice moves, and play some rugby.

"It's no use going on to the pitch just to try and stop the Hurricanes. We must try to score some nice tries, and be an asset to the Super 12, otherwise it will be just the Super 11."

Pretorius predicted the Hurricanes would be the team to win the Super 12 "because they've got a competitive pack of forwards, and because they've got the best backline in world rugby."

- NZPA