Bulls show grit when the plan fails – Khutha Mchunu

Though they let themselves down in their performance against Ulster, Mchunu said they will take confidence that they held on under pressure. Prop Khutha Mchunu said the Bulls are in a strong place mentally ahead of their imposing match against Scarlets, knowing they can get by on determination and grit when the plan fails. The Bulls led Ulster 21-0 before letting them back into the game at Loftus last weekend, while head coach Johan Ackermann questioned some decisions by referee Ru Campbell. Though they eventually won 34-26, the Bulls face the Scarlets on Saturday (kick-off 5pm), who similarly fought back from a 19-point deficit to 40-all against the Stormers in Cape Town, ultimately falling 52-40. The Bulls may have to face the Welsh side at Loftus without captain Marcell Coetzee, who was to face a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday night in connection with an incident involving Ulster lock Ben Donnell. Coetzee received a yellow card for foul play and was afterwards cited after allegedly breaching Laws 9.20(a) and 9.20(b), which prohibit dangerous play at a ruck or maul, including charging into an opponent without binding and making contact above the shoulders. Bulls brace for Scarlets Mchunu said the Bulls were far from their best against Ulster. “We weren’t happy with our second-half performance,” he said. “We let ourselves down a little bit with penalties, although we still came back into the game. “You get those games, where you have a plan and things just don’t go your way for one reason or another. As a group, we pinned it down to that.” He said the Bulls still finished well at the end, winning a few of their own penalties to ride the game out until a kick after the hooter to take away Ulster’s losing bonus point. “If you look at the way we finished, under pressure in the moments that counted, we were able to grind out the win. “That gives the group confidence, because it shows that even when the plan doesn’t work, we can show a little bit of grit, hang in there and still win games.” Mchunu takes lead from Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira The 29-year-old Bulls tighthead said on a personal note, he still had dreams of playing for the Springboks, with Os du Randt and then Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira inspiring him as a youngster. Injuries have held him back, but Mchunu holds onto the memory of replacing Mtawarira from the bench during his Sharks debut at the age of 20.