BULLS PREVIEW: To fall or to fly, the Bulls face a Peter Pan conundrum

There’s a wonderful line from the children's book of Peter Pan as the main character asks Wendy to take his hand and fly. Wendy says “but what if I fall” to which Peter replied: “But my dear what if you fly”

While this may sound like the strangest intro to a rugby story that has ever been written, it is rather apt for the Vodacom Bulls this season.

A team that has missed out over and over again. A team that has played in three finals in four years and lost everyone. A team with ambitions of being the best, but the fear of failure that has dogged them for so long.

Sport is full of cliches - winning is a habit, so is losing, we are told.

So the Bulls dumped their coach Jake White after a player rebellion and brought on Johan Ackermann, a coach who has a history of getting the best out of players when there has been a rebellion. He took the Lions side after they rebelled against John Mitchell to two successive Super Rugby finals a decade ago.

But the elephant in the room is exactly that. He never got the opportunity to lift a trophy.

So where does that leave the Bulls ahead of this Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Quite simply at a crossroads.

The expectation from their fans is there. After three finals in four years something had to be done to get them over the line.

Ackermann arrives with a lot of expectation, and a squad that has been bolstered by the likes of Handre Pollard, Jan Serfontein, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and Paul de Wet, to name a few. There is a sense of optimism around Loftus, but strangely enough also quite a bit of fear. They don’t say it openly, but it is underlying all of the conversations.

Ackermann hasn’t had it easy since arriving. He has had to deal with a massive injury list, has had no real pre-season preparation and hasn’t had a fit lock pairing heading into the opening week.

The Bulls have more Boks than in previous years, and that means many of them will only get back to duty early December, which is challenging.

Even those that he thought he would have available - such as veteran Bok Willie le Roux, was called up this week to train with the Boks. The road has certainly not been easy.

But the URC is a marathon and not a sprint, and the Bulls have enough depth to get them through the early rounds. They need to find some rhythm and it will be interesting to see how they embrace Ackermann’s game plan.

They were certainly one of the more attacking sides in the competition last season and Ackermann is known for attacking rugby.

While the injuries have robbed them of the likes of Akker van der Merwe, Cameron Hanekom and Elrigh Louw, for instance, they have gained some interesting additions. Cheswill Jooste is one of the fastest players in the country and excelled for the under-20s. At 18, he is likely to see URC action this year, and a big future is expected of him.

Others, like Gerhard Steenekamp, have missed a big chunk of Bok action and will need game time, which is good for the Bulls.

But their fortunes very much depend on how well Ackermann can blend all these challenges - the injuries, Bok call-ups, depth and playing time, while getting momentum from a team that wants to succeed.

It won’t be easy, and the first few months are likely to be rocky.

But when the Bulls hit their straps, the chances are they have the depth and experience to weather the storms, and if their game plan clicks, they have the personnel to strike hard at opponents.

The biggest question is just when and how they click.

And that only time will tell us. When they do, the fear will hopefully be gone. And like Wendy in the children’s book, the Bulls will finally fly.