Frans Ludeke (File)

Ludeke heads into Friday’s opener against the Vodacom Cheetahs with a healthy dose of confidence after his injured party of Francois Hougaard, Wynand Olivier, Pierre Spies and Danie Rossouw were all given the green light to play on Friday.

The return of the quartet gives the Bulls a lot of continuity, and they are likely to name a near full-strength side today, and as close a side to the one that won the Absa Currie Cup at the end of last season.

“We’re positive that we can have all the guys back for this game, they’re vital to the way we want to play. With the exception of one or two players, we’re where we ended at the end of last year. We have established combinations over the past few years and everyone came through unscathed on Monday’s practice – that’s a massive positive for us,” Ludeke told Supersport.com

But Ludeke will spend the last few days refining the Bulls adaptation to the new laws, and believes that referees have finally made it clear the way they want the game to be played, and that varying interpretations are a thing of the past.

“The nice thing about a first game like this where nobody knows what to expect and what they’re up against is that the team that takes the initiative first in the game will be rewarded.

“With the new laws you need to adapt at the scrums, at the breakdown and with the kicks. There will be penalties but you need to play smart, to ensure that those penalties go your way.

“We’ve looked at a number of the pre-season games, including our own, and I don’t think you will get unpredictability.

“We’ve seen on defence in the ruck, you have to stay out. Referees want “daylight” and it is very clear that they will blow it that way. Every referee has blown it the same so far, nobody has had a different interpretation of the breakdown.

“The same with the scrum, we know you have to use your own weight, not put your arm on the ground or collapse. That has been clearly defined by the referees.

“The third one is the kick freeze; we know what to do there. There isn’t uncertainty about how they will blow it this year. We looked at a number of games and those three things were clear. If you do it wrong you will get penalised

“All the players know that penalties will come easier, so they need to be more focussed. If they need to adjust, then they must adjust. There are no grey areas surrounding the new laws.”

The Bulls are likely to give Pedrie Wannenburg another chance to continue his rugby revival, while Hougaard will slot in on the wing, Olivier at centre and Spies in his customary No8 role. Danie Rossouw seems likely to fill Bakkies Botha’s place in the engine room alongside captain Victor Matfield.

Possible Bulls team: Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaco Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard, Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Pedrie Wannenburg, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha, Gurthrö Steenkamp.