Jake White said Friday’s clash with fellow front-runners Leinster will test the progress of the Vodacom Bulls while serving as a great advert for the Vodacom URC.
The director of rugby made six changes to the Bulls matchday 23 for the blockbuster meeting with the table-topping Leinster at the RDS Arena in round 13 of the competition.
White’s charges are four points behind the Irish giants in second place, with nine wins and three defeats after a bonus-point victory against Dragons in Wales last week.
It is the first meeting between the Bulls and Leinster in Dublin since their 2021-22 semi-finals duel in the inaugural URC – which the visitors won 27-26 – and speaking to the media on Thursday, White is relishing the opportunity.
“We have trained well and the guys who had niggles earlier in the week are all available except for Sebastian [de Klerk], who had a bit of a knock to his head last week,” he said.
“I am told that this will be played out in front of a sold-out crowd which sends a good message to our team. It means that we are doing something right, it means that people want to see the Bulls play and it means that we are able to draw crowds to games.
“It will be a big game. It is a one playing two and I am positively confident that all their big guns will be out as well.”
TEAM: Bulls recall big guns for Dublin duel
He added: “This is a great opportunity for us to measure ourselves against one of the strongest, in-form teams over the past couple of years. This will give me and the coaches a good chance to see where we have grown over the last couple of seasons.”
Elrigh Louw (shoulder) returns and will link up with Marco van Staden and Marcell Coetzee in an all-Springbok back row, while White has opted for a five-three split on the bench.
“We must at least give ourselves a chance, we don’t want to come here and not fire a shot. This is a great opportunity for us to give it a go,” the Bulls boss added.
“We also are going to have to match them, they are a really good team. We will have to match them in areas where they are really good and we are going to have to stop them from doing what they want to do as well.
“The one thing we have seen is that when they get going and get the game flowing with the rhythm they want to play, they are as good if not better than any team we have ever played against.
“It will not be like a heavyweight boxing fight where you go toe-to-toe but I think it is a reality of being smart and it will be a case of taking your opportunities.
“An opportunity not just on the field but to also measure yourself against one of the best teams there has been over the past couple of years.”
Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile/Gallo Images
The post Bulls to ‘give it a go’ in URC blockbuster appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
