The Vodacom Bulls have been criticised for a generous defence, but winger Sebastian de Klerk says that won’t stop them from playing an expansive game against the Sharks on Saturday.
In the final round of the Vodacom URC, the Bulls will travel down to Durban looking to wrap up the battle for the South African Shield, while claiming a top-two finish.
Jake White’s side is the best attacking team in the competition, but has received criticism for a leaky defence, after conceding a combined 69 points in the last two games against Glasgow Warriors and Benetton in Pretoria.
However, speedster De Klerk says the Vodacom Bulls are happy with the way they have defended this season and are not concerned about the number of tries they are conceding.
“A lot is made of our defense, but we’ve been working hard on it all season and we’ve actually defended well in most of our games,” De Klerk said.
“Everyone in the group admits that there were times in the last stretch when we conceded too many tries. It’s not something we panic about.”
De Klerk said there is an excitement in the Bulls’ camp ahead of their final hit out before a home quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld.
“We have worked very hard to get ourselves into this position. You should never get ahead of yourself, but we all believe we can win the competition.
“We are focusing on being much more clinical and sharp, because the teams we are going to play against in the playoffs will punish you when you make mistakes against them.”
The 24-year-old, who can also play at centre, joined the Bulls this season after shooting onto the scene with the Pumas in the Currie Cup.
“It definitely makes a difference to play in a competition like the URC,” he said. “It makes different demands on you than when you compete in the Currie Cup.
“Things like communicating with the players on your inside and my game under the high ball have improved a lot this season.
“I’ve learned so much from players like Kurt-Lee (Arendse), Canan (Moodie) and Willie (le Roux).”
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
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