World Cup-winning former Springbok lock Albert van den Berg says his Scarlets pack is braced for a physical onslaught from a Springbok-enforced Vodacom Bulls on Friday.
The former Bok lock, who joined the Welsh outfit in 2023 after a stint with the Lions, knows exactly what his side is up against as they face a Vodacom Bulls team bolstered by several World Cup-winning Springboks.
The Bulls, unbeaten in their first three matches of the 2024-25 URC season, will arrive in Llanelli with momentum on their side. After two dominant home victories over Edinburgh and Ulster, they kicked off their European tour with a win over the Ospreys.
Van den Berg is fully aware of the physical challenge his pack will face.
“They have got a great team, a lot of Springboks,” he said. “They are physical, have a good scrum, good maul, their counter attack is really good with ball carries.
“I know Jake White well, having played under him. He will get them fired up, he has said in the media that this is their year to perform, they will have the right mindset.
“But we will be ready for them, we like to take on the big teams and the big players, all the guys will be fired up for this one.”
Facing former Springbok head coach White, now the Bulls’ director of rugby, will add an extra layer of intrigue to the contest. Van den Berg played under White during his Springbok career and knows what to expect from his former mentor.
“For me, from the time I spent under Jake, he brings a lot of confidence in you as a player. He has a clear gameplan, what he wants from everyone in the team and he puts all of that together.
“I will never forget in 2004, I remember him telling us when I came into the Springbok squad, ‘If you guys do what I tell you we will win the next World Cup’.
“He instilled that belief and worked hard, yes, there were ups and downs on the way to 2007, but he will instil that belief that you are good enough to be there and good enough to compete and if you stick to what he is telling you, you will get the results.”
Though now based in Wales, Van den Berg has made a smooth transition to life at Scarlets.
“The people are great! We come from a background of sun shining for 300 days a year so the biggest adjustment for me has been getting used to the weather. But the people are great, it is a beautiful country as well, we’ve been around a few places and we love it.
“We have a great balance of young players and experience. Performances are getting better, we are moving in the right direction. There is also a great leadership group who are committed to the cause and we are building on that.”
Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
