Jake White says the Vodacom Bulls will empty the tank in one of the biggest games in the franchise’s history when they clash with Leinster at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
White has made minimal changes to the lineup for the much-anticipated Vodacom URC semi-final in Pretoria. Marco van Staden, Devon Williams, Cornel Smit and Sergeal Petersen come into the matchday 23 for what has been billed as a club ‘Test match’.
The Bulls provided one of the all-time upsets of the URC by eliminating Leinster in the 2021-22 semi-finals in Dublin. But the six-time Pro12/14 champions exacted revenge earlier this season with a 47-14 victory at the RDS Arena.
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Speaking to the media on Friday, White acknowledged the calibre of the Irish visitors while emphasising that his charges will embrace the magnitude of the occasion.
“They [Leinster] hold onto the ball and if you are just comfortable giving them the ball, they will keep it for 20 phases and we have to find a way to get it back,” he told reporters. “We also have to be accurate at the breakdown.
“This is probably the biggest club game we have had in a really long time. This Leinster side has 25 internationals, a World Cup-winning coach and a team that is desperate to win.
“Their current group of players has played at the World Cup, three European Cup finals, they have played in URC playoffs and they have played and won the Six Nations.
“All they have done over the last three years is switch the colour of their jerseys, blue this week and green the next.
“We are going to have a go and we will not die wondering.”
On the new faces selected for the blockbuster duel, White added: “That is where we want to be as a franchise too, where it does not matter who starts and who is on the bench and we are not there yet.
“But, the nice thing about sport is there is no given on who should win and who shouldn’t and we have all been in situations where you think a guy didn’t have a chance but ends up winning.
“I am lucky enough that I have rotated my squad enough times this season that bringing in anyone into the match will not feel like we are throwing them into the deep end, they have had game time and the match fitness required at this level.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
