Jake White says his message for the Vodacom Bulls is simple ahead of their must-win URC showdown against a formidable Sharks side at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Speaking during a Bulls team announcement conference in Pretoria on Friday, White highlighted the challenge against John Plumtree’s men to decide who advances to next week’s final, describing them as potentially the strongest Sharks team ever.
“I’ve said this to you before, theirs is probably one of the best Sharks teams that’s ever been on paper,” the Bulls chief told reporters. “It reminds me of Pieter Muller, Henry Honiball, Jeremy Thomson, Cabous van der Westhuizen, Andre Joubert – I think they’re 15 out of the 54 Springbok players [in the national squad announced on Thursday].
“So it’s not too bad, you know.”
White made one change to the Bulls starting XV that beat Edinburgh last week, recalling Johan Goosen from injury to replace Keagan Johannes at flyhalf. The 13-Test playmaker returns after lasting just 11 minutes against Cardiff in early May before injuring his knee.
TEAM: Bulls back Goose to fly again
Johannes, who scored 14 points including a spectacular try against Edinburgh, drops to the bench.
White’s challenge extends beyond team selection as the Bok squad announcement for the June-July internationals creates additional pressure.
“It’s interesting because yesterday [Thursday] they announced the 54-man Springbok squad, and you don’t have to be too clever to work out – it’s like trials tomorrow, and one of the messages I’ve given the players is, ‘please, I don’t want you to play like it’s trials, I want you to play like it’s a team,’” the former Bok boss said.
Several Bulls players, including Test-capped scrumhalf Embrose Papier and hooker Johan Grobbelaar, were overlooked for Rassie Erasmus’ squad, so facing World Cup-winning Sharks stars creates additional motivation. The Bulls also face a Sharks side that won both league clashes between the teams this season.
“That’s it. That’s why you play rugby. That’s why when you pick your rugby ball up, like little boys always do in your garden, and the one says he’s Goosen, and the other one says he’s Cobus Wiese, this is where it ends up, and it ends up in this big games, so that’s the message,” White said.
“You play rugby to play in these big games, and the best players in the world are the ones who play the best in these games.
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“The Sharks have beat us twice this year, so there’s a reason they’ve beaten us twice, they’ve got a good team,” he added. “I think that 12 of their [the Sharks] starting XV are starting Springboks, and off the top of my head, if you go through that pack only two flankers aren’t Springboks, and rest are Springboks – and not only Springboks but World Cup winners.
“Often what happens in these situations, whenever you announce a [Bok] team before a big game … there’s 54 guys who want to become Springboks, they want to be in the first round, they know they’ve got to compete against the guys they’re playing against tomorrow.
“It doesn’t matter what I say, they know that this is an opportunity in front of selectors, in front of the public, for them to stake a claim. My job I think is just to get them to understand it’s not about individuals tomorrow, it’s about how we played [this season].
“I said to them in a change room today, they’ve been picked on what they did the last 18 weeks, it’s got nothing to do with what they have to do tomorrow, that’s my message … I just want them to continue doing that.”
Regarding Goosen’s match readiness, White added: “If anyone says, ‘listen, he’s not game-ready’, that’s usually how he plays his career. I’m sure you guys watched a bit of training … it’s like he hasn’t been away.”
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
