Jake White says “choice words” were said in the coaches’ box during a deja vu time at Loftus on Saturday, but is ecstatic with the Vodacom Bulls securing a successive home URC semi-final.
Speaking post-match following the Bulls’ thrilling win on the Highveld, White hailed the Bulls’ grit after they overturned a 21-8 deficit to beat Edinburgh 42-33 and book a first URC last-four clash against the Sharks next week.
The Bulls will host their compatriots with a place in the final against either Leinster or defending champions Glasgow Warriors at stake. If the Bulls progress and Leinster lose at the Aviva Stadium, the URC showpiece will be staged in Pretoria for a consecutive season and fourth time in the Republic.
Runners-up in 2022 and 2024, White’s charges have now put themselves in another strong position to challenge for the elusive silverware.
“We were 24-7 down the last time we played Edinburgh,” White said, referring to the Bulls’ EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to the Scottish outfit in April. “This time, 21-8 down – and not many teams come back like that in a quarter-final. But we learned, and that’s the key.”
The Herd ran in six tries with sharp interplay between backs and forwards. Though they conceded five, White was more focused on the fightback.
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“One lesson we can’t ignore is that we can’t play with 14 men and expect to keep winning,” he said. The Bulls lost winger Sebastian de Klerk to an early yellow card. “We gave them two tries while a man down. That’s not sustainable.”
Still, the Bulls director of rugby was encouraged by the resilience shown: “I’m just very happy that there was the fight and resilience and learning. I always talk about being in this competition and learning from what happened previously.
“We were down but got a [winning] result. Whereas the last time we played them, we didn’t.”
White also pushed back at the notion that lower-ranked teams – Edinburgh finished seventh to the Bulls’ second in the league stage – are walkovers.
“People think the team placed seventh must lose to the team that finishes second,” he said. “But look at Leinster – they lost to Scarlets and us during the league phase and only just got through their quarter-final.
The former Springbok boss admitted the mood in the Bulls’ coaching booth was tense during the first half. “A couple of choice words were said — not for TV,” he quipped.
“But what are you going to do? You can’t shout and scream and behave like a lunatic up there.
“I just had confidence that it was an 80-minute game and although they had a fast start, going from 21-8 to 21-18 in that space must’ve given the guys belief that we learned from last time.”
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