Vodacom Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White is under no illusion about the battle in France and says Aviron Bayonnais (Bayonne) will be difficult to beat today at 13:30 (SA Time), however, he believes the team he has assembled has the goods needed for the job.
The Vodacom Bulls, who are currently in third place on the Vodacom URC table with 10 victories in 14 matches, will back themselves against Bayonne despite winning only one of their four pool matches in the Investec Champions Cup to three victories out of four by the opposition in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season.
They will, however, have to deliver a quality display on attack and defence to emerge victorious as the hosts come off back-to-back wins in the competition and will have full faith in their abilities as fourth-placed team in the Top 14, who will also be playing in front of their passionate home crowd and in vastly different conditions to that which the Pretoria outfit are used to in South Africa.
The Vodacom Bulls come off a morale-boosting three-match winning streak in the Vodacom URC, one of which was a rewarding 21-20 victory against Irish powerhouse Leinster, a trend they would like to build on as they prepare for the business end of both the EPCR Challenge Cup and Vodacom URC, respectively.
They will also draw inspiration from the fact that they have proven they can win on the road, with victories against the Ospreys, Benetton, and Connacht in the Vodacom URC, while they registered a comprehensive 48-7 victory against Stade Francais in the Investec Champions Cup in Pretoria, the same side that defeated Bayonne by 31-27 two weeks ago in the Top 14.
"Bayonnais are a very good French team, and their league is probably not spoken about enough in terms of how good it is, as well as how the teams are doing in it."
"They have been really good this season, and I think they are yet to lose at home, so from our point of view, that team will finish strong, which is important because against other big teams, you will have to play well for 80 minutes."
He adds: "They [Bayonnais] are not number 4 – on the log – for nothing. They have a good defence; their set piece is strong. It is a common understanding from local coaches that they have the best centre combination in the League, and that is a rating from the French public."
"They are a really good team all around, not just one area where they are strong. So, it will be a tough game, which presents a great opportunity for us, away from home. A wonderful experience for our young players who will be here for the first time. Hopefully, we will play well to the occasion."