The Vodacom Bulls will host the Emirates Lions in the final United Rugby Championship Round 9 match on Saturday at 15:00 (SA Time).
Vodacom Bulls captain, Marcell Coetzee said during a media session that although the win against Union Bordeaux-Bègles a week ago will give them confidence it means little when it comes to the Jukskei derby.
“The Lions are a proud side. If there is one thing you don’t want to do, it’s to rile up another South African side,” Coetzee said.
“We learned that mistake the hard way the last time we played against the Lions. We will give them the necessary respect. We know what they can bring. At the end of the day, it’s about who wants it most on the pitch,” Coetzee said.
He said the loss a year ago at home has shown that they cannot underestimate the Emirates Lions.
“Local derbies are always tough and physical. It’s personal,” Coetzee said.
“Playing European teams is one thing, but we in South Africa are proud people. We want to go out on the field and give our best, because of the respect we have for each other."
“I’m sure this weekend won’t be any different. What we’ve learned in this competition is that you can’t start off well and then hit a slump of form and try to recover from that."
“The big one is not to be complacent. If you look at the statistics, we lost here the last time we played them.”
