For the upcoming United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against the Dragons on Friday, captain Marcell Coetzee emphasised that the Vodacom Bulls have "no margin for error".
The Vodacom Bulls are currently sitting in eighth place. Coetzee said the team view the match against the Dragons as a critical hurdle in their push for a playoff spot and qualification for next season's Investec Champions Cup. The Bulls visit the Dragons on Friday night, followed by the Scarlets, them go home to host Zebre and Benetton.
Coetzee said the Dragons will be confident following their recent success in reaching the EPCR Challenge Cup semi-finals, despite being fifteenth on the URC log.
He warned against complacency, stating that the Bulls cannot afford to be "lulled into a false sense of security" by the Dragons' lower URC log position. Coetzee highlighted the importance of having the right mindset, noting the Dragons are "dangerous" opponents who often stay competitive until the final moments of a match.
“If you look at all their URC games so far, they were always in the game, and then it was just moments where it got away from them,” he said. “They will take a lot of confidence from reaching the next stage of the Challenge Cup.
“It makes it difficult because you don’t really know what team you will be getting on the day. That is why it’s important that we just focus on our plans that we want to implement.
“We spotted a few things we can possibly exploit, but it’s not going to be easy, and it’s important that our mindset is right for Dragons.”
Coetzee said that "holding your nerve" is essential as the competition enters a high-pressure, four-match straight run toward the quarter-finals.
“We’ve put ourselves in this position, and only we can get ourselves out of it. There’s pressure, but we’ve accepted that. Every game is precious now.”