An optimistic Bulls Director of Rugby, Jake White said at training on Tuesday that their destiny is now in their hand as two semifinals in two competitions loom. They leave for Wales on Tuesday to face the Dragons in Newport on Saturday and a week later log leaders Leinster at Lansdowne Road in Dublin.
The Vodacom Bulls are second on the United Rugby Championship log while they have qualified for the Round of 16 in the Challenge Cup, currently in second spot in Pool 1.
“It’s quite a nice place to be. I said to the players, in the next month we play our best rugby, say we play our best rugby, we beat Leinster away, Dragons away, Lyon here and then the quarterfinal away."
“You are almost guaranteed to make two semifinals in two competitions. That’s a hell of a nice place to be as a club. It’s not a given, I’m not jumping the gun.
“We’ve got our destiny in our hands and I know we are good enough. I know if we play well enough and I know we can beat those teams because we’ve done it before.
“It’s quite a nice place to be. I said to the players, in the next month we play our best rugby, say we play our best rugby, we beat Leinster away, Dragons away, Lyon here and then the quarterfinal away.”
“You are almost guaranteed to make two semifinals in two competitions. That’s a hell of a nice place to be as a club. It’s not a given, I’m not jumping the gun."
“We’ve got our destiny in our hands and I know we are good enough. I know if we play well enough and I know we can beat those teams because we’ve done it before.”
“We went to Wales last year and we lost to the Scarlets there, and no one expected us to win as well."
“To be fair, look how close these games have been. Look at Benetton, how well they have done this year. At the beginning of the year, other teams would’ve thought that’s probably one game they could target, and they’ve lost it.
“Look at the Stormers, they went on a four-game tour to Europe in the beginning and they lost all four games. Now that’s a team that has played in two finals, won one and lost one narrowly,” the coach continued.
White said the Vodacom Bulls will not disrespect second last placed Dragons this weekend.
“So what has happened in the URC is there is no game where you can generally think, listen we just arrive and win.
“And they would’ve had a lot of time to prepare as well, don’t kid yourself. They knew they’d got us, they’ve had three weeks to prepare, and they know they don’t have whatever players they don’t have due to international duty.
“I have no doubt that they will be prepared, as well prepared as any team we play against.”
