Jake White: Bulls showed they have learned resilience, composure
Where the Bulls failed to complete their fightback against Edinburgh last month, they rallied from 21–8 behind to win their URC quarter-final.
Bulls director of rugby Jake White said his team demonstrated they have grasped how to fight back, following their victory over Edinburgh in their United Rugby Championship quarter-final at Loftus on Saturday.
The Bulls came back from a 21–8 deficit against the Scottish powerhouse, who capitalised on a Sebastian de Klerk yellow card to score three tries in the first half hour. Once the Bulls took the lead for the first time early in the second half, they didn't lose it.
The Bulls smartened their attack and mixed up their usual set-piece focus to win by six tries to five, with the final score 42–33.
This came after the Bulls almost recovered from a 24–7 deficit against the same opposition in the Challenge Cup quarter-final in April, eventually falling just short at 34–28. At the time, White said it had taken time for the players to adjust to Edinburgh, and if they had five more minutes in the game, they would have won.
Bulls were 'dead and buried'
'A 21–8 we were dead and buried,' White said after Saturday's result, which will see the Bulls host their semi-final next weekend. 'Sean [Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt] said he wanted a good start and they got a good one. I am just very thankful that with their good start, we won.'
White said he did not scream and shout at his players during half-time as that would have accomplished nothing. Instead, he told them they had to hold onto the ball better and decided to trust them to finish the game with the control and composure they were capable of, despite some hard calls against them from the referee.
Doing so proved they had learned resilience since their Challenge Cup exit.
The Bulls also surprised their opponents by breaking out of mauls early after building much of their success this season on forward pack dominance. White said the Bulls team from three seasons ago would not have shown this versatility, and it shows another area they have grown in.
Willie le Roux leads the way for the Bulls
Bulls veteran Willie le Roux earned man of the match for his playmaking during the day, his kicks running the Edinburgh defence ragged and a line break from the fullback culminating in a try.
'We certainly were in trouble in the first half,' Le Roux said. 'We had to regroup, play in the right areas, get our kicking game going. That forced them to make mistakes inside their half, which we capitalised on.'
Captain Ruan Nortje echoed those sentiments, saying they had to exert more pressure in the contestables after a lacklustre opening 20 minutes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
2 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Jaden Hendrikse's cheeky wink reminds us that rugby needs characters, not robots
Rugby's struggle for global superstars is evident, as seen in the contrasting reactions to Jaden Hendrikse's sly wink and Northampton's Henry Pollock's flamboyant celebrations. Rugby needs larger-than-life personalities to grow the game. 'Winkgate' stole the headlines after Saturday's United Rugby Championship (URC) quarterfinal clash between the Sharks and Munster, which the South African side won 6-4 by place-kicking shootout after the sides were tied 24-24 after 100 minutes of rugby. It didn't take too much to divert the attention from a match that, outside of the first place-kicking shootout in URC history, offered very little in terms of extended quality entertainment while the referee's clock was running in regular time and the 20 minutes of extra time. But a cheeky wink by one of the kickers in the place-kicking shootout, Jaden Hendrikse, aimed at Munster flyhalf Jack Crowley spurred a few days of social media outbursts from rugby fans globally, calling the act 'unsportmanlike' and 'against the values of the game', along with plenty more unsavoury comments directed towards the Sharks scrumhalf. It even drew a reaction from Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on X. The social media fallout was largely excessive for an event so frivolous, but it was not uncharacteristic for rugby as a sport, whose loudest voices can evidently be self-righteous of the behaviour of its athletes. Rugby has so few global superstars – unlike soccer, tennis or even basketball – and it does itself no favours by attempting to suppress the personalities of its players on the field. Superstars Northampton Saints backrow Henry Pollock also attracted headlines in recent weeks for his eccentric try celebrations throughout his side's sublime run to the final of the Champions Cup. His celebration – by holding two fingers to his neck, as if to check his pulse – in the Champions Cup semifinal against Leinster drew the most attention. Especially from opponents. Several players from the tournament winning team, the Bordeaux-Bègles, including French flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert and Bègles head coach Yannick Bru, posed for pictures in the same fashion after the final – mocking Pollock's celebration after defeating his side. Pollock doesn't fit into the traditional mould of English rugby players. He is full of flair and exudes confidence, which some may argue as arrogance, on and off the field. But he's a personality that rugby so desperately needs and shouldn't try to suppress, akin to the attempts to stifle Hendrikse. Although, as someone seemingly carrying the torch for rugby players who are a little bit different, being on the receiving end of banter from opponents is to be expected. However, to be slammed by critics for antics – completely within the laws of the game – does nothing to grow the game. Instead, it marginalises players who are a bit different, when it could be used to leverage new fans to the game. Rugby has very few superstars — which are needed to draw new eyes to the sport. French star Antoine Dupont is one of them. US women's Sevens star Ilona Maher is another, for different reasons. Dupont, one of the best players in the world and already a French icon, starred at the Olympic Games for the French Sevens team last year in their gold-medal run. He ensured the limelight was shone even brighter on a sport often considered a little brother to the 15s version. While Maher has more followers than 5 million followers on Instagram — more than any other rugby player in the world — she uses the platform to showcase her personality and the behind-the-scenes action of what being a professional rugby player is like. Maher had a short stint with the Bristol Bears in the United Kingdom at the start of the year and her debut match set a new attendance record for the Bears. Stars bring fans to stadiums and new eyes to the game that desperately needs it. Growing the game Rugby has a massive following in South Africa, with the national team currently enjoying its most successful period in history aiding that. But across the globe, the sport is largely niche with other sports such as soccer and cricket dwarfing rugby in every metric. World Rugby launched several attempts to grow the game and amends its laws almost annually in an attempt to make the game more entertaining to increase its supporter base. But evidently what generates fans, especially new ones, are heroes and interesting characters — such as Dupont, Maher and Pollock. Hendrikse has neither displayed the same larger-than-life personality as the latter two in his five-year professional rugby career to date nor is he quite the superstar that Dupont is, but on Saturday he was cheeky. Although his impudence generally does not extend any further than that of any other scrumhalf. Munster scrumhalf Conor Murray, for example, shook Bradley Davids's hand to 'wish him well' before he took the kick to win the match for the Sharks — not too dissimilar from the gamesmanship that takes place in soccer before a penalty is taken. It's the way sport works. Teams find the tiniest opportunity to find a mental edge, especially in a match where the margins between victory and defeat were evidently so small. These actions should be embraced, it adds an additional layer to the game and simultaneously deepens rivalries — both elements that are positive to growing the game. Although, as with shifting away from the customs of any activity in society, the forebearers often bear the brunt of criticism while paving the way for the next generation. DM
IOL News
10 hours ago
- IOL News
‘Warrior' Henco Venter departing Glasgow reluctantly after two stellar seasons for the Scottish URC champions
Glasgow Warriors' Henco Venter will reluctantly leave the club after not receiving a contract extension ahead of the next season. Image: Backpagepix South African Henco Venter, who has been a standout acquisition for the defending United Rugby Championship (URC) winners, the Glasgow Warriors, for the last couple of seasons, might play his final game for the team this coming weekend. They face Leinster in Dublin in the semi-finals on Saturday afternoon and depending on the result, it could be the swansong for the Free State native. He recently returned to the side following a ban and immediately made his impact felt, playing 72-odd minutes against the Stormers in the URC quarters. He terrorised his compatriots and spearheaded the Glasgow defence and breakdown play to help them to a comfortable 36-18 victory. He's been a thorn in the side of the Stormers, especially in the tournament, and seemed to always lift his game when facing the men from the Cape. In last season's final against the Bulls, Venter also made a telling impact to help his side lift the URC title against the odds at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Now, he is on the cusp of exiting the side that became his second home since leaving South Africa, and ahead of a move to French Pro D2 club Brive, he is poised to put his best foot forward. According to Venter, after a directive from higher-ups in Scottish rugby, the Warriors must focus on young talent and not foreign soldiers from next season. Despite being forced to leave, Venter told BBC Sport he loved his time in Glasgow and would've liked to extend his stay after two seasons there. 'It's a tricky question,' he said after being quizzed about leaving. 'It's also from above and all the stuff going on in Scotland regarding foreign players. That's basically one of the main reasons. I love this place, and I'd love to stay, but... (let's) leave it there. 'They want more Scottish players, and I understand that is their plan going forward and I respect that. I am not Scottish, so it's a privilege to be here and give back to the club and the country. If they make their plans and have a will to make Scottish rugby better, I hope they succeed in it.' The 33-year-old played for the Cheetahs before venturing overseas to Japan for a season. He returned and played for the Sharks in an unsuccessful spell before signing for Glasgow. Last season, he was one of the standout campaigners during their title-winning run. He has been more than a handy replacement when the Scotland players have been in camp during the Six Nations and that experience is what they will likely miss going forward. Venter, however, is looking forward to playing another big role this weekend when they take on Leinster in the semi-finals. He is also hopeful there will be a title-defending match after this weekend's duel at the Aviva Stadium.
The South African
11 hours ago
- The South African
Springboks (IN): Plethora of top stars returning to SA
Several top Springboks will be returning to South Africa next season. The Springboks boast world class players playing all over the world. From the United Kingdon (UK) to Japan and Europe, top Bok splay key roles for their respective overseas-based franchises. Thankfully, some of the top Boks are set to return to South Africa soon. POLLARD HEADLINES LIST OF SENSATIONAL BOK RETURNS Handre Pollard will be returning to Loftus to represent the Bulls next season. Moreover, the Springbok pivot is one of several big-name players set to join the Pretoria-based outfit next season. The other former Bulls and Springboks star set to return to Loftus is Jan Serfontein. Furthermore, Pollard move will be one of the most lucrative deals in SA Rugby. He is set to become one of the top-earning players in South Africa. MARVIN ORIE SET FOR MARQUE RETURN TO SA Former Springboks lock, Marvin Orie is also set to join up with Jake White's Bulls. According to Rapport, the Bulls are poised to bring lock Marvin Orie back to Pretoria as part of a sweeping recruitment drive ahead of the 2025 Currie Cup. So, he will join a plethora of capped Springboks at the Bulls. This includes the likes of Gerhard Steenakamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Ruan Nortje, Marcel Coetzee, Cameron Hanekom, Canan Moodie and Willie le Roux. ELECTRIC SCRUMHALF SHOCKS WITH STORMERS DEAL Cobus Reinach is one of the fastest scrumhalves in World Rugby. The electrifying and speedy scrummy will be playing for the Stormers next season. The double Rugby World Cup winner has signed for John Dobsons Cape-based outfit. He will start playing for them at the start of the 2025/26 season
