Bulls need to keep the rag to beat Leinster
It didn't affect the results of their previous two meetings but Bulls figure they must be more disciplined than ever against Leinster in Saturday's URC final.
Jake White's men finished second in the table behind Leinster but are bottom of the log when it comes to discipline.
They had 16 players sin-binned and four red-carded, while Leo Cullen's men have had just four yellow cards against them after 20 games.
The South Africans also overcame a yellow card in last season's semi-final against Leinster to prevail, while they survived a late red card in this season's round 13 game to win it at the death.
In addition, they were also able to see off the Sharks last weekend, 25-13, despite having three players in the bin at various stages.
While it may appear that their run-ins with the officials may be more a feature than a bug, Marcel Coetzee reckons improvement in that area is a must if they are to turn Leinster over for a fifth time in seven URC meetings at Croke Park this weekend.
"I think it's something we addressed as a squad, you know," said the back row, who played for Ulster between 2016 and 2021.
"It just makes things harder for you, and playing against a quality side like Leinster, you can't afford to have one guy in the bin or two guys in the bin.
"You need all the feet on the pitch and it's going to take work rate to stop their onslaught, so we don't want to let the guy next to you down by being reckless and stuff.
"So yeah, in soft moments we need to up our game and just keep building on our DNA that's been working for us this whole season."
Bulls knocked Leinster out at the semi-final stage in 2022 and 2024 and 34-year-old Coetzee says they had a Grand Final meeting with the eight-time champions somewhere in the back of their minds.
"It's a winning machine and they back their systems"
"They're a championship side so they'll always be in the running, in the play-offs, they are always at the top of the log and you have to respect that," said Coetzee, who has 31 Springboks caps.
"It's a winning machine and they back their systems and their structures.
"Yes, that was a saying from coach Jake early in the season but you know play-offs, anything could have happened, it just so happens that the first team gets to go to the final and the second team gets to play them in the final.
"Look, it's all excitement, it's all enjoyment.
"We played each other a couple of times in the seasons prior to this and we know each other very well, and I think that's just going to make the contest more exciting this weekend."
The Pretoria-based side will become the second South African team to play at Croke Park, the home of the GAA, after the Springboks lost to Ireland there in 2009.
Coeztee said: "From what I've heard it's a very special place. It's got a great atmosphere when the crowds attend.
"We talk about a special final, what a special event to play in. We at the Bulls are looking forward to the challenge.
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RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Passionate Jake White commendation reveals Bulls' URC buy-in
South African rugby is buying in, and Jake White's Bulls are all in. After eschewing Super Rugby to switch hemispheres in 2021, the big four franchises are bringing the crowd with them. The BKT United Rugby Championship is their direct replacement for Super Rugby, a tournament which the Pretorians won three times. South African sides have made up five of the compeition's eight finalists in the last four seasons. This means something. The URC is where "you're seeing the best players in the world" reckoned the always engaging 61-year-old when he addressed reporters at Croke Park yesterday ahead of Saturday's Grand Final against Leinster. The Champions Cup? Well, that's nice too. White's heartfelt and enthusiastic commendation contrasts with Leinster's laboured praise for their second-best friend. Earlier this week, Dan Sheehan insisted there was "absolutely no way" Leinster would be beaten in the hunger stakes and players aren't really expected to say anything different. "If you reach a final, everyone is desperate to win; let's be fair," said White, whose side finished the regular season in second place behind Leinster. "No one sits in a final and says we are not desperate or as desperate as the other team... it would be naïve." White is a World Cup-winning coach, with the Springboks in 2007, and has plied his trade in Australia, with the Brumbies, who he took to the Super Rugby final in 2013. He spent three years in both France, with Montpellier, and Japan. White has been around the world and his thoughts on the URC are worth reading, especially when asked to compare it to the Bulls' former home. "Well, let me say this, one of the things which is interesting, and I've been around a long, long time, is that [the fans] didn't buy into Super Rugby when they joined it either," he said. "They didn't understand it. They didn't know who the guys from Waikato were and the guys from Otago and then as time went on they got a better feel for how Super Rugby worked. "And in the URC, I would still be honest and say they're still not sure how it all fits in because when we play Saracens they say 'is it a URC game?' and the same when we play Northampton. "But I think, over time, they now realise it's actually a phenomenal tournament and you're seeing the best players in the world. "I mean, it's no different from what happened when Super Rugby started to take off. "They realised you could see Christian Cullen playing for the Hurricanes and you can see Jonah Lomu playing for Auckland." Ahead of tomorrow's decider, White, whose side have lost two of the last three finals, said so great is "rugby fever" in the Rainbow Nation that they will receive support from erstwhile rivals. "I mean let's be fair, we're playing Ireland tomorrow," he said. "They just happen to have a different colour jersey on Saturday but we're playing Ireland and that's probably why South Africa have tuned in, because they know these players as Irish internationals. "I've got some messages from back home, people are supporting the Bulls. "People in Cape Town are supporting the Bulls. People in Durban are supporting the Bulls and think about it, that's like Munster supporting Leinster tomorrow against the Bulls. "That's just what happens when rugby fever is high. But they've bought into it and it's no different from how it happened in Super Rugby." White was also asked about lock Joe McCarthy's assertion last weekend that "everyone loves to hate Leinster". Is that the same in South Africa? "Nah, nah, everyone's in awe of Leinster," he said. "Just read that team, from Andrew Porter, and go through the list. I mean, it just gets better as you're reading it, the team is full of stars. "I think what, what [Joe McCarthy] says there, it's exactly what top players do say, is that they need to find a way to be better, and they need to find the 'why' of why they want to win. "And what he was right [to say] 'they don't like us', doesn't matter, as long as we understand what we need to do. "So, we're the same, we're not the most loved team in the world either. "Let's be fair, the Bulls wouldn't win too many popularity awards if you went around either but it doesn't matter. "The reality is we've got a job to do, as Leinster have got a job to do tomorrow, and it's got nothing to do with who likes who and who doesn't like who. "Whoever plays well tomorrow and whoever takes their chances is going to win the game."
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Extra.ie
Wilco 'The Fridge' Louw has the ability to derail Leinster's URC title dream
Apparently the only thing more destructive than Wilco Louw's scrummaging is his handshake. The giant Bulls tighthead is renowned for putting the squeeze on opposition props and it's the same story when he extends one of his giant mitts to greet someone. Frans Ludeke, one of his former coaches, once joked that he'd rather greet Louw with a kiss rather than a handshake, such is the power of the man. Pic: PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images The 30-year-old clearly makes a strong impression on people. It's been the same story on the pitch where the South African frontrower is winning rave reviews. It's not just Louw's scrummaging which is earning plaudits, the Bulls prop is very much a modern frontrow forward and offers plenty around the pitch. Many former coaches have been left stunned by this 21-stone prop's athleticism and ability get around the park. He shares Andrew Porter's stamina on the pitch, too. Louw regularly gets through 60 or 70-minute shifts on the URC beat when it's traditional for tightheads to get called ashore after 50 minutes at the coalface. Louw's performances have been so good this season that many fans and commentators back in his native land feel that he should have been recently crowned South Africa's United Rugby Championship Player of the Season, and not Stormers star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Wilco Louw. Pic: Gordon Arons/Jake White, his head coach at the Bulls, felt Louw would have been a worthy recipient. 'I'm obviously biased, but I just think that what he's done for our team just by putting him there has allowed us to play the way we do,' he said recently. 'When did you ever get a tighthead prop who's been nominated for a prize in South Africa. I genuinely hope that he wins it because everyone spoke about what the premium is on tightheads.' And Louw has been demonstrating his value all season. The Bulls scrum have statistically the strongest scrum in the URC this term. Worryingly for Leinster, Louw and his comrades have won a whopping 46 scrum penalties in the league this far. Leinster are going to feel the heat in Croker, that's for sure. He has been brutally effective in a Bulls side which will feature in a third URC final when they face down Leinster in Croke Park on Saturday evening. White's side are quietly confident they can storm Dublin and seal victory, especially with such a powerful scrummaging weapon. No doubt, Leo Cullen and his players have already poured over footage of the Bulls' semi-final win against the Sharks last weekend. The home pack destroyed their South African counterparts at scrum time, with Louw lording it in his battle with Springbok loosehead Ox Nche, widely regarded as one of the premier set-piece technicians in the game. Porter, who will be packing down against a player known as the 'The Fridge', is about to face a fierce scrummaging challenge. Louw is being widely touted as one of the best tightheads on the globe at the moment, and rightly so. Amazingly, he has not featured for the Springboks in almost four years, playing the last of his 14 Tests in 2021. The presence of Frans Malherbe and Vincent Koch, a pair of world-leading tighthead props, has been one reason, while Louw's nomadic career perhaps didn't help his international prospects either. A shy character who grew up on the family farm in Wolseley, a small town about 130km from Cape Town, Louw rose through the ranks and quickly caught the eye of the Bulls before a stint with the Stormers. There followed stints with Toulon and a three-year stay with Harlequins, where he won rave reviews in a powerful frontrow alongside Joe Marler, before returning to the Bulls in 2023. And Louw has been a smash hit since he came back to Pretoria. His appetite for scrummaging has been noted by coaches and teammates. 'I don't think that you are going to get a game where you are going to get as tough opposition as you will get from Wilco on a Tuesday or Thursday scrumming session,' White noted recently.'The one thing that amazes me about Wilco, often players who are good at that, don't do it often. They like to let other players go in at scrum time. He doesn't miss a scrum. You actually have to physically say 'you have to swap'. He will stay there the whole session because that obviously is what he wants to get better at and pride himself on.'We say it and it is not nice to single out a player, but since he has arrived, the mere fact that our scrum has improved is because of the effort he puts in at scrum time.' Uncompromising forward play has always been part of the DNA of the Bulls. The Loftus Versfeld crowd enjoy a big scrum as much as an 80-metre counter attack. Louw's international exile will surely come to an end soon. Indeed, he was recently named in an extended training squad by South Africa boss Rassie Erasmus. Now aged 30, he is the prime age for a tighthead, a position where players tend to get better with age. Louw is in the form of his life and will back himself to make the Springboks No3 jersey his won ahead of the 2027 World Cup, especially with Malherbe and Koch nearing the end of their distinguished careers. The big question is whether Porter and Co will be able to contain Louw at GAA HQ? When it comes to the scrum. The Leinster loosehead has fallen on the wrong side of referees in the past. The World Cup quarter-final defeat by the All Blacks immediately springs to mind and if referee Andrea Piardi feels Louw has got the edge in this area then the Bulls will have a strong foothold in this final. As the Springboks demonstrated at the past two World Cups, a dominant scrum can get you a long way in knockout rugby. This Bulls behemoth will take some stopping this weekend.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Leinster coach Leo Cullen on facing Bulls: ‘We know we're in for a serious bloody challenge'
Leinster hope the United Rugby Championship (URC) final on Saturday in Croke Park will be a positive send-off for All Black Jordie Barrett , who returns to New Zealand , and Ross Byrne , who leaves for Premiership side Gloucester after five seasons . Barrett starts at inside centre beside a recharged and healthy Garry Ringrose with Byrne poised to make an appearance from the bench. 'Ross has been unbelievable, he's been involved in some great days for Leinster,' said Leinster coach Leo Cullen . 'Hopefully he will play a part, he's been a key member of the group.' Josh van der Flier also makes a timely return to openside flanker and along with Ringrose adds to the collective experience of the group as they face South Africa's Bulls. READ MORE Cullen also spoke highly about having the playing ability and influence of Barrett around the Leinster camp. 'Listen, we're very lucky to have Jordie,' said Cullen. 'He has added in lots of different ways to the group because at the end of the day we're a tiny country in terms of playing population, and we're up against a juggernaut team who we would have watched play Super Rugby and dismantle teams over the years, so we know we're in for a serious bloody challenge. 'When we get the opportunity to bring in a player, it's fantastic to be able to do that.' With Sam Prendergast again partnering Jamison Gibson-Park , Cullen has stuck with players who brought the team to this point. Captain Jack Conan and Ryan Baird , who probably had his best game of the season against Glasgow in the semi-final , make up the backrow. [ Bulls will look to use raw power to take down Leinster in URC final Opens in new window ] In a broad conversation, Cullen was drawn on whether the players Leinster brought in such as All Black Barrett, Springbok World Cup winner RG Snyman and French prop Rabah Slimani have added to the group, and whether they were worth the wrangling. The issue arose that if Leinster do not win on Saturday and again end the season with no trophy can they be deemed failures, and can the bringing in of big name players be legitimately questioned? 'What's deemed as success or failure off the back of this?' asked Cullen rhetorically. 'So, there are two good teams going at it. If you lose in a final are you classified as a failure? They are classified as losers because they have lost, but are they failures?' More than their performances, Cullen explained the non-Irish players were also influencers and standard drivers within the squad, 'We know we've a serious challenge on our hands and it's been great to add a few of these guys into the mix because we want them to really add to the group, over the course of a career for academy players,' said Cullen. 'You mention Hugh Cooney and Charlie Tector, Jordie has played with both of those guys at different stages, over the course of the season. 'But you'd have to ask those guys what did they really learn? It's the day-to-day habits. Look, they're here in the first place because I strongly believe they do add. But maybe that's just justifying the position we're in.' Those talking points may naturally iron themselves out on the day. What is occupying Cullen's mind is what the conditions will be like at Croke Park on Saturday, after an afternoon session on Thursday at Jones's Road when the rain didn't stop falling. That will determine how Leinster set up and whether they play their game or adjust for the Bull's strengths. Leinster scored more tries than anyone across the season, while the Bulls have won more scrum penalties on their own feed than anyone. Leinster have the best gainline success, while the Bulls have averaged more metres per carry than any other team. [ Bulls stalwart Willie le Roux urges teammates to seize moment in Croke Park showdown with Leinster Opens in new window ] 'The conditions are very front and centre of my mind because it's been lashing rain here all morning,' Cullen said. 'So, look I don't think the weather is meant to be as bad on Saturday so yes, we will try and play with a positive mentality. I think you saw the group last week against Glasgow. There was a mix. There was a positive effort to play and then okay there is a heavy downpour at half time so then you've got that. 'There is a certain amount of feel and understanding of the conditions on the day.' And perhaps the key to failure or success. Leinster: J O'Brien; T O'Brien, G Ringrose, J Barrett, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Clarkson, J McCarthy, J Ryan, R Baird, J van der Flier, J Conan (Capt). Replacements : R Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Slimani, RG Snyman, M Deegan, L McGrath, R Ross Byrne, J Osborne. Bulls: W le Roux; C Moodie, D Kriel, H Vorster, S de Klerk; J Goosen, E Papier, J-hendrik Wessels, J Grobbelaar, W Louw, C Wiese, JF van Heerden, M van Staden, R Nortje (CAPT), M Coetzee. Replacements : A van der Merwe, A Tshakweni, M Smith, J Kirsten, N Carr, Z Burger, K Johannes, D Williams. Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR). How can Leinster end their Bulls hoodoo? Listen | 31:31
