Jake White says being the only South African side to face Leinster at full strength gave the Vodacom Bulls confidence in their semi-final clash. dylan jack report.
Vodacom Bulls beat Italian side Benetton in a tight quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld and will face Leinster in the semi-finals in Pretoria on Saturday.
It will be the first time Leinster travel to Pretoria in full force as the Irish side decided to rest their national team on their tour of South Africa in the past to focus on the Champions Cup.
But the Bulls took on Leinster at full speed, delivering one of those famous comebacks with a 27-26 win in the 2021-22 semi-final in Dublin.
“I hope it boils over. “I know the weather is something I can’t control, but I wish it was hot,” White said.
“One positive thing is that they beat us 31-3 in the opening game of the season and they also beat us in the semi-final in Dublin. So it’s not something we haven’t done.
“When rugby is knocked out, anything is possible. Anything can happen. If they get off to a good start like today, they will feel the pressure.
“One big difference is that today all the pressure is on us. Next week, all the pressure will be on whoever comes here. If it’s Leinster they will be under more pressure than we are.
“With international players in the squad, we expect Leinster to win. They need to win the URC. They have played three European Cup finals. If you can’t play, you can’t go to the finals.
“Hopefully we can get back together this week and take care of ourselves as the weather warms up. Mentally, go into the game with the belief that it has been done before. We beat Leinster in Dublin and we have to believe that can happen in Pretoria. “I truly believe we can win,” he said.
White says the Bulls will use all the experience they have gained against Leinster’s strongest line-up in their dress rehearsal for the upcoming Test series between the Springboks and Ireland.
“We are the only South African team that has played to Leinster’s full strength. For three years, no other South African team has faced Leinster at full strength.
“When Leinster came to South Africa they brought their second stringers. When we toured at the beginning of the season, they were in the World Cup.
“There is a positive aspect to that. This means we have used the best players. This is my third time. You have to take something positive from it. “If we play Rafael Nadal three times, we will be better in the third game,” he said.
🗣️ Jake White’s plea to the public ahead of Springboks v Ireland dress rehearsal: ‘Fill up Loftus.
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— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) June 9, 2024
Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile/Gallo Images
