Wilco Louw has warned Leinster that any attempt to avoid the effects of altitude will be futile as Vodacom Bulls brace for their URC semi-final in Pretoria. dylan jack report.
The Irish giants punched their ticket to the URC semi-finals in the Republic by beating Ulster in Dublin last week. Leo Cullen’s rush took on a high-flying Bulls team at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
It is the first time Leinster have traveled in full force to South Africa after previously resting the Irish national team to focus on the Champions Cup.
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Ireland had previously toured South Africa in 2016, so many of Leinster’s headliners had not faced the challenge of playing at altitude for several years.
Northern hemisphere teams have a habit of slowing down games and extending stoppage time to prevent Highveld shocks, but experienced Bulls tighthead Louw fired a warning shot at Leinster on Tuesday afternoon.
“The best way to gain altitude is to play fast-paced games and run a lot,” Louw said.
“A team like Munster came in and lowered the tempo considerably. It doesn’t matter how slow you go. In any case, you will be affected by altitude. Rugby is 80 minutes, sometimes longer.
“They’re getting smarter, and there’s someone sitting there during breaks and getting treats. Sometimes there may be an issue that needs attention.
“But it goes both ways. When they rest, we rest too. I hope we can get a good tempo. To play a good brand of entertaining rugby, the ball has to be in play. Even if you slow down, you still have to run and scrum. So the effect of altitude still exists.
“They are a well-coached team and very healthy. So they won’t leave. It will be an interesting test for all of us. “It’s going to be hard work.”
With 14 Ireland internationals set to start against Leinster on Saturday, Louw said Saturday’s clash had the feel of a Test match.
“There are no easy games at URC because it is healthy competition. Most weekends feel like exams,” Louw said.
“It’s a big game, just like any other playoff game. It’s a good challenge for us and it’s good to be able to measure ourselves against players who have played international games at a high level.
“We are not young players yet, but we are still getting to know each other. There are some new faces, but we have grown a lot as a team and as a group.
“It’s definitely going to be a tough fight this weekend, but we’re looking forward to it and it’s great to have the opportunity to measure ourselves against the best in the world.”
Louw, who formed one of the most effective scrums of the season alongside Johan Grobbelaar and Gerhard Steenekamp, is looking forward to the challenge of facing Leinster’s all-Ireland front row of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong.
“They are one of the most experienced players because they have played a lot of games together. Therefore, he is probably one of the toughest players.
“But it’s also difficult to scrum against Ox, Vincent and Bongi. So I think we did a good job of preparing against them. It would be nice to see how we can scrum and screw up against the quality side.”
With the Bulls reaching the URC semi-finals, Louw missed out on the chance to be part of the Springboks squad preparing for the first Test of the year against Wales at Twickenham.
But the 29-year-old, who last won the green and gold in 2021, hopes to prove the value of the recall by taking the Bulls to the finals.
“Right now my focus is on putting on the blue jersey and playing the best rugby I can,” Louw said.
“I would be incredibly excited if that happened. Playing for your country is a tremendous honor and privilege.
“This weekend we will focus on Leinster and playing our best rugby for the Bulls.”
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
