Bulls boss Jake White believes Saturday’s Vodacom URC derby against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld is a crucial step in the Pretoria outfit’s push for a home playoff.
Third on the log, the Bulls are well placed to challenge for second, sitting just two points behind Glasgow Warriors, who don’t play this week. With three home derbies ahead, White’s charges have a prime opportunity to control their own fate.
In the corresponding fixture last season, the Bulls scored six tries in a runaway 44-10 victory, but the Sharks won the last match between the teams, 20-17 at Kings Park in December.
“It’s not revenge, but it’s making sure we don’t miss an opportunity,” White was quoted by News24 this week in the buildup to the Highveld clash. “We had a chance to win that game in Durban, but one defensive mishap cost us a penalty try and a yellow card.
“We also gave them three points in front of the posts when we didn’t fall on the ball. It’s one of those games we realised we should have won.
“That’s sport, so we’ll have another crack at home. It’s a must-win for us because we want to win the conference. We have to win our home games now, which come in the form of three big derbies.”
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The Herd have found form since their 20-17 loss to the Sharks in December, notching up wins over Stade Francais, the Lions , and Stormers. However, they’ll be without key forwards Elrigh Louw, Ruan Nortje and Cobus Wiese.
The Sharks, meanwhile, return from a break after their 42-22 win over Cardiff. White isn’t certain what to expect. “There’s so much talk about rest periods, and I don’t know which team they’ll bring,” he said.
“If they bring their main team, that’ll be strong, and they’re a difficult side to beat. They beat Cardiff away from home and took a bonus point as well.
“With their best side available and when they’re on fire, they’re strong. They won the Challenge Cup last year. I can’t comment now because I don’t know which team they’ll bring.”
“You want to make sure that you have your destiny in your own hands,” White added. “You need to make sure that you keep winning to stay in the top group of the playoffs.
“That’s what we’ve done. We’ve set ourselves up to get home fixtures if we keep winning, and we don’t need to rely on other teams. You need to make sure you have your destiny in your own hands.”
Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
