The Bulls play their third United Rugby Championship (URC) final in four years on Saturday in Dublin, and the good news for their supporters is that coach Jake White believes the team is better prepared than ever.
The Bulls were losing finalists in the inaugural URC final against the Stormers, and last year they were shocked in Pretoria by the Glasgow Warriors.
This week, they face the daunting challenge of beating Leinster at Croke Park. But after four years together, White says the team has evolved and learned from painful lessons.
“One thing I am very proud of is how we have made changes to our squad — bringing in new guys all the time — and have still won big games,” White said. “That makes me positive about what is coming this week.
“My job is to channel the positive energy of where we are in the season and what we have achieved; the calibre of players we have to play Leinster; and the leadership growth we have seen.
“A lot of the players have beaten Leinster in big games,” White continued.
“We did not have Cameron Hanekom when we beat them there in 2021 — in a URC semi-final. We had Marcell (Coetzee) and Marco (van Staden), to name just two, and we will have them again.
“The thing we can control is who is going to Dublin. Then it is the coaching staff’s job to ensure they are well prepared — mentally, physically, and, importantly, in terms of excitement and motivation.”
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White said that while a victory would be “massive” for him personally, it would mean even more to see the players rewarded for their efforts.
“A big reason why you coach is because you want your team to know what it is like to win something big.
“It is a gift I would like to give this group after all they have put in over the last four years. And they have come close. It would be nice for them to taste what it is like when you get over the line.”
A key area of growth for the Bulls has been in leadership. Throughout the season, White has rotated the captaincy, and in the semi-final against the Sharks, that policy paid off when Johan Grobbelaar led calmly while Coetzee was in the sin bin.
Grobbelaar had also captained the Bulls when they lost to Saracens in the Champions Cup.
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“Grobbies took over as captain when we had two players in the bin,” White said of the match against the Sharks.
“It’s interesting because Grobbies has captained us before. So, over time, you never know when you are going to have to call on someone’s number.
“Having done it previously, he was ready to take charge. I know it’s easy to say in hindsight, but that’s why it was such a massive win. You lose your captain, you have three players shown yellow cards, and you still defend your try line like that.
“And you’re playing against a side that’s beaten you twice this season. There must be value in the fact that you can still pull it off and win. It’s all part of the building blocks we’ve laid over the last four years.”
White said that in high-pressure moments, the right decisions need to come instinctively.
“Who’s the captain? Who takes over? What do we do when we’re on the try line? What happens when we’re down to thirteen or fourteen men?
“We’ve managed to learn those lessons along the way. That’s what teams do when they have grown.
“Now we’re going to play at Croke Park. That’s a massive stadium, and hopefully it will be sold out. From a spectator’s point of view, this is probably the biggest game these youngsters can play in.
“It’ll just make them better and better. Part of our aim is to ensure our players become resilient and improve in these high-pressure situations.”
