Bulls adopt 'street-smart' approach

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Keagan Johannes and Boeta Chamberlain are relishing the opportunity to steer the Vodacom Bulls to a crucial victory in the Investec Champions Cup on Saturday.

The Bulls face French outfit Castres at the Stade Pierre-Fabre, and with Jake White's charges faced with the possibility of an early exit from the competition after back-to-back defeats in the pool stages, the stakes couldn't be higher.

"It's not about pressure, it's just a much bigger opportunity for both of us to showcase what we can do for the Bulls," Johannes said during a Bulls conference from France on Wednesday. "To show our talent and to put more pressure on the guys who have been playing the last few weeks."

Chamberlain echoed the sentiment, emphasising the importance of preparation over nerves. "It's more about us going out there to enjoy the occasion and express ourselves. It's going to come down to how well we prepare, and if we do so, the less pressure there'll be."

With challenging conditions expected in the south of France, both men acknowledged that sticking to the basics would be key. "Our basics are going to be very important, especially because of the weather," Johannes said. "I feel we're all fine with adapting to it, and it's nothing we haven't seen before."

Chamberlain added: "We need to keep things as simple as possible and not overthink it… If we stick to our basics and do the simple things correctly, it'll pay off at the end of the day."

The Bulls head into the clash knowing they must win to stay in contention for a last-16 spot. Despite the pressure, the squad remains composed.

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"Everyone is on the page as to what needs to be done this weekend, and everyone understands the plan, so if we can execute it to the best of our abilities, we'll be fine," Johannes said.

"We need to be a bit more street-smart. We're playing against a team with their home crowd backing them, a lot of noise, and [officiating] calls probably going their way.

“We need to keep cool heads and focus on what we need to do and our plan. There's always that opportunity to express yourself on the field and bring a bit of X factor, but at the Bulls it's always about the squad effort."

Chamberlain stressed the need to keep things streamlined: "We've tried to keep things as simple as possible this week with our strikes from lineouts and scrums, to make it easier for everyone to fire on Saturday."

And the versatile playmakers believe in the squad's ability to deliver when it counts. Johannes is a cool customer at scrumhalf or flyhalf, and a reliable sharpshooter in front of the goalposts.

Chamberlain, who joined the Bulls from the Sharks in June 2024, has provided the team with cover at flyhalf and fullback, particularly off the bench.

"We've got a lot of guys who can create something out of nothing, so it's about trying to put them in the right place at the right time," said Chamberlain. "And play to our strengths… it's just about doing it on Saturday."

Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images

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