Bulls tour a 'playoffs dress rehearsal'
03/29/2025 12:35 PM
Coach Jake White wants the Vodacom Bulls to play knockout rugby on their upcoming two-match Vodacom URC tour.
The Bulls mauled Zebre 63-24 at Loftus on Saturday to move up to second on the Vodacom URC log, a point ahead of Glasgow who had yet to play the Lions.
"I'm happy," White told SuperSport after the match. "I was happy with the [6-2] bench and I think we got better as the game went on. I got a message from a Welsh friend of mine who said the Bulls in the last 20 minutes looked like the real Bulls, which is a great compliment.
"We got down there [in Zebre's 22], we were clinical, we finished, and we showed both power and touches of finesse.
“And Zebre are not an easy side,” he added. “They beat Munster and Ulster [earlier this season] and came within a point of beating the Sharks in Durban [last week]."
REPORT: Nine-try Bulls overpower Zebre
White was particularly pleased that his men came through the game unscathed.
"First prize, I obviously didn't want any injuries, because we've got a tough tour ahead of us now. We've still got our destiny in our own hands, we just have to make sure we have a good tour and get as many points as we can."
The Bulls now travel to Bayonne for a round-of-16 Challenge Cup playoff next Saturday before a tough two-match tour of Munster (19 April) and Glasgow (25 April).
White said he would treat the latter as a dress rehearsal for the URC playoffs.
"We could quite easily play Munster in a quarter-final, Glasgow away in a semi-final and then Leinster in the final. It will be the same grounds, same hotels, so that will be my message [to the team] when we get on the plane tomorrow.
"It's a great chance for us to see how good we are away from home and whether we can beat these teams in knockout rugby. It's not about bonus points any more, it's about playing knockout rugby."
The Bulls will finish the league stage of the tournament with home matches against two Welsh clubs, Cardiff and the Dragons.
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
The post Bulls tour a 'playoffs dress rehearsal' appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
