"It was just unbelievable" – Jake White: Vodacom Bulls head coach reacts to Storm Darragh's impact on Saracens defeat

12/09/2024 11:39 AM

Vodacom Bulls head coach Jake White called the conditions his side played in this past weekend ‘unbelievable’, as they travelled up to North London for a clash with Saracens. The South African side had to endure the 50 km/h winds of Storm Darragh, as the London borough of Barnet felt the full brunt of the gales.

There was no postponing the fixture thanks to the artificial surface of the StoneX Stadium, with White expressing how his side failed to adapt to the challenging conditions. After trying to warm up following 80 minutes on a bitingly cold touch-line, White spoke on a zoom call to the far more comfortable South African journalists, who had joined the post-match conversation in the Saracens media centre. White told the reporters how his side ‘lost the toss’ in regards to managing the elements, akin to a weather dependent cricket match, or a poorly timed round of championship golf.

“I wish I could tell it was overwhelming, It was just unbelievable!” White said after the match. “I mean, it’s 50 kilometer an hour winds. I don’t think anyone who’s ever… I don’t even think some of those Saracens players have ever played in conditions like that. We lost the toss, it was a bit like cricket. We didn’t really want to bat last on a wicket that’s going to turn.

“It’s like a golfer that has to play two days in the wind and then try to make the cut when other guys play two days with no wind. So it was one of those. And I’m not for one minute taking anyway from Saracens’ performance, as I said, they bashed us at the breakdown. They were clinical. They look like a team that knows how to win this competition, because they have. As I said, the lessons are that we’ve got to make sure that next time we play them, or any team that’s as good as them, we’ve got to be good enough.”

White was disappointed that even after a fast start at the StoneX, his side were unable to capitalise on putting Saracens on the back foot for the victory. The South African club opened up the afternoon’s points tally with a try from Sebastian de Klerk, with full props going to the nice missed pass from Willie le Roux in the build up to the try. De Klerk skipped past the tackle attempt of Elliot Daly out wide, and sauntered in for the try, in what was the Bulls’ sole contribution to the score-board.

“If you have 15 internationals from Saracens, playing in conditions like that, playing in a ground like this, a club that knows how to win. You’ve got to learn, there’s no other thing you can get out of these performances. And, you know, I said before to a lot of the journalists that interviewed me, and Saracens have the ability in these competitions and in these games, when they need to go up another gear, they they find it. So I wasn’t surprised.

“I mean, obviously I would have liked to have gotten a better start. I would like to have been able to put scoreboard pressure on them in the first half. But it wasn’t the case. I almost got the feeling at eight-five, they almost thought that, or sensed that we were going to be on under the pump in the second off, which is obviously the way they understand the conditions on the field.”

Whilst White was by no means happy to return back to South Africa on the losing end of a 27-5 defeat, the Bulls head coach expressed how he is eager to make amends ahead of the second round of the Champions Cup. There is still plenty for White’s side to play for in the competition, and failing a progression out of the pool stages, that would be able to compete in the knock-out rounds of the EPCR Challenge Cup as one of the best unqualified teams.

“I will sort of repeat myself to the players, but everyone plays in a competition to be there at the back end, and we’ve got three games left (in the pool). We’ve got Northampton, we’ve got Castres, we’ve got Stade Francais. We win those three games, chances are very likely that we’ll be in the playoffs or in the top 16 at least, and then you’ve got a lotto ticket and you’ve got a chance to actually go to the next step.

“Everyone wants to take the high road, those who want to get home games (quarter-finals), and they all want to make sure they’re unbeaten. But, you know, that’s not really the norm in this competition. So, there’s a lot still to play for. You know, third on the URC (United Rugby Championship) table, not dead in the in the Investec Champions Cup, and the lot of rugby between now and the end of the season. So, it’s not a case of doom and gloom. It’s a case of taking these learnings and make sure we get better.”

The Bulls are back in action on Saturday, as they host Northampton Saints in Pretoria. The Green, Black and Gold side are on their way down to South Africa, for the 1pm Kick Off at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

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