Leinster game an early gauge
WHITE: LABELS THE IRISH TEAM ‘BARCELONA’ OF RUGBY
Bulls coach Jake White all but admitted yesterday that it will be a long shot for his team to beat Leinster, symbols of all that is strong in European rugby when they meet in their opening United Rugby Championship match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin today.
But he added that it is a lengthy competition and whatever happens, South Africa’s champions will know how close they are to competing for honours up north.
Leinster won the last four editions of the Pro14 before the rebranding with the arrival of the four South African franchises, and they are also perennial contenders for the Champions Cup, Europe’s premier competition, having reached the knockout stages in 12 of the last 13 years and won the title five times.
“Leinster are like the Barcelona of rugby and there’s not much I have to say to the team about playing them. It will be a great benchmark of where we are early on, it will be a huge test coming up against guys who have played 3040 Tests for Ireland and European finals,” said White.
“We have guys who have played against the same teams in the Currie Cup, which is a significant difference. So one thing we can learn from Leinster is it’s about how you adapt and evolve through the competition,” he added.
The Sharks, bridesmaids to the Bulls since rugby returned after Covid, have a similarly dauting task as they take on Munster tonight.
They legged it to Ireland with some relief as their last match was yet another defeat to the Bulls at Loftus, the biggest margin of defeat in Currie Cup final history.
But the Sharks are traditionally good travellers and coach Sean Everitt knows they will be playing finals rugby once again, rather than the running game.
“Munster are a well-drilled team who do not give you much, so it’s going to be about execution on the day. Johann van Graan is a well-organised coach, he’s been involved at the highest level with the Springboks and has brought a style to Munster that is very difficult to play against – they suffocate and strangle you,” Everitt said.
The Stormers, given their recent troubles, will be grateful that they start against Italian opposition in the form of Benetton Treviso.
But Treviso were the team that destroyed the Bulls in the Rainbow Cup final and, given their struggles against their arch-rivals recently, they will have their hands full in northern Italy.