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'It hasn't been easy'- Jake White's Bulls can't wait to host URC sides on SA soil
By Jan De Koning
The Bulls return to South Africa with a disappointing one win from four matches on their European venture.
However, Bulls Director Jake White said his team is looking forward to playing at Loftus Versfeld again.
They face Munster at their famous Pretoria home on November 27 and the Scarlets six days later.
“I know there won’t be that many people, only 2,000 perhaps,” he told a virtual post-match media briefing – following the heartbreaking 10-17 loss to Edinburgh at the weekend.
“To be training on our own fields, sleep in our own beds, it will be great weather.
“We are looking forward to getting ourselves back in the competition,” he said of a four-match tour that saw them lose 3-31 to Leinster, 7-34 to Connacht, beat Cardiff 29-19 and fall to Edinburgh in some very testing conditions.
White said his team’s plans for the next six weeks are “significantly different” from what was in store before last Friday’s announcement that all home games scheduled for the Sharks, Stormers, Lions and Bulls in Rounds Six and Seven will take place in South Africa.
“We were going to be playing in Italy in the middle of winter – in the rain and snow, in the middle of winter,” he told Rugby365.com.
He added that they would have needed to depart early to prepare. Now that they stay at home and prepare, training in the sun and getting ready at Loftus.
“That’s why it was great news for us, we can now build some pressure on the overseas sides that have to plan their travelling and training schedules.
“It hasn’t been easy,” he said of the just-completed month-long European venture, adding: “We have had 44 games in 54 weeks.
“We are looking forward to some time off.
“Hopefully when we do get back to Loftus for the next two games – against Munster and Scarlets – we are looking forward to that.”
He pointed to the 10-time Super Rugby champion Crusaders’ start when they finished last in 1996.
“The next 10 to 12 years they dominated Super Rugby. There is a lesson to be learnt [from that Crusaders story].”
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The Taumoefolau situation is a bit of a strange one to make the case on. He was born, raised, and developed in NZ. He is a NZer.
Why did he play for Tonga? Not sure and only he can answer that one but it clear he has always had ambitions to play for the ABs, and who knows, maybe he never even plays for Tonga as a 19/20 year old if he knew that would stop him ever playing for the ABs.
Hard for people to criticise NZ Rugby for picking a player who was born and fully developed in their system.
Go to commentsIt’s amazing how many kiwis masquerade as kiwi loving Australians. Quite bizarre.
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