By Michael Vlismas.
Dublin, Ireland – Jake White is hoping that the advice he gave to a young Leo Cullen when he first took on the job as head coach of Leinster is the same advice his own Vodacom Bulls team will heed when they face off against the Irish giants in Friday’s semi-final of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship at the RDS Arena.
“I remember how nervous he was taking on a job like Leinster as a youngster. My advice to him then was to just go for it. That’s what I’d like to see from this Vodacom Bulls team – that we at least have a crack at them in this semi-final,” said White.
There is certainly a sense that the Pretoria team is well placed to have a go at the competition’s favourites in their back yard, having grown as a side and having learned the hard lessons of their 31-3 defeat against Leinster in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship opener in Dublin last September.
“I hope they’ll feel they’re preparing for a very different Vodacom Bulls team to the one they last faced in Dublin. We’ve grown a lot as a group. They gave us a good lesson that day in terms of intensity and accuracy. Literally the same group of players wear Irish jerseys as well so they have a standard in their team that can play at international level, and that’s a great benchmark for us. We have improved, but I’ve no doubt that as they’ve grown together this season that they will also be better.
“I’ve been here with very good teams before. I came here with Montpellier and we got a lesson then as well. I’m under no illusion as to what’s waiting for us,” said White.
The experienced coach has spoken all season of how he’s witnessed the young boys in his team become men in this competition. And Friday night in Dublin, against one of the traditionally strongest teams in European rugby history, will indeed be a moment for men.
“These are the crunch moments in sport, and this is why we do this. These are the moments where we get judged. It’s pressure, and this is where you get measured. There is no better place to get measured than at Leinster, which in my eyes is one of the most consistently top club sides in the world for a long time.
“You can’t hide, and this is the bottom line. That’s why we’re here. It’s going to incredible. We’re going to get measured. At this point there is nothing more than for us to be physically ready for the match – our bodies must be ready and mentally we must be ready, because this is going to be a massive game for us.”