Jake White voices concern over Euro playoffs
Jake White is happy that the Bulls are still in the race for Champions Cup honours, but has warned his team that a different beast awaits in the knockout stages.
The Blue Bulls have secured a home Round of 16 playoff in the Champions Cup against Lyon under Jake White, this after taking down another French side, Bordeaux, in the last round of pool matches this past weekend.
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South Africa has a full house of representatives in the playoffs of the European competitions, with the Bulls joined by the Stormers in the Champions Cup knockouts and the Cheetahs, Lions and Sharks making it to the last 16 in the Challenge Cup.
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BULLS BOSS WARY OF EUROPEAN CLUBS
It’s no small feat for South African rugby having all five local sides still in the race for European silverware, but White has urged everyone against getting carried away because he expects the SA teams’ opponents to compete at full strengths in the playoffs and to fight fire with fire.
“There is belief, but I want people in South Africa and supporters to understand that the big guns are coming now,” White said.
“When the likes of La Rochelle, Toulouse, and Leinster bring out their players, you start comparing the number of internationals on each side.
“You’re now pitting youngsters who are still growing, but sport is an amazing thing, and there’s a reason why people follow sport around the world,” White added. “They do so for the reason that on the day that a team that isn’t supposed to win ends up winning. Hopefully, our belief will grow and we get better, but I’m also a realist, as we saw with last week’s games that were on a different level.
“It’s club rugby on steroids.”
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JAKE WHITE FACES THE MEDIA AT A PRESS CONFERENCE
