Jake's Pep moment: 'Am I missing something?'

“For the third week in a row, we shot ourselves in the foot.”

That succinct post-match verdict summed up Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White’s mood at the weekend.

The Sharks, despite a rash of injuries and late changes, edged the Bulls 20-17 in a United Rugby Championship Round Eight encounter at Kings Park in Durban.

Starting the game without Springboks like Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi, the home team was forced into some more late changes – captain Siya Kolisi ruled out Nick Hatton starting at No.8.

Corne Rahl started at lock in place of Emile van Heerden and Ethan Bester was the starting hooker in place of Dylan Richardson. Bester left the field by the end of the first quarter, after suffering a concussion.

Despite all the disruptions and buoyed by 34,000-odd spectators in the Shark Rank, they hung on to win and cement their spot in the top eight of the competition.

For the Bulls, it was another game where they were their own worst enemies – a rash of silly errors and poor decisions.

And that is when dropped the truth bomb in his post-match reaction.

Reflecting on the last three weeks – heartbreaking losses to Saracens (5-27) and Northampton Saints (21-30), both in the Champions Cup, as well as the URC loss to the Sharks – the Bulls boss admitted it may well be time for some serious introspection.

He referenced under-fire Manchester United soccer boss Pep Guardiola, whose team is sitting well outside the Premiership top 10 – having won just two of their last 13 matches.

“I’ve been listening with interest about Pep and how long he’s coached for and what he’s done,” White said, adding: “For him to admit that sometimes he feels as though it’s got to be him.”

Then White turned the focus to himself and his coaching style.

(WATCH as Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White reflects on the last three weeks of horror losses – in the European Cup and URC…..)

With their next match a trip to France and a crucial Round Three Champions Cup encounter with Castres Olympique at Stade Pierre-Fabre, the Bulls have three weeks to reflect on where it all went wrong.

“That is what I am going to use the next two weeks for,” he told @rugby365com, adding: “We need to do a recap and a reboot.”

White cautioned about over-reacting, pointing out that five of their seven URC outings have been away matches and they have lost only two.

“Saracens is a good team and will be there at the back-end of the European competition and Northampton were semifinalists last year and Premiership champions.

“I don’t want to look at just the negatives.

“I want to look at where we are, what we can do and how we can grow.”

He admitted that a big concern is that he may be missing something – a detail he may be overlooking.

“We are not losing because they have become bad players.

“They are managing certain things differently to how I would like them to manage it.

“That is why it is me.

“I have to find a way in which I could get them to manage the game and take options that I want them to take, because I believe they are good enough to take those options.”

He said getting the players to take the right options requires ‘coaching’.

“Maybe I just have to have a reboot on how they say to each other we are going to win this game.”

White added that he felt they were just one good play away from clicking and the players backing themselves.

@king365ed
@rugby365com