Bulls need to win 'desperation battle' against hurting Munster
SPOTLIGHT: The Bulls will have to up their game after a solid display against Cardiff when they welcome a hurting Munster side in Round 13 of the United Rugby Championship.
The win against Cardiff boosted the Bulls’ play-off aspirations after suffering a setback against the Stormers a fortnight ago.
Utility forward Cobus Wiese said that they felt that the Stormers were more desperate on the day, and that the Bulls will have to have the same attitude against Munster to not fall into the same trap as they did against their arch rivals.
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“If you want the simple answer, it’s being more desperate,” Wiese said when asked by Rugby365 what they should do against Munster.
“If you look at it a bit deeper, any team coming to Loftus [Versfeld] wants to make a statement.
“It’s a tale as old as time that if you dominate the forwards, you’ll put yourself in a good position to win the game.
“So definitely I think personally and as a pack of forwards we have to pride ourselves in being physical.”
Also read: Stormers brace for Test match intensity from Edinburgh
Wiese added that physicality won’t be enough, but sticking to their plan and building on the positives of their season so far.
“I’m not by any means saying we are more physical than Munster because they’ve got a quality forward pack.
“But it’s about us focusing on ourselves and going forward as a unit… Gerhard Steenekamp will tell you that going forward in the scrum is the most important thing.
“But it’s about building on what we’ve been doing, and we’ve not quite been there all season long.
“Here and there were signs of us being a good team that can take it all the way, and other times we backed off and got bullied.
“Then again, there’s a responsibility on us to be dominant, to work hard, and it will be a squad effort where everyone will have to do their bit to succeed in that goal.”
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Munster will be boosted by Ireland internationals Craig Casey, Jack Crowley and Jeremy Loughman for this clash.
Wiese praised the trio and said the Bulls will try to put pressure on them, having already considered their possible selection for this clash.
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“Jeremy [Loughman] is one of the few props in Ireland who can play on both sides of the scrum. We took note of that.
“He’s a quality player and had some game time in the Six Nations, so we’ll keep a close eye on him.
“And on [Jack] Crowley and [Craig] Casey…I think Crowley is currently the best No.10 in Ireland.
“He reads and manages the game well, so we expect them to bring a massive fight.
“They’ll want to bounce back, and what better way to do it than beating the Bulls at Loftus?
“We’ll try and put as much pressure on them, but we know they’re quality players and will definitely be more alert.”
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