Bulls head to Cape Town with a 'sour taste' in their mouths

SPOTLIGHT: Bulls loose forward Cyle Brink says his team are still hurting after their last meeting with the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship.

The Capetonians upset the Bulls with a 30-26 win in Pretoria in January and Saturday’s return match in Cape Town presents the Bulls with a chance for revenge.

Despite Saturday’s match being a crucial one for both teams in their efforts to ensure a spot in the URC play-offs, Brink is adamant that there are no nerves, but instead excitement in the Bulls’ camp ahead of their trip to the Cape Town Stadium, where they will hope to turn around the result of the January defeat.

“We’re not really feeling any pressure,” said Brink. The coaches have given us a clear guideline of how they want us to play. The camp is happy, and that is always good and important for us,” he said ahead of the SA derby.

“At the moment, there’s really no pressure, but maybe closer to the game we’ll feel a bit of the usual nerves, but right now we’re all happy and focused on getting the job done.

“To lose on Loftus leaves a bit of a sour taste in our mouths, so it would be nice to get one up on them — especially on their home field — and we’d like to get a bit of that back. I think it’s something we’re really looking forward to.”

Brink is wary of the dangers posed by a strong Stormers side, especially in their own backyard.

“They are a good team. They’ve got a good set-piece, and a lot of good individuals that play really well and can break the game open,” he said.

“We just need to stick to our structures and what we do, and the result is not something we can control. But if we stick to our structures and everybody shows up on the day, hopefully we can get the result.”

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Meanwhile, Brink is relishing being back in South Africa and experiencing rugby in the URC.

Brink, who joined the Bulls at the start of the new year from English side, Leicester Tigers, is one of the Tshwane-based side’s most recent signings.

Despite starting his time at the Bulls with an injury that prevented him from playing in a number of matches in the early part of the year, the 28-year-old has made his presence felt on the field in the previous few matches he has featured for the men in blue.

“I’m really enjoying being back in South Africa, being close to family and friends,” Brink reflected on his return to SA.

“Being overseas was a bit of a tough time, being away from home and in lockdown. So, it’s really great being back home.

“Talking about the two different styles of rugby – the English Premiership is a little bit more of kicking and playing off mistakes, whereas in the URC we have a lot of freedom to play and really enjoy our rugby. Those are the two major differences. But, in rugby there is a place for both of those types of games.”