VIDEO: 'Bring on Munster'
Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White says his team will remain grounded, despite their six-try rout of Zebre in a rescheduled United Rugby Championship match at the weekend.
It was the biggest hiding of the season handed out to the Parma-based outfit, a side that has not won a game in more than a year.
Despite being seen as ‘easy beats’ and a walking bonus point, the 38-point margin (45-7) is bigger than the wins that teams like Ulster (33, 36-3), Benetton (25, 39-14) and Munster (17, 34-17) could manage in Parma.
Even Leinster’s 36-point win (43-7) against Zebre was achieved in Dublin.
White described his team as a “work in progress”.
“We will keep our feet on the ground,” White said, adding that they will now focus on preparations for their encounter with Munster at Loftus Versfeld on March 12 – a Round Six match rescheduled from November.
“We needed the win [against Zebre] to stay alive and that’s what we achieved,” he added.
“It is mission accomplished. We have two weeks before our next URC match.”
The Bulls boss said he is going to continue with his long-term goal of building for the future, while also ensuring they win games and stay in the play-off race.
“We have to keep developing our game,” he told @rugby365com.
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He said they will look at the stats and see what the last month has been like – take a balanced overview.
“I am also fully aware that we are trying to build a squad,” White said.
“It is a work in progress for us.
“I am glad we are alive [in the play-off race. We have to keep playing an attacking brand, given where the game is going.
“In a World Cup, you can win based on a solid defence.
“But in a long tournament like this, teams need to develop the depth in their squads and need to develop their game.”
White admitted the first 25 minutes was a case of his team ‘finding their feet’, with Zebre going 7-0 up.
However, from the half-hour mark onwards it is virtually one-way traffic – the Bulls taking a 10-point (17-7) lead into half-time and adding four more second-half tries to the two they scored before the break.
White was pleased with some of his team’s set-piece work, particularly the scrums.
“I am happy with the performance,” he told @rugby365com, adding that not even teams like Munster and Ulster could score more than 40 points against the Italian team in Parma.
“It is good for us to get a bit of confidence out of this game.”
@king365ed
@rugby365com
