VIDEO: Bulls prop echoes White's sentiments
VIDEO: Bulls prop Wilco Louw echoed the same sentiments as his coach Jake White that young players need game time in tough encounters to improve.
The experienced prop was asked about the comments of Bulls Director of Rugby, White, has made in recent weeks on teams having to pay school fees in the tough European competitions.
White was also criticized for allegedly picking a B-team to play against Northampton Saints in the quarterfinal of the Championship.
Louw said the Bulls are still building a team in a competition they have only recently joined.
“I think it’s a tough thing to say, we’ve got a big squad. You don’t get contracted as an A-team player or a B-team player. We are one squad. And we are busy building a team,” Louw said.
“The European teams have been playing in these competitions for years and they have bigger or smaller squads, but they’ve been there for a while.
“We’ve only been there for a few years. And yes, we’ll have challenges as we continue in the competitions, but I think it’s new for all of us.
“If we can adapt as we go along, that will obviously be the ideal.
“We are still a young group and we have to develop. We can’t play the same team every week.
“You get better when you play rugby, you don’t get better when you train. You get fitter when you train. If you want to become a better rugby player, you have to get on the pitch and play.
“I think that’s the most important thing,” Louw explained.
The Bulls host Munster in the United Rugby Championship at Loftus Versfeld this weekend.
The Irish team has just had a weekend off after their European campaign came to an abrupt end last week and the squad that arrived in South Africa has been boosted with bseveral players, including RG Snyman, Oli Jager, Shane Daly and Calvin Nash who are back from injury or illness.
Their trip to South Africa could make or break their hopes of a home URC play-off tie.
The last time these two teams met was back in October 2022 at Thomond Park – a game Munster won 31-17 in Round Five of the URC.
Looking ahead at the forward battle awaiting them this weekend, Louw said he was under no illusion about how tough it will be.
“In the URC I don’t think you get one team that’s not a good scrummaging side or one team that can’t exit well.
“It’s the same as every weekend. They are a really good team, they put Northampton under very big pressure. They are a good mauling side and they are very physical.
“It will be good for us to keep the ball and obviously keep the momentum on our side having good scrums.
“Credit to them, they are a really good side, they won the URC last year and it’s really tough playing against them.
“When I was at Harlequins we played them there and it’s a tough team to play.
“So hopefully we can stick to our plan and execute our plan the best we can,” he said.
On welcoming back former Bulls team mate RG Snyman, Louw said it would be good to have the lock back at Loftus.
“Unfortunately he is wearing a Munster jersey so it’s going to be a tough battle. He has been playing really well, it will be tough.”
After facing the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, Munster will take on the Lions in Johannesburg.
