VIDEO: Jake's player management masterstroke
WATCH as Bulls Director of Rugby Jake explained his thinking for taking Springbok Ruan Nortje off in the 66th minute in their 55-15 United Rugby Championship win over the Dragons.
The Bulls secured second place on the URC table after needing just one log point from their clash against the Dragons which puts them in a position for a potential semifinal.
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The two-time URC runner-ups (2022 and 2024) had learned from their past mistakes and took some calculated risks throughout the season.
One of the risks was White’s decision to let his side play with 14 players for the last 14 minutes against the Dragons and the former Springbok coach explained his thinking behind his decision.
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“I took Ruan Nortje off and we played 14 minutes with 14 men deliberately,” White said.
He added: “I wanted to see if we’re clever enough at breakdowns and to manage the game with 14 players and how we operate the line-out with a new caller. We had two different [types of] line-outs which worked perfectly as well.
“I wanted to put them under pressure at the back end [of the match].
“Also, selfishly I didn’t want to risk a guy like Ruan Nortje in a game when we already won it, and I need everyone fit and available for the play-offs.”
