VIDEO: White - Bulls should've been braver
WATCH as Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White unpacks the tactical difference his side should’ve made in their 16-19 Round 12 United Rugby Championship loss to the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld.
The nature of the clash was that of a Test match – with neither side giving the other an inch due to the soaking conditions on the day.
The Stormers winning the aerial and breakdown battle proved to be the point of difference.
The Bulls had the upper hand in the scrum, but their usually well-oiled line-out was atrocious on the day.
Despite their poor return, Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White said his team should have considered the line-out option more often instead of bagging the three points when the opportunity presented itself.
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“If I’m critical of anyone, it would be myself,” White said.
“When the Sharks lost to the Lions today [Saturday], we just needed to win [to clinch the SA Shield].
“In all the other games we played, if we had gotten those same penalties early on in the game, we would’ve gone to the corner [for a line-out].
“In hindsight, maybe we should’ve been brave in the first half to put them under pressure and go for the line-out.
“That’s easier said when you look back at the game.
“At 65-odd minutes when we were leading because of that [Ruan Vermaak] try, everything would’ve almost been the way we planned it.
“We’ve got Willie [le Roux], Nizaam [Carr], [Reinhardt] Ludwig and David Kriel to come together and make a decision.
“I’ve got to trust them too; otherwise, if I sit on the roof and I put up an orange or green light, I’m not really being fair to them.”
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White said his side faced a different dynamic when they found themselves down early in the match against the Stormers – unlike their previous meetings where the Bulls were the first to score.
The Bulls’ Director of Rugby also said that his side should be braver in future when they encounter similar situations as they did against the Capetonians.
“It’s quite ironic, it’s the first time we’ve been down against the Stormers early on – by the first kick-off, we were 0-3 down.
“In all the other games, we’ve been leading after five or six minutes.
“We scored [first] in the Final against them [Stormers] a couple of years ago and within four minutes when we played them the last time in Cape Town.
White added: “It was the first time they were in the lead and we had to play catch-up.
“Maybe we should’ve been braver from the beginning and kicked to the corner.
“It’s interesting what might happen then.
“Your line-out probably becomes better too because you throw in more times.
“They’ll probably won’t compete on their tryline because they’re scared of the maul.
“In hindsight, again, maybe we’ve got to be brave when we play against anybody because we’ve managed those factors very well in the past couple of years.”
