VIDEO: Job is far from done says Moodie
VIDEO: The Bulls won’t be chasing tries when they host Benetton in the quarterfinal of the United Rugby Championship.
World Cup-winning wing Canan Moodie said while scoring four or more tries has been the focus during the regular URC season, this weekend they have one goal.
“We are not chasing tries, we want to win,” Moodie told the media on Monday.
“But we know the job is far from done.”
Moodie said there would be more pressure on the Bulls because they are placed second in the URC while also playing at home.
“There is going to be pressure on us, we are second on the log and playing at home.
“It’s a play-off and that creates pressure on its own.
“But for us, we’re not focusing on that. It’s nice playing at home, it’s nice playing in front of your own crowd, it’s nice not having to travel,” he explained.
Speaking about the challenges Benetton will bring to the table, the wing hinted at the plethora of internationals in their side.
“Benetton is a very good team, they have lots of Italian international players who bring cool heads to the team.
“For us, we don’t take them lightly, we learned our lesson when we played them in the Rainbow Cup. We know they won’t be an easy team.
“We played them a few weeks ago, not that we know what to expect from them, play-offs are always different, but they are a very good team.
“They have players that know these kinds of situations and know how to function under pressure.”
In May the Bulls beat Benetton 56-35 in which Moodie was one of the try scorers.
“They will get a lot of confidence out of a good win last weekend and coming back to Loftus after not playing here not so long ago, I think they will have a lot of confidence coming back here.
“It’s playoffs so a lot is at stake.”
Going into this make-or-break game, Moodie said he felt it was important for the Bulls to get out of the blocks quickly and play at a tempo that would force Benetton to do so as well.
“For any team, you want to start well, especially if you are playing at altitude. You want to lift your tempo and you want teams to match your tempo.
“They would’ve learned from the last game a few weeks ago how they could slow the game down and make things a bit more controllable for them and where they could thrive.
You want to play your best rugby where it counts most, not neglecting other games, but play-offs are where things get a little bit tighter and the margins are smaller.”
The Bok wing has been playing with strapping on his leg for a few games now and went down in the game against the Sharks.
But he brushed fears that he had injured himself aside, saying: “It’s just bumps and bruises.
“We are strapping it so I can make sure I can get on the field and play and contribute to the team.
“Nothing hectic, just a bit of precaution with the strapping and ensuring I can function fully and go 100 when needed.”
