‘All or nothing’ for Bulls as White’s men target 22-point win

Bulls director of rugby Jake White is this week leaving nothing in the bank as he eyes a big win against Stade Français at Loftus on Saturday.

The Bulls play their final Champions Cup pool game against the Parisians amid their four-game losing streak (kick-off 3pm).

They are also already out of the Champions Cup. But if the Bulls win by a large margin and keep the French side from earning a losing bonus point they can finish fifth in the pool.

This will allow the Bulls to drop to the round of 16 of the second-tier tournament, the Challenge Cup.

This comes after being knocked out of the running for a Champions Cup play-off place with their disastrous 49-10 walloping at the hands of Castres Olympique last weekend.

There was some criticism levelled at White for choosing a young side that featured no one from the starting XV that played against Northampton Saints – their closest loss of the tournament.

He defended his decision by citing plans he made earlier in the season to rotate players, and the benefit the experience of a game like that would have on his younger athletes.

Bulls need a 22-point win

This week, White is leaving it all on the field with Springbok lock Ruan Nortje captaining a side that is just about completely different from their Castres match.

Some of the returning stalwarts include Nortje, Canan Moodie, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Marcell Coetzee, Ruan Vermaak, Wilco Louw, Johann Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp and Akker van der Merwe.

“There is a lot to play for,” White said.

“Can we hold them and win by 22 points? Can we keep them from scoring less than four tries and stay 22 points ahead?”

He said there is much that could be learned from the game and there is “never a dead rubber” when the Bulls play.

“We need 22 points, and that is our goal.”

He said the Challenge Cup is “all or nothing” for the Bulls now.

However, White warned Stade Français will do everything in their power to earn the single point that they need to progress in the Champions Cup.

“Every time they get three, it becomes tougher for us and that is going to be a test for us as a group and it will be interesting to see how we handle that decision-making process.”

Bulls

Devon Williams, Sebastian de Klerk, Stedman Gans, Harold Vorster, Sergeal Petersen, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Marcell Coetzee, Ruan Nortje (c), Ruan Vermaak, Wilco Louw, Johann Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp. Bench: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Francois Klopper, Reinhardt Ludwig, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Boeta Chamberlain, Canan Moodie.