Elrigh Louw: Bulls to stick to game plan for Benetton clash

Bulls loose forward Elrigh Louw says they won’t change their tactical approach for their United Rugby Championship clash with Italian side Benetton at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (kick-off 2pm). 

Following the Bulls’ bonus point 40-34 win over Glasgow Warriors last weekend, talk around their second-half implosion has been dominating, and there’s huge expectation to see if the side from Pretoria can produce an 80-minute performance. 

Jake White’s team dominated the game against the Warriors for 60 minutes, playing their best rugby this season as they went on to lead 37-10. However, they allowed the visitors from Scotland to claw their way back into the contest with three converted tries to take the score to 37-31 in the final minutes of the game. 

No pressure on the Bulls

Heading into the weekend’s encounter against Benetton, who defeated the Sharks in the last round, all eyes will be on the Bulls. Louw, who has led from the front with his performances this term, says the team won’t change much because of what transpired last weekend.

“We take every game as it is, and we look at every game the same. We’ll prepare well and be ready when the whistle blows on Saturday. I don’t think we need to put pressure on ourselves,” said Louw this week.

“I don’t think there’s a lot to change; we had an awesome attitude throughout the week and throughout the game (against Glasgow). I think little things crept in in the last few minutes, things like soft penalties and soft moments on defence. 

“There’s not a lot to change, I think we must just tighten up and play more to our plan. I think our plan worked well in the first 60 minutes, so we just have to execute it (against Benetton) until the final whistle blows,” he said. 

‘Benetton are a quality team’

The Bulls and Benetton are chasing different goals in the race for URC playoff spots. 

The Bulls are currently in fourth place with 56 points on the URC points table and are pushing to finish in the top two spots while Benetton are in eighth spot with 48 points, fighting to secure their place in the knockouts.

With the visitors from Italy going to Loftus Versfeld high on confidence, Louw says they are a force to be reckoned with and must not be underestimated.

“I think they are a quality team. They have a lot of internationals. If you look at how Italy’s rugby is going at the moment, they are a force to be reckoned with and not to be taken lightly. We’ll prepare for them like any other game,” Louw said.