Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, wants his team to work hard on defence. Picture: by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, hailed his side’s attacking prowess while not being oblivious to their defensive frailties following their 59-35 win over Benetton in the United Rugby Championship at Loftus on Saturday.
It was another thrilling attacking display by the Bulls as they scored nine tries courtesy of Canan Moodie (3), David Kriel (2), Kurt-Lee Arendse, Ruan Nortje, Akker van der Merwe, and Johan Grobbelaar on their way to getting a bonus point victory that confirmed their place in the knockout stages of the URC.
The Bulls‘ attacking performance though was dented by their leaky defence, with Benetton scoring five tries which ensured the Italians a losing bonus point, which keeps them in the hunt for a playoff spot.
With the knockout stages looming, and the Bulls having secured a home quarter-final, White is happy knowing he has an attack that can carve open any defence.
“That’s how you win competitions,” said White when asked about his team’s ability to score tries.
“You need to defend well too, defence wins championships. To score some of those tries we scored, the shape of our attack, was good.
“I’m excited about the way we are playing now. Can you imagine if we become the best defensive team in this competition over time, it’s going to be a very difficult team to beat,” he said.
Based on the tries conceded against Glasgow Warriors the week before and now against Benetton, White wants his players to be more ruthless in defence going forward.
“I want to be tougher on the players about not allowing teams to score so easily against us,” White said.
“I don’t think it’s a work rate thing, I don’t think it’s a system thing, and I don’t even think it’s a game understanding thing. It’s just that sometimes we do things which help the opposition get into a place they can score from.
“The one thing we are lacking is the edge on defence. I’m talking from the ruthlessness of not allowing teams to score points against us,” he said.
The Bulls conclude their URC regular season with a trip to the Sharks on June 1.
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