‘They always play well against the Bulls’: Jake White says Lions have point to prove

Bulls boss Jake White says some Lions players will have a point to prove against the club of their youth when they play in the Jukskei derby on Saturday (kick-off 2.45pm).

Speaking to media ahead of their first United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at Ellis Park, White said many of the Lions players grew up playing in Bulls grassroots structures, and still live in Pretoria.

“A lot of them were here and probably upped their game because it’s a way of almost showing they could have played for the Bulls rather than moving to the Lions,” White said.

“But the boys playing for the Bulls need to appreciate they were chosen above those players who have left.”

White would have on his mind Juan Schoeman, Ruan Delport, WJ Steenkamp, Jaco Visagie and Richard Kriel, among others. These men all played for the Bulls before moving to the Lions.

The teams last played in August last year, when the Lions beat the Bulls 57–33 in the Currie Cup. The Bulls, however, got the upper hand both times in the URC last season (25–10 and 30–28).

More than just the usual derby

“Not only is it a derby, it’s a derby where a lot of those boys live here, have played here. They came in the junior ranks [at the Bulls] and then gone there,” White added.

“It will be closer [to home] because a lot of their players know our players and our players know their players.”

The Lions have expressed their own desire to win the game as they chase an ambitious top-four finish for the first time in the URC.

The Bulls are fourth on the table, above any other South African team. However, they are third in the South African shield due to shields only counting results from local derbies.

“The one thing we’ve learned about the Lions is it doesn’t matter where they are on the table,” White said.

“I don’t look at where they are on the log as a weakness, it’s just the way the draw’s gone.”

He alluded to the Bulls only having played two home games by week 10 of the URC.

The Lions are ‘good at everything’

The Bulls coach said the Lions always “stay in the fight”.

“They are well-drilled, they’ve been together for a long time. They are good at everything.

“What I mean by that is the scrums are good, the lineouts are good. Barend Pieterse has done wonders with the lineouts, I mean you’ve seen what he did with the Griquas lineouts.

“They always play – I don’t want to say better – but they always play really well against the Bulls for whatever reason. I’m not expecting that to be any different tomorrow (Saturday).”