Start of new URC season and Bulls’ White still getting butterflies

Bulls director of rugby Jake White has had an illustrious coaching career but he still gets butterflies at the start of a new rugby season.

“I do get those butterflies. I suppose they change a bit in terms of when you’re young you have butterflies for different reasons. I had butterflies because I got excited and had expectations,” White told the media on Friday ahead of the start of the new United Rugby Championship season.

The Bulls kick off their 2023/24 campaign with a match against Scarlets at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday afternoon, at 3pm.

“How do I keep myself going? I love it so much, I love coaching, I love being on the field and I love bringing teams together,” he said.

“This is a new group of players, a new group of coaches, and I’m excited because I think it’s like when you’re a choreographer of a play: it doesn’t matter which play it is, you get excited about what the performance is going to be like and Sunday will be no difference.

“I’m looking forward to seeing when we play on Sunday to see all those little pieces come together.”

Long competition

Sunday’s clash against the Scarlets is an opportunity for White’s side to set the tone for what will be a long URC season.

“That’s why it’s exciting and I suppose why one gets nervous, because you want that tone to be rather stamped by everything you have put into play.

“I’m also wise enough to know that it’s a very long tournament. In my first season in the URC I think we lost six of our first seven games and we ended up one point away from hosting the semi-final and final,” White said.

The Bulls mentor has named an experienced side for the clash against Scarlets, with lock Ruan Nortje and flank Marcell Coetzee the co-captains. There are debuts for new recruits Wilco Louw, Sebastian de Klerk, Devon Williams, Akker van der Merwe, and Jaco van der Walt.

White is expecting to start the season with a win.

“Every team wants a win under their belt and get a good performance. What you don’t want to do is play catch up from the first game of the season, it’s the same feeling for everybody,” he said.

Bulls: Devon Williams, Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Marcell Coetzee, Ruan Nortje, Ruan Vermaak, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp. Bench: Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Jaco van der Walt, Stedman Gans.