Bulls coach White says they are learning to play in contrasting home and away conditions

Bulls coach Jake White says having to negotiate different weather conditions in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and Champions Cup is a challenge for coaches to be creative and meticulous in their planning for matches. 

In most instances, the Bulls can play in hot and dry conditions at the altitude of Loftus and the following week be confronted with snow in Europe and be forced to play a completely different game. 

“Obviously we will be playing in freezing cold conditions, but that’s one of the amazing things about this competition,” White said as they prepared to take on Bristol Bears in their Champions Cup group stage clash at Ashton Gate on Saturday. 

“Playing at this time of the year, you can go from 35ºC degrees at Loftus and at altitude to playing in almost snow and freezing cold conditions the next, but this is part of the uniqueness of coaching in the competition.

“It influences your selection and the way you want to play because you can’t play the same in altitude and on a dry field like on a wet and snowing field where the conditions are freezing.” 

Faced with these conditions, White said coaches must adapt and be creative. 

“That is exactly what coaching is, you have to understand where you are going. You guys will not be aware that win or lose against Bristol, there is a three- to four-week tour scenario.

“You could end up going to Dragons and Leicester away, which is two more weeks in Europe. If you win the play-offs game, you will stay on in Europe and chances are you are not going to get a home game in the quarterfinal if you are in the top six. That means it is a four-week camp, and a four-week camp overseas is very different. 

“It is about how many players you take, who you rest, what you do back home, so all these things come into play. When you play away in different conditions, you have to look at the weather, look at the fields. 

“Some of the teams have 4G pitches. In the Welsh derby, it was played in the mud. It is a completely different fixture to what we are used to here. 

“I was asked if we shouldn’t try to wet the field and train with a wet ball. It looks like we are going to play on a wet field over the weekend. 

“It is something that needs experience and I am sure it is the same for overseas coaches. They never had to play in December in South Africa in the middle of summer and on a field like Loftus, where there is altitude. I am sure as we are learning, those teams are learning as well.”