Bulls coach Jake White urges troops to match Leinster in eagerly anticipated URC clash

Bulls coach Jake White has issued a rallying call to his charges to take the game to fancied Leinster when they meet in their hugely anticipated United Rugby Championship (URC) clash in Dublin on Friday night. 

Besides being a top-of-the-table clash at the RDS Arena, the Bulls will be up against a fully stocked Leinster side that boasts eleven players who featured for Ireland during the Six Nations. 

There will also be a familiar face at the RDS Arena with former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber in charge at Leinster so the clash will also be a meeting of former World Cup-winning coaches. 

“You're going to have to match them in areas where they are really good and we are going to have to stop them from doing what they want to do,” said White after he announced his strong team. 

“The one thing we have seen about them is that when they get their game flowing and they find rhythm of the way they want to play, they are as good, if not better, than any team we have played against. 

“I don’t think it is going to be like a heavyweight boxing fight where it is toe to toe, but it is going to be a case and reality of being smart and taking your opportunities and understanding this is a massive chance of measuring yourself against arguably one of the greatest club teams that has been around for the past couple of years.” 

White added the match against Leinster will also give them the opportunity to see where they are as a team. 

“It is a massive game for us with number 1 playing number 2. They have an incredible team and consistently they are one of the biggest clubs in world. Over the last couple of years, those group of players have played many big matches, including Test matches. 

“So I am not for one minute underestimating the magnitude of this big clash in front of a sold-out clash. This is another opportunity to measure ourselves against one of the strongest and in-form teams over the last few years. 

“It will give me and the coaches an understanding of and feedback of where we are at and how we have grown as a club over the past couple of seasons. Guys have enjoyed their week, they have trained nicely, a couple of guys who had niggling injuries have come back nicely.

“The most important thing is to at least give ourselves a chance, we don’t want to come here and don’t fire a shot. The one message to give to our players is that this is a great opportunity to give it a go.”