White has assembled a Bulls squad for URC with balance of experience and youth

As the kickoff to the United Rugby Championship (URC) approaches, Bulls coach Jake White believes he has assembled a squad with the right balance of youth and experience. 

Speaking at a “coaches on the couch” session, White said the team has improved markedly in its three years competing in the predominantly northern hemisphere tournament, contributed to by impressive new Springbok players such as Ruan Nortjé. 

“It’s exciting times for the Bulls. In three United Rugby Championship campaigns we have, I think, nine Springboks in the squad and that will make us so much stronger because we can almost pick a Bok in every position, which is a great place to be when you want to win the competition,” he said. 

“We have played in two Grand Finals in three years and then to get the new additions we have and having momentum going into the Currie Cup playoffs is obviously a nice position to be in.

“I am looking forward to seeing how we can kick on from last season.”

The Bulls meet the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld in Saturday's Currie Cup semifinal. They kick off their URC campaign at home to Edinburgh on September 28.

Having assembled an experienced squad, White hopes his team will overcome what he identified as the reason behind their defeat to the Glasgow Warriors in the Grand Final at Loftus last season. 

“I reflected a lot with the group after the Grand Final and I think what hit us was we played the Sharks with a really strong Springbok group. Then Benetton, who have most of the Italian team, then Leinster with most of the Ireland team and then the Glasgow Warriors who have a lot of internationals too.

“I think the collective attrition and effort it took to play four consecutive games like that took it out of us in the last round. I think the final was a collective of what happened in the last month of the competition.

“It was probably a bridge too far and I am hoping, with the squad we have, we will be a bit tougher to last four weeks at that level and also change the squad around in the season so we don’t lose our legs in the back end of the competition.” 

White said Nortjé is a good example of a player who is coming into his own, with the ability to impart his growing Test experience on the rest of the team. 

“There’s a success story if you ever want to hear one. He came from a small school, he wasn’t a provincial player as a junior. He came in as a late developer through university. 

“He has played the All Blacks and beaten them in a Test match. He’s incredibly disciplined and trains hard. He works hard and puts in incredible amounts of detail.

“I don’t think people are aware he has his own laptop and analysis system so he works hours and hours behind the scenes on his game and line-outs and that’s why I think he can contribute like he does into the Springbok set-up.

“I am looking forward to him coming back because of all the experience he picked up with the Springboks. He can only get better.

“He’s young for a lock forward. I’m looking forward to seeing how he comes back and brings whatever he’s learnt into the group.”