Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White praised his aspect’s “need to win” throughout the closing minutes of their 16-13 triumph towards Munster on Saturday.
The Bulls grew to become the primary South African workforce to win a Vodacom URC match at Thomond Park whereas finishing a clear sweep of the 4 Irish provinces this season.
“It’s large and one of many greatest wins we’ve had as a bunch,” White mentioned. “Extra importantly, the way in which we performed … I knew it was going to be an 80-minute slog and a kind of video games that goes to the wire. We actually needed to win this sport, so from a momentum, confidence and log standpoint, we’re very glad.”
Substitute flyhalf Keagan Johannes regained the lead for the Bulls within the 73rd minute, earlier than each fullback Devon Williams and Johannes kicked straight into contact to provide Munster lineouts contained in the guests’ half.
With the clock within the purple, the Bulls needed to defend section after section, earlier than lastly forcing a Munster dealing with error.
RECAP: Bulls breach Munster’s fortress
“I simply mentioned to these gamers [Williams and Johannes], can’t you do me a favour and simply kick the ball in-field,” mentioned White. “I imply, jeez …
“However then we defended … it was most likely the most effective defensive set we’ve had for a very long time. We needed to hold them out and by not giving a penalty away, displaying self-discipline.
“Previously we might have possibly made one or two errors there and let ourselves down. We have to defend like that within the subsequent month and a half towards some actually good groups.”
Whereas the Bulls did properly to disrupt Munster’s lineout, they had been denied the possibility to dominate at scrum time for the ultimate half an hour when the match went to uncontested scrums after the hosts had been unable to supply a front-row alternative.
“I ponder what the form of the sport would have seemed like had the scrum stayed aggressive,” White mentioned. “Let’s be honest, [Munster tighthead prop] Oli Jager went off moderately early [14th minute] and he’s clearly an excellent scrummager. We received the rub of the inexperienced for the time that he was off, as a result of they then had a brand new prop [Stephen Archer] approaching straight right into a sport a lot prior to he would have anticipated.
“In some methods, uncontested scrums counted towards us, however let’s be honest, it additionally meant each time we defended properly and turned the ball over from a Munster knock-on, then we had been assured to get the ball from that scrum as properly. So it really works each methods.”
The Bulls now flip their consideration to Glasgow, who beat them in final season’s URC closing at Loftus Versfeld.
“Nothing in the present day would have modified the significance of subsequent week’s sport,” mentioned White. “I can inform you that after the final closing, everybody wrote on their wall ’25 April 2025′. We all the time knew that the following time we performed towards them was going to be a chance for us to play in addition to we are able to.
“It’s good to go there with momentum and a positiveness, however I can promise you that from the day we began pre-season, 25 April was all the time going to be the sport that we had been going to go onerous for.”
Photograph: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile through Getty Photographs
