Bulls director of rugby Jake White is anticipating a tough challenge from the Lions in their upcoming clash in the United Rugby Championship (URC) at Loftus Versfeld. The Bulls emerged victorious in their first Jukskei derby of the season, defeating the Lions 35-22 in Johannesburg. However, White believes that the Lions will be looking to prove a point in the upcoming match.
White previously mentioned that many Lions players have ties to the Bulls, either growing up in Pretoria or having played in Bulls grassroots structures. He suggested that these players may have extra motivation to perform well against their former club, wanting to show that they could have succeeded at the Bulls.
Reflecting on the previous encounter between the two teams, White acknowledged that the Lions put up a strong performance despite the scoreline. He expects players like Juan Schoeman, Ruan Delport, WJ Steenkamp, Jaco Visagie, and Richard Kriel to once again raise their game against the Bulls.
Speaking about the upcoming match, White stated, “I’m expecting exactly what we get from them every time we play them. They lift their game against us. A lot of them live in this town. A lot of them have been here as juniors. I expect them to want to prove they could still have been at the Bulls.”
White drew on his experience coaching Montpellier, noting that players often perform better against their former teams. He highlighted the impact of player movements between regions, citing examples where players excelled after switching clubs.
With eight Lions players selected for the upcoming Springbok alignment camp, White believes that this recognition will further motivate the players. The inclusion of Quan Horn, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe, Henco van Wyk, Renzo du Plessis, Francke Horn, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, and Ruan Venter in the camp could boost the Lions’ spirits heading into the match.
As the Bulls prepare to face the Lions once again, White is aware of the challenge they pose. The rivalry between the two teams is set to make the second Jukskei derby of the season a highly anticipated and competitive encounter.
