Former coach Jake White says the Bulls are much better equipped for the URC final against Leinster than last year, with key Springbok stars now available.
White says the Pretoria outfit now have significantly stronger ammunition than the team that was dismantled 31-7 in last year’s decider – a result that ultimately cost him his job.
Speaking on RTE Rugby’s podcast ahead of Friday night’s rematch, White pointed to a host of key absentees from 12 months ago who will now start for the Bulls in Dublin.
“Last year we played without five of the players who will start this week, and three of those players are Kurt-Lee Arendse, Gerhard Steenekamp and Handre Pollard, who would make the starting 23 on any given Test day.
“And then you’ve got Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom. We know how good they are. They’re both internationals and didn’t play last year.
“I’ve got no doubt the Bulls are better equipped [this year], because they’re a year wiser, a year older – and they’ve been there.”
Not that the former Bok coach believes it’s going to be an easy task.
“There is no doubt Leinster are the benchmark for any provincial side,” he added.
“They are always up there in the European Cup and always up there in the playoffs.
“It’s like football, you want to be the Barcelona. You want to be the top club in the world and you don’t want to be just another club.”
But White also reckons the Bulls players have been handed a golden opportunity to right the wrongs of a year ago, and they’ll be highly determined to take it.
“It’s crazy. Ex-players always talk about ‘if only I had one more chance to play one more time’. Here they are a year later back in the final.
“I’m hoping the Bulls understand they are not going to get many more opportunities.
“The message would be clear, they’ve got to take this chance.”
