While preparing for a key clash in France, Jake White isn’t worried about “negative” talk of a Vodacom Bulls losing streak, and emphasises the fight of the team against the odds.
Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup meeting between the Bulls and Castres at the Stade Pierre-Fabre is expected to be a cracker, with the French side leading the Herd by four log points in fourth spot in Pool 3.
The Bulls kick off the new year 0-3 in all competitions and their backs against the wall in Europe with no points following defeats against Saracens and the Northampton Saints.
White, though, believes his troops are motivated to bounce back strongly in the business end of the EPCR pool stages while setting the record straight for their critics.
“We knew we had a tough draw with Saracens first up, and Northampton second… We always knew we’d have a tough start. But that doesn’t change what we said to the players, and what we believe in,” the director of rugby told reporters from the south of France on Friday.
“We play away at Castres and it’s an opportunity, and it doesn’t for one minute mean that the team we’ve brought here is coming here not to win the game.
“The only people who talk about the recent losing streak are you guys [the media]. We were always going to have a tough four-week part of the backend of last year.
“You guys keep going on and on and on about how many times we’ve lost – it’s only you guys who are worried about it.
TEAM: Carr leads rejigged Bulls charge
“The competition is about getting to the playoffs, and creating opportunities towards the end to win a competition. You don’t ever want to go through losing but inevitably you can’t always be on the high road or top of the log or play at home.”
“When I read an article – and I read all of them – my New Year’s resolution is just to make sure that we don’t have all these negative guys always writing things that have got a narrative that’s negative all the time,” White added.
“We’re not, as the Bulls, going to accept that. Teams lose and all of a sudden people are writing about losing streaks and all that sort of stuff.
“It wasn’t long ago that certain other teams hadn’t won games and they never write about that. From a Bulls point of view, my New Year’s resolution is to make sure the Bulls get an equal footing in terms of what people say and write.”
Castres are five times winners of the Top 14, and the 12, 300 capacity-Stade Pierre-Fabre is considered one of the toughest venues in France and Europe. On the challenging conditions and French outfit facing the Bulls, White said: “We have to match the enthusiasm and intensity that they’re going to bring.
“When they’re good towards us we’ve got to find ways to stop them from playing the way they want to play.
“They’re a very combative team, and always have been. I sort of compare it to when you play Griquas in Kimberley on a Friday night, it’s never an easy place to play; the crowd gets behind you and if you get the conditions a little bit wrong and maybe play against the wind or start poorly it becomes very difficult.
“You can ask Western Province what it’s like to play in Kimberly, they’ll tell you.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images