‘Big set-piece battle’ awaits Bulls

Vodacom Bulls flank Jannes Kirsten expects a forward-dominated Challenge Cup round-of-16 playoff against Bayonne on Saturday.

The 31-year-old has plenty of top-tier European experience having made 22 appearances for the Exeter Chiefs in the Champions Cup (including trips to La Rochelle and Montpellier in France) and one for the Bulls since returning to South Africa.

On Saturday, Kirsten will come up against French club Bayonne for the first time, in the Challenge Cup playoffs, which the Bulls qualified for by finishing fifth in their six-team Champions Cup pool.

He said he expected a “hostile environment” at the 14,000-capacity Stade Jean-Dauger.

“You get passionate support in France, the stadiums are usually full and it’s loud, which can overwhelm the lineouts. We have to prepare a bit differently and make sure the right calls come through.

“I don’t know too much about Bayonne, but by the look of things it’s going to be a big set-piece battle,” Kirsten added. “French sides usually have a big pack of forwards come scrum time and they like to maul a lot.”

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After hammering Zebre at Loftus last Saturday, Bulls coach Jake White said he wanted his team to play knockout rugby over the next few weeks, not only in the Challenge Cup but on their upcoming two-match Vodacom URC tour of Munster and Glasgow too.

“We want to have a playoff mindset for both competitions [URC and Challenge Cup],” confirmed Bulls fullback Devon Williams. “But we also don’t want to be scared to play rugby. You can’t go into your shell. You still need to get points.

“I think it’s about understanding the balance between a three, six or nine [point] game versus a seven, 14 or 21 [point] game – when to take a risk and when not to, and when to go for poles. What stays important is getting points when you enter the 22.”

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Williams also dismissed suggestions that the Bulls had put the URC before the Champions Cup this season and insisted that playing in the Challenge Cup meant just as much to the players.

“I don’t think we’ve prioritised any competition. Every time you put on a Bulls jersey, you want to win. But obviously it gets challenging throughout the season with injuries and you also want to give everyone a run.

“Sometimes people feel that we undermine certain competitions, but that’s definitely not the case.”

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