Eskom lit up for Loftus homecoming

Marco van Staden says the Vodacom Bulls are champing at the bit to pick up where they left things off on tour with a big win against Cardiff in Pretoria on Saturday. 

The Bulls loose forward addressed the media on Tuesday as the Pretoria outfit gear up for the URC round 17 clash at Loftus Versfeld – their first match on South African soil in more than a month.

Following a four-week overseas trip that included historic victories over Munster and defending URC champions Glasgow Warriors, Van Staden says a week’s break has allowed the Herd to recharge before the business end of the competition.

“The rest was very good for us, we had a very good tour – a hard tour – with two big games, Munster and Glasgow, two weeks in a row,” said Van Staden, who has scored three tries in 12 appearances this season.

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“We’ve got to rest the bodies a bit because we have another big game coming up against Cardiff, and then the playoffs start soon so the break suited us well.”

The Springbok flanker is also relishing a return to home comforts: “We’ve been away from home for a long time… four weeks is long and there’s a lot of guys with children and things, so it makes a tour a bit more difficult.

“I think everyone is very happy and looking forward to the next few weeks at Loftus. We want to play Loftus like we know we can. 

“We maybe could’ve done better at Loftus through this season, but I think we’re looking forward to rectifying that.”

This point resonates with the Bulls’ mixed home form this season, having suffered three defeats from nine matches on the Highveld.

“Even though we won those two big games [on tour], there’s still a lot to improve and still a lot of opportunities we could have taken. So, for us it’s just a refocus and start again,” Van Staden said.

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The Bulls, currently third on the URC, have already secured a home quarter-final with two rounds remaining. Jake White’’s men trail second-placed Glasgow by just one point, giving them a realistic shot at a top-two finish if they can secure maximum points from their remaining fixtures against Cardiff and Dragons.

“No matter if the occasion changes, we still have to play the way we train and the way we’ve been playing the whole season,” Van Staden said. “Being more clinical and using the opportunities we create. 

“We want to play without the pressure of the occasion and we want to play like we’ve been playing when we were very successful.

“It’s not going to be easy so we first have to win the game before we start thinking about five points.”

The Bulls will face a Cardiff side sitting fifth on the log and hunting a third successive win in their bid to qualify for the URC playoffs for the first time.

“They’re going to come to Loftus with massive intent and the belief to win,” Van Staden said. “Cardiff has had a very good season so far, we’re expecting it’s going to be a big battle; we’re not expecting anything less.”

Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images