The Bulls and Leinster coaches each praised their opponents and acknowledged the challenge they face in the URC final this weekend.
Bulls director of rugby Jake White has received Leinster coach Leo Cullen’s “juggernaut team” comment as a massive compliment while still saying his counterpart manages “the benchmark of where every club team wants to get to”.
The teams face off in the United Rugby Championship final at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday (kick-off 6pm) after Leinster finished first on the log after the regular season before beating Scarlets and defending champions Glasgow Warriors in the knockouts, while the Bulls finished second and beat Edinburgh and the Sharks in their knockouts.
After announcing their teams for the match, the coaches took turns going through their opponent’s sheets, and praising them, in press conferences.
The Bulls are without the URC’s Next-Gen Player of the Season, Cameron Hanekom, who makes way for another Springbok, Marco van Staden, in the starting XV. Leinster bring in Ireland stars Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier.
Leo Cullen says he has to pinch himself
“We know what we are up against. It is a huge physical challenge. It definitely won’t be easy for us. It’s amazing to be here,” said Cullen, who added he has to pinch himself to remind himself he is actually in a URC final against the Bulls.
He said Ireland’s population is a “drop in the ocean” compared to South Africa, which probably has “12 times as many players” to call on.
“They have tons of international experience. I know Jake tries to play that down but you think of some of the teams that have a lot of players who have played for the Bulls over the years. It’s a team we’ve always greatly admired.”
He called the Bulls a “juggernaut team”, saying Leinster have it all to do to win their first URC title.
Bulls boss still sees Leinster as the pinnacle of club rugby
White, meanwhile, said Leinster fields 23 internationals only because that is the limit of a matchday squad.
“They’ve got many more internationals than we’ve got,” the Bulls boss said. “They are the benchmark of where every club team wants to get to.
“Any team that can have a meeting with their board and you ask for a tighthead prop and you get [French veteran] Rabah Slimani and you ask for a lock and you get [double World Cup winning Springbok] RG Snyman, you ask for an inside back and you get [All Black star] Jordie Barrett – there are not many clubs that would be able to sit in a board meeting and … get that calibre of players.”
However, he said Cullen was right in saying the Bulls have grown over the last four or five years and probably have more internationals than they did before.
“We are still not where we want to be and that’s selfishly from me as a director. But we are far better and I take it as a massive compliment that a guy like Leo, who I rate highly and I know him really well, [would say that].
“But I would say to Leo we are still not where we need to be. I want to believe that we can still get better.”
