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- Stormers coach John Dobson believes the Bulls have gotten stronger under coach Jake White.
- Dobson believes that White’s pupils are playing rugby more directly than with previous coaches.
- The Stormers face the Bulls at Loftus on Saturday.
Given what he did in 2007 planning a Springbok World Cup win, Jake white he is a coach who has caught the attention of South Africa wherever he has gone.
It was the case when he took over Super Rugby rivals the Brumbies in 2012, when he joined the Sharks in 2013/14 and even when he ventured into Europe with a four-year stint at French giants Montpellier.
White’s resume speaks for itself.
He is a coach who demands respect given his accomplishments and well-documented tactical acumen, so it’s no wonder his return to South Africa to take over the reins of the Bulls this year was greeted with enthusiasm and anticipation.
The Bulls, the pride and joy of South Africa from 2007-2010, have not lived up to those heights since.
There have only been three Super Rugby playoff appearances in the last decade for the once powerful Bulls, who have undergone metamorphosis after metamorphosis in an attempt to evolve and succeed again.
John Mitchell, Nollis Marais, and Pote Human tried it before White’s arrival.
The coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as it has happened around the world, left South African rugby without a platform for months and White’s new venture with the Pretoria-based franchise was put on hold.
Now, with Super Rugby Unlocked in full swing, all systems are working.
White was praised for the business he made during the lockdown with a series of crafty signings, rich in both experience and potential, putting pencil on paper at Loftus.
In three competitive games since then, the Bulls have struggled to victory over Griquas (30-23), have been humiliated in defeat by the Cheetahs (19-17) and then last Saturday delivered their best performance of the era. white. far from dominating the Sharks on their way to a 41-14 victory at Loftus.
This Saturday, they will host a Stormers team that boasts two wins out of two despite being a long way from reaching their starting point.
It is a tantalizing encounter rich in the history of the ‘North vs South’ derby.
The Stormers have been poor and coach John Dobson has admitted it.
A 23-17 win over the Lions was followed by a Houdini-like breakaway against the Pumas in Nelspruit last weekend, where the more pedigree Capetonians had to score three attempts in the final 10 minutes to secure a comeback. 42-. 37 win.
On Monday, Dobson addressed the media at a video press conference and it wasn’t long before he was asked to comment on what White was up to for the Bulls.
White replaced Human, who had started the 2020 Super Rugby season in charge of the Bulls, and Dobson was careful not to “defame” the efforts of Human, whom he described as one of the “good guys” in rugby.
But Dobson also spoke about a newfound frankness the Bulls were employing under White, acknowledging that they were a stronger team than they were before the lockout.
“They are playing rugby more direct than low [former coach] John Mitchell and probably under Pote, “Dobson said.
“They have a good group and they are well organized defensively, so I think they are stronger. I think they are stronger than they were before the close, so that’s a credit to him.” [White]. “
White, a coach with a reputation for playing forward-kicking rugby with lots of kicks, is in a union where those attributes are considered traditional strengths.
And, last weekend, it was that physical dominance that went a long way in getting the job done against a Sharks team that had been the best in the country during Super Rugby 2020 before its suspension in March.
“What we saw on Saturday with the Sharks was definitely the DNA of that region,” Dobson said.
“It’s difficult to change the DNA of any rugby region. That fit their DNA: direct, territorial, physical. It was a remarkable change from Griquas’ game,” added Dobson.
“There is no question that rugby is about momentum.
“We don’t have it right now the way we’re playing it, and they do, so there’s the hype. Success begets success. He deserves credit for changing them.”
The start of Saturday is at 19:00.
