Ruck them up: Bulls out to halt Leinster momentum in semis in quest to make URC finale
DISRUPTOR: Marcell Coetzee
Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee says the only way to keep Leinster from downing them in their United Rugby Championship semfinal tonight at 8.35pm is to halt the Irishmen’s momentum.
Heading into the first final-four match at Dublin’s RDS Main Arena, the hosts are overwhelming favourites against coach Jake White’s charges.
Coetzee, though, believes they know what to do to cause an upset against the European Champions Cup runners-up.
With a place in the final against either the Stormers or Ulster, who lock horns in Cape Town tomorrow, up for grabs, Coetzee says: “The thing with Leinster is that they play with incredible tempo.
“If you let them start well early in the game, after they play that expansive brand of rugby – guys running on to the ball – you are going to put yourself under pressure.
“If you can’t sustain that during the first half or second half, the tackle-slips will come eventually because they try to outwork their opponents.
“You see it with their international team as well – the ball is not long at the breakdown and then it’s away.
“It’s all about preparing for that and backing your system. We’ve grown a lot, and our defence system has been looking after us. We are still far from perfect, but we are striving to be better every day.
“But you can’t allow them to get that quick pace on the ball, with the playmakers that they have in the backline as well, like Johnny Sexton and Garry Ringrose – they will do their magic.”
Coetzee is a first-class fetcher and will be key if the Bulls are to slow down Leinster’s ball in the rucks, but he will need all the help he can get from tournament Ironman Ruan Nortje and the rest of his teammates if the Bulls want to make the final.
🚨 TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) June 9, 2022
Your Vodacom Bulls Team to take on Leinster Rugby tomorrow in the Semi-Final 💪
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Bull Squad: 15 Canan Moodie 14 David Kriel 13 Cornal Hendricks 12 Harold Vorster 11 Madosh Tambwe 10 Chris Smith 9 Zak Burger 8 Elrigh Louw 7 Arno Botha 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain) 5 Ruan Nortje 4 Walt Steenkamp 3 Mornay Smith 2 Johan Grobbelaar 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis 17 Simphiwe Matanzima 18 Robert Hunt 19 Janko Swanepoel 20 WJ Steenkamp 21 Embrose Papier 22 Morné Steyn 23 Kurt-Lee Arendse.