While playing five derby matches in a row has done the Vodacom Bulls no favours in this year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship season, Saturday’s north-south derby against the DHL Stormers is still “massive”.
Bulls fullback Devon Williams chatted ahead of the big Loftus Versfeld clash as his side look to do the double over their Cape rivals, and admitted that while facing overseas opposition is tough, the Bulls always find it a lot tougher against their local rivals.
“This weekend is the same as any derby. It’s going to be massive. For us playing four derbies in a row doesn’t do the body any favours,” Williams said.
“There is a lot of history behind us. I don’t think there’s more pressure but it’s just another 80 minutes. It’s just another game but derbies are always harder than playing overseas teams.”
Williams believes the familiarity in the side is a huge part of this and that makes the rivalry even bigger.
“We know each other and it’s guys playing together in the Springbok team. So everyone knows a little bit more about the opposition than the international teams. And it’s much more personal.
“Going into a derby game like this, both sides prep and if you had a bad game the previous week, you prep to change it into a positive.
“And they do the same. We look at what they do and they look at what we do. The mental game is something people always overlook. To bounce back you need to stay calm.”
With Kurt-Lee Arendse overseas, and Willie le Roux slotting in at 10, Williams has become the de facto fullback for the Bulls, teaming up last week with Canan Moodie and Sebastian de Klerk in the back three that downed the Lions.
While the Lions win cemented the Bulls in third spot, the loss the previous week against the Hollywoodbets Sharks is still one that rankles the players, and they feel they certainly let themselves down in not executing against the coastal side. But that changed last week with the way the Bulls bounced back against the Lions.
'OUR PACK IS VERY STRONG'
“We made a commitment to each other to express ourselves again. Everyone knows we are forward dominant – our pack is very strong, scrum and lineout-wise – so it’s just a case of getting the balance right in terms of when to pull the trigger. Sometimes we pull the trigger, but then try something off the cuff instead of sticking to the plan.”
Williams expects the Stormers to come hard at them up front, which, like the Cape Town game, will be the determining factor in the result.
“The Stormers know we are a forward-dominant team, so obviously they’re going to focus on how they can stop our scrum and maul. They would also have seen that we struggled a bit under the high ball against the Sharks, so maybe they will try to target us there.”
But the Bulls know just what to expect, and while it is tougher, they know they need the victory at home to continue their quest for the playoffs.
Williams knows the margin of error is slim, but if that commitment holds that the backs have made it may be enough to see them through.
The Bulls will name their side for the clash on Friday.