Tempo. That’s not a word that is used normally when describing a playoff game in any rugby championship, let alone the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. But that’s the key word for the Vodacom Bulls as they head into Saturday’s quarterfinal with Benetton at Loftus Versfeld.
Tempo. Use the altitude and the pitch to your advantage. Play to your strengths. Tempo.
The word has been at the heart of the Bulls campaign this season. It has fuelled their play and made them the team that has scored the most tries in the URC overall, and one that scores plenty at Loftus Versfeld.
The Bulls know that part of their arsenal at their fortress is the way the conditions work in favour of a fast flowing game. And if they can get the tempo right, they can force the opposition into mistakes and take a hold of the game.
Tempo has been at the heart of a number of games in the past few weeks as teams have tried to dodge the obvious and tactics on slowing down the ball are used, watercarriers run on at every opportunity and the game is brought to a standstill.
It is something that worked for Munster in their win at Loftus, but the Bulls have become a bit more streetwise in the weeks since then, and will know that their opposition won’t want a warm highveld afternoon to see a fast paced game.
That tempo argument has been a major one to be drummed into the team pysche, and one of the beneficiaries of that tempo - Springbok winger Canan Moodie - wants to see more of it this weekend.
Moodie had everyone worried when he went down in the win over the Sharks, especially with a tough international season on the horizon, but the winger has laughed it off as ‘bumps and bruises’ and is keen to take his place in the side this weekend.
“For any team, you want to start well, especially if you are playing at altitude. You want to lift your tempo and you want teams to match your tempo,” he proclaimed in his media interview.
“They would’ve learned from the last game a few weeks ago how they could slow the game down and make things a bit more controllable for them and where they could thrive.
“You want to play your best rugby where it counts most, not neglecting other games, but play-offs are where things get a little bit tighter and the margins are smaller.”
Scoreboard pressure is one thing, and that’s important, but enforcing your tempo and way of playing on the opposition is a key factor as well. And the Bulls know if they want to go all the way they will need to absorb the pressure that Benetton will put on them as well.
“There’s going to be pressure for us, we’re second on the log and we’ve got a home quarterfinal, and hopefully a home semifinal,” he added.
“Being in a play-off is enough pressure on its own, but we’re not too focused on all the other things. It’s nice playing in front of your home crowd and not having to travel, but we know the job’s far from done.
“We’re not going to take Benetton lightly. Two years ago we were in their position and had to take the long road and fight in every game.
“There is going to be pressure on us, we are second on the log and playing at home. It’s a play-off and that creates pressure on its own.
“But for us, we’re not focusing on that. It’s nice playing at home, it’s nice playing in front of your own crowd, it’s nice not having to travel,” he explained.
The hangover of the Rainbow Cup still firmly in the Bulls heads, it is clear they’ve been reminded of what transpired a few years ago to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
“Benetton is a very good team, they have lots of Italian international players who bring cool heads to the team.
“For us, we don’t take them lightly, we learned our lesson when we played them in the Rainbow Cup. We know they won’t be an easy team.
“We played them a few weeks ago, so it’s not that we don’t know what to expect from them, but play-offs are always different.
“They have players that know these kinds of situations and know how to function under pressure.”
But the Bulls have a few players like that of their own. And if they can get the tempo right and impose themselves on Saturday, chances are they will take another step towards their goal.