Better than last year but now the real test begins.
That’s the message from Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White after his side qualified for the Round of 16 in the Investec Champions Cup, where they will face French side Lyon at Loftus Versfeld in a home tie.
But while getting a home clash and being seeded sixth in the last 16 has been a real plus for the Bulls, the way they manage their players will be crucial not only to their hopes in the Champions Cup but also to their run in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
Last year the DHL Stormers had a similarly tough schedule in the playoff rounds of the Champions’ Cup, and it almost derailed their URC campaign because of the travel demands and fatigue that set in among the players.
The Bulls know even the best-case scenario is a tough one, and rotating their squad will be massive in how successful they are in this period. It certainly underlines the need for deeper squad depths and how their off-season purchases have contributed to their success thus far this season.
Coach Jake White is a realist and knows that at some point he may have to choose between a full-on onslaught in the Champions’ Cup, or consolidation to try and get into the final of the URC.
But for now, the immediate challenge is five weeks of rugby mayhem that could make or break their season.
After their derby against the Stormers on March 2, the Bulls have a two-week break before they launch into these five weeks that start with an away game against the Dragons in Wales. They then have one of the toughest URC tasks ahead of them - facing log leaders Leinster in Dublin.
Then they head home to face Lyon, effectively negating their altitude advantage as the French side will travel the same time as them, and if they win that, they need to hope for a Munster upset over high-flying Northampton in the other Round of 16 game for them to be able to host a quarterfinal against the URC Champions.
If Northampton win, then the Bulls will fly out to England for that game in this scenario and return home to face Munster as the URC resumes at Loftus Versfeld a week later.
If Munster win, it could be back-to-back games at Loftus in the Champions' Cup and then URC in April.
And the more travelling involved, the more difficult it becomes to maintain a winning streak.
White, speaking after the Loftus game and before he knew who his side would be playing, said it did create a tricky scenario, but he was nevertheless proud of his side’s achievement of claiming a home Round of 16 tie.
“The home game for me, and I’d love to have a home game, but it makes it interesting. We have Dragons and Leinster away, then we have to come play a home game here after two weeks overseas and then possibly away again and then Munster back at home.
“The nice thing is that we have improved from last year, last year we made the top 16 but lost to Toulouse away. At least there is growth and development and we are better in many ways,” he said.
While he has tried to downplay his side’s chances for the rest of the Champions Cup, highlighting the fact that the top clubs’ budget is more than double what he has to deal with, White still believes his side can cause upsets against the big guns if they get that far.
“There is belief, but I also want people in South Africa to understand the big guns are coming. Once La Rochelle, Leinster, Toulouse bring out those players. You are comparing 20 guys out of 23 that are internationals against our guys who are still youngsters and learning their trade. But sport is an amazing thing. People follow sporting teams around the world and they do it for the day that a team that isn’t supposed to win, ends up winning. Everyone has memories of being in a sports stadium where a team that shouldn’t have won ends up winning.
“Hopefully our belief will grow and grow, but I am also a realist. La Rochelle play Leicester and the way they play, it’s a different level. It’s rugby on steroids.”
The Bulls are hosting the only game this weekend when they face the Emirates Lions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday in a URC derby.