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Benetton take aim at Bulls defensive frailties

rugby15 May 2024 11:49| © SuperSport
By:Brenden Nel
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Benetton are likely to try and hit the Bulls “in their weak points on defence” ahead of their tough Vodacom United Rugby Championship match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

That’s the view of Ignacio Brex, the Argentinian midfielder who has made Benetton his home of late and is keen to try and get them to cement their place in the top eight of the competition.

After defeating the Stormers, Benetton are looking to do the double and are keen to make an impact on the autumn afternoon kick-off that will pit them against the altitude that the fortress brings.

Benetton have history with the Bulls and upset them in the Rainbow Cup, destroying the Bulls' post-Covid invincibility and have made the Bulls sweat in every game between the two sides over the past few years.

Building on the win over the Sharks, Brex believes they can now go further and look to end their short tour unbeaten.

“The match was very tough. Obviously they were aiming for strong physicality, but we managed to counter from that point of view for 80 minutes and in the end we managed to demonstrate what we can do in attack. We are very happy with the result,” he said.

With Benetton preparing in Durban for the game, they know the physical battle will be key as they look to negate the altitude.

“Monday was a day aimed at recovery and video analysis on the aspects of the game in which we can improve. Since Tuesday in training we have been putting our game idea on the field. Against the Bulls it will be an even more physical match and they are even more dangerous in open play. We will have to pay attention to the broken game.

“The first major factor in the game will probably be the physicality and the second the territory. They are a very abrasive team when they enter the opponents' 22 metres, so we want to keep them away and we will have to hit them in their weak points in defence."

Brex knows that Benetton aren’t safe yet in the playoff race, and believes his side need to do what they can to come away with as many points as possible, with the win over the Sharks taking away a lot of pressure on the team. 

“We are aware that every point counts. The ranking is really short. Here in South Africa we will have to give our best and we must score points. We did it against the Sharks and against the Bulls we try to take as many points as possible."

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