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Shocked Jake promises soul-searching and says Bulls will come back stronger

Posted on by angelo

Glasgow Warriors celebrate victory over Bulls © Gallo Images

Depressed and disappointed, Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White has vowed to look inward and come back stronger when his side take the field at the upcoming Vodacom United Rugby Championship following their heartbreaking defeat to Glasgow Warriors on Saturday night.

White showed shock after the match saying he had to accept the loss and find a way to deal with it, and at the same time look inward because something was missing.

“Maybe I missed a trick,” White said after his team’s second finals defeat in three years, the first in the inaugural tournament against fellow South Africans the DHL Stormers two years ago. years.

“I wonder if I’m missing something, but I’m going to have to find out what that thing is.” This is a checklist I need to come up with.

White said his team missed an opportunity to win a final in front of their home crowd, but said he perhaps needed to look inward after losing their second final in three years in the URC.

“It’s probably harder for me. As I get older, I start to think about these things in my head.

“But we will come back.

“I know, I’ve already marked the date, we’re playing in Glasgow, I already know the date.

“And that’s all I can say. There is nothing I will say that will make it easier.

“We lost to the Stormers, we lost at home. I don’t think what I say will make things better.

“I lost a Super Rugby final to the Chiefs, a Rainbow Cup to Benetton and two URC finals. So I’ll probably have to think about what I need to do as a coach to try to cross the finish line.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

White said he told the team they missed the opportunity to do something special.

“I’m unhappy. I’m damn disappointed. We missed an opportunity tonight. I’ve waited a long time for this press conference,” he said.

“So there’s no right way. I told them in the locker room. When you have such an opportunity, when you get older, you realize that sometimes you miss an opportunity,” he said.

But he continued with the mantra that the team is still a work in progress and needs to develop further.

“I’ll think about it. But I also want people to understand what this young group has achieved in three years to play three finals and a quarter-final last year.

“I can’t rush the goalie – I can’t go any faster than he is. This Glasgow team has some international guys. Their whole squad played the internationals, then they played the Six Nations against England and France.

“So they’re probably a little more experienced, a little more aware of what’s going on.

“And the margins are small.

“As a coach, as a guy who’s been there, as a coach who understands, the only thing that disappoints me for them is you get a chance and you don’t take it.

“Not because they didn’t try, not because they did something that I can point the finger at.

“It’s not pleasant and it’s something we’re going to have to learn, but I can promise you this, and you can take it to the bank, we’ll be back.”

White highlighted the try just before half-time as a change in momentum in the match.

“And when I look back – 39 minutes, maul, if we would have held that ball, maybe there was a penalty for us and then it’s 16-0.

“We escape, they get a penalty, they drink in the corner, it’s 13-7.”