Bulls to stave off Edinburgh’s momentum with their ‘golden nugget’

The Bulls say they are leaning on the loss of Cornal Hendricks as a motivator as they take on high-flying Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals.

The teams clash at Loftus on Saturday (kick-off 1.30pm) after the Pretoria outfit finished the league phase of the competition second, and Edinburgh shouldered their way through a packed mid-table battle to end seventh.

The Scottish side come from a solid 47–17 win against Ulster that sealed their play-off spot, though it followed an equally impressive 31–21 victory away against Connacht. Of their last six URC games, Edinburgh have only lost one and drawn one.

Edinburgh were ‘dead and buried’

Bulls director of rugby Jake White said he anticipates a tough game against the team of his former understudy, Sean Everitt, after the Bulls narrowly lost 34–28 in Edinburgh last month.

“They were dead and buried six, seven or eight weeks ago. I read articles about how he might be out of a job and they might not make the top eight,” White said.

“They ended up playing the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup and they did make the top eight. And not even that, they came seventh – they didn’t even squeak in. They needed five points against Ulster and they got it. That’s what momentum does.”

The Bulls coach said Edinburgh will come to Loftus with confidence and experience.

“I think more of their players have played international rugby than our players. We beat them one year when Henry Immelman [when playing for Edinburgh] missed the kick on the hooter. I don’t think it will be any different. I think it’s going to be a tough quarter-final fixture.”

Cornal Hendricks the ‘golden nugget’ for Bulls

However, the Bulls can draw on their 22-16 victory against the Scots earlier in the season. Head-to-head, both sides have won every game played at home.

The Bulls are now on a four-game winning streak, thumping Dragons with nine tries in their last fixture (final score 55–15).

Former Bulls star Cornal Hendricks passed away in the days leading up to that game, which affected the team emotionally. They needed a break from training that week, and paid tribute to the former Springbok wing that week and during the match.

White said they had perhaps found their “why” and “golden nugget” for the season.

“Sometimes you need a ‘why’ and a reason, and you look at what happened to Munster when [Anthony] Axel Foley died, that whole club galvanised and took another step up.

“We miss him (Hendricks) clapping hands or doing the rituals he used to do.

“Hopefully, it will be a reason for us to play better… Maybe that’s the golden nugget we need for this group to take another step up. Maybe I need his friends to play a little harder just so we can pull it through this year.”