Jake v Jacques: World Cup-winning Bok coaches go head to head in a Loftus URC semifinal
Two former Springbok World Cup-winning coaches Jake White and Jacques Nienaber will meet kragte when the Bulls host Leinster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) semifinal on Saturday.
In what could be seen as a “dress rehearsal” for next month’s first Springbok Test against Ireland at the same venue, Loftus Versfeld, both sides will be packed with international players for the 4pm showdown.
Up for grabs is a place in the tournament decider against either defending champions Munster or Glasgow Warriors, who play in the other semifinal at 7pm.
And while Bulls tactician White has been viewed as a conservative coach in the past, he let his hair down in recent years and turned the franchise into an attacking beast, with the Bulls scoring the most points (669) in the tournament in the round-robin phase.
A master of defence planning, Nienaber’s Leinster were the second-best points scorers in the tournament with 554. That usually means fans can expect a high-scoring encounter.
But with it being knockout rugby, the two tacticians will be hard at work at winning the small margins and that’s where their key players will come in.
The Bulls have lost Springbok wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie, who have been superb under the high ball this season, to injury.
This is where the experience of Willie le Roux will be valuable to the likes of James Lowe in the Leinster back three.
It will be a big battle up front against an all-Ireland pack, with Bulls hooker Johan Grobbelaar knowing this game is more than just about reaching the finals of the competition.
The chefs have been sorted from the cooks in the 2023/24 BKT United Rugby Championship, and on Saturday the Vodacom Bulls host Leinster in a semi-final that plates a delectable appetiser to the upcoming Test series between South Africa and Ireland.
Knowing a good performance in this clash can strengthen his case for inclusion in the Springbok squad, Grobbelaar says: “I think every South African player dreams of playing for the Springboks.
“But my focus is to play well every weekend and if I can do that week in and week out, and if I deserve a chance, I will get one.”
It will undoubtedly be a game of small margins tomorrow with big-name players on either side of the pitch.
So will it be White or Nienaber who comes out top at the end?
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za