Must win French trip for the Bulls
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The return to international club rugby means that the third and fourth rounds bring about a sense of urgency and eminence. Results will begin to give finality to log positioning as the competition intensifies and knockouts beckon in the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup.
The Vodacom Bulls travel to the Commune of Castres in Southern France for a tantalising clash between two sides looking to keep their hopes alive in the 30th season of rugby’s most prized competition.
Nothing short of a win for the Vodacom Bulls nor Castres will be accepted come Saturday 11 in the Occitanie region. The South Africans arrive in the French commune after having endured a difficult start to their campaign, with two losses against English giants Saracens and Northampton Saints in the opening rounds. Their French counterparts have managed just a single victory, which sees them two points adrift of the next side on the log and four ahead of their guests over the weekend.
Forward Jan-hendrik Wessels says the team understands they will be under pressure come the weekend but they are inspired to grind for the victory to keep their hopes alive in the “best club competition in the world.”
“We are not in the competition just to participate; we want to beat the top French and English clubs. This is a massive competition, the best club competition in the world. We are pushing hard because it will be a big statement to make if we can win this game and turn things around in the Investec Champions Cup.”
“Being in Toulouse [team’s base camp this week] and training at their ground, we are seeing the excitement about the [Investec] Champions Cup and how proud the people are of their team.”
Wessels says a tough game awaits the Tshwane outfit who will come up against a Castres side powered by 12 000 fans.
“We are up against a proper side. It will be a big battle. French sides are always strong at home, and we know that it will be 12 000 fans shouting against us. It is no place to mess around. We have to be on top of our game.”
That sets up an exciting match-up that should not be missed even by the drowsy in the late hours of Saturday night time in South Africa.
Director of Rugby Jake White remains upbeat about his side’s chances of advancing into the next phase of the competition.
“This competition has no exact science; we could manage just the one win and still sneak into the playoffs. I am obviously not saying we want that because at the Vodacom Bulls, we want to win every week no matter the competition we are in,”
“We need to go into Saturday and get a good result that gives us a realistic chance of advancing and we have all been working hard this week to try and get us into a position that will hopefully set us up for that. To be the best, you must beat the best and find ways to win in different terrains and challenges and this is another opportunity for us to test ourselves and hopefully get a good result too.”
The Vodacom Bulls and Castres Olympique kick off at 22h00pm South African time and the match will be broadcast LIVE on SuperSport.
