Bulls look to impress at business end of URC season following Challenge Cup exit

Bulls look to impress at business end of URC season following Challenge Cup exit

Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White can now focus solely on one competition following their Challenge Cup quarterfinal loss to Edinburgh at the weekend.

The Bulls went down 34-28 to a rampant Edinburgh in the Scottish capital on Saturday. But there are some silver linings. Down 31-7 early in the second stanza, a powerful Bulls bench and a gutsy attitude saw them fight back to make a proper contest.

This is the momentum White is looking to take into the final four matches of the United Rugby Championship, where they are third on the table.

"That is a massive positive," said White of the comeback and return of several injured players.

"A lot of guys are coming back now, and they'll enjoy the fact that they've got some game time and played well.

"We're still very disappointed [with the Challenge Cup loss]. I think people realise that the Bulls want to win every time we play in a competition.

"That's why we brought the team we did [on this four-match tour] and did the things we've done by staying in Biarritz and preparing properly. So there will be a huge amount of disappointment.

"What I expect next week is that we kick on from the second half in terms of what we did [in Edinburgh].

"It's not going to get any easier for us as a group, with Munster and Glasgow away - the defending URC champions."

After those two difficult clashes, the Bulls return to Loftus Versveld to host Cardiff and the lowly Dragons. They stand a chance at catching second-place Glasgow on the log, as they are just four points adrift. A home quarterfinal is virtually secured, but the Bulls will want to ensure a semifinal at Loftus as well.

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