Jake White has full confidence in his Bulls ahead of URC Grand Final against Leinster

The South African side qualified for the 2025 decider with a 25-13 win over the Sharks in Pretoria and their director of rugby claimed in the aftermath he doesn't need to rev his players up for the challenge that now awaits them in Ireland.

It was March 2020 when the World Cup-winning Springboks coach took over at Loftus Versfeld and he explained that the club's record in the URC since they joined the tournament has them ready to perform at Croke Park.

"I have been doing it for a long time, and I said to them [the players] if you have learned from the lessons you have had in the past - and this will be our third final - I don't need to tell them what they need to do because they have played in finals," explained White in the aftermath of his team's semifinal success.

"They have played away finals and they have played home finals and now it's another away final, so they have paid their school fees in terms of what they need to know."

The Bulls were defeated in the 2022 decider at the Stormers, and they also came out of the wrong side of the scoreline when hosting Glasgow in the 2024 decider. White is now banking that these experiences, coupled with their draining run so far in the 2025 play-off matches, will be of great help in their latest final appearance.

"It's an emotional drain. You can imagine last week, 21-8 down (to Edinburgh). This week 15-3 up (against the Sharks) and then all of a sudden you are not running away with it. That is what knockout rugby is all about," he said.

"It's about having an arm wrestle and staying in the battle and sometimes the battle is how you get up and chase. It's not just all the flashy things. People think the battle means you have to do all the extraordinary things. The battle is just doing the things that you are good at.

"That is what is pleasing for me. We had to work tonight, we really had to work hard to get that result and that means we have learned. But it's not going to be any easier next week. It can't get any harder playing Leinster in a final.

"They have many internationals and many British and Irish Lions players and you're playing them away from home. That is what youngsters at this club want to be part of, they want to play in those games. We need to learn those lessons and next week we are going to get a test we probably have never had before."

White added that he was "chuffed" to be told by reporters at Saturday night post-game media briefing that his victorious Bulls players only had muted celebrations following their win over the Sharks. "The celebration is the way it should be because we have won nothing," he reckoned.

"I am actually quite chuffed you said they just went through the motions about winning this game because we have won nothing. It doesn't matter when you have won a semi-final at home, you have not got anything. I'm actually quite chuffed when you tell me that because it means we are on the right page.

"We believe we are good enough to win this tournament so there is no use running around having laps of honour and making out as though you have achieved something (after a semifinal) when you haven't really.

"To be fair, the players asked me can they go out and just thank everybody and that is a gesture to say to our supporters, 'Thanks for coming and thanks for your support'. But you telling me now the celebration was a bit muted, that is probably what I would have expected."

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