Jake White highlights importance of Saturday's Munster clash

Jake White highlights importance of Saturday's Munster clash

The Bulls return to Loftus Versveld for a monster clash in round 14 of the 2023/24 United Rugby Championship this Saturday afternoon.

The Pretoria franchise will host Irish side Munster in a match that could either solidify third place in favour of the South Africans or see the visitors climb above as the season nears the knockout stages. The Limerick and Cork-based outfit currently has 43 points, two behind their hosts who will be looking to add to their 45 as Bulls director of rugby, Jake White's troops push for home playoffs, with three rounds of regulation fixtures still to go.

This fixture becomes an all-important clash as the top four push each other to the tilt, vying for the top two places which decide who hosts a semi-final and the ultimate event on the tournament calendar, the Grand Final.

White says having a packed stadium will be all-important as the side looks to make good use of home turf advantage.

"We know what it is like to play in front of a sold-out audience," the World Cup-winning coach told the Bulls' website. 

"It is a special feeling that spurs this team on and equally makes things a bit more difficult for the visiting team because the fans serve as an added extra player. We want visiting teams to come here knowing that this is a hard place to compete at and our fans play a massive part in creating that atmosphere.

"We are going to play against the defending champions, a class outfit who know how to win and that means everyone can expect a wonderful match from two competitive teams.

"I believe we have the cheapest ticket in South Africa and the competition as a whole and that is by design. We want our venue to be accessible to everyone and I am counting on all our supporters to come and support us this weekend because this clash is season-defining as we push for home playoffs."