CAPE TOWN - WHEN someone has coached his team to four consecutive titles in a particular competition, you listen to what he has to say about it.
And while Leinster coach Leo Cullen was maybe just being kind to the new kids on the block, the Bulls, after his team produced a 31-3 bonus-point victory in Dublin on Saturday night, he feels that the Currie Cup champions will be contenders for the United Rugby Championship trophy at the end of the season next May.
The Irish province was in their usual irresistible form as they ran in four tries to trounce Jake White’s side in convincing fashion at the Aviva Stadium.
Leinster played with great skill on attack, mixing up their play with ball-in-hand forays, while Johnny Sexton used his boot to good effect as well. They overwhelmed the Bulls early on with the swiftness of their passing and intensity in defence, which saw them run up a 17-0 lead in 13 minutes through tries by flank and Man-of-the-Match Josh van der Flier and prop Andrew Porter, and two Sexton conversions and a penalty.
The Pretoria outfit did well to find their feet in the second quarter, and nearly scored a memorably try by Madosh Tambwe that was ruled out by a knock-on from Elrigh Louw.
ALSO READ: Sharks no match for Munster in opening URC clash in Limerick
But while the 31-3 score-line seemed like a thrashing, Cullen did not think so. “The Bulls have been pretty dominant in South Africa, and it definitely sharpened the focus and the minds over the last few weeks. They recognised a lot of the players they had as well, so it was good,” the former Leinster and Ireland lock said.
“I don’t think the score necessarily reflects the game – it was pretty hard work at times. But it was a good start, and we defended well leading into halftime for about 10 to 15 minutes, when we were under the pump. They had a try chalked off, which was probably a big, big moment in the game.
“There was a bit of nervousness over the last couple of weeks, having seen the Bulls and some of the threats they have. Our guys started the game well, I think, on the back of that prep that they have done over the last couple of weeks.”
ALSO READ: ’We wanted to hit the ground running,’ says Lions skipper Burger Odendaal after Zebre win
Cullen believes that the Bulls will be a tough team to beat in the URC, especially at Loftus Versfeld.
“For the Bulls, it was a big challenge for them, something that we’ve had challenges with when you win a trophy and you try and back it up and play big games straight away after that,” the 43-year-old mentor said.
“That’s something that’s difficult to get your head around. It’s something that, if you want to be successful in two tournaments, and that’s a challenge we’ve faced ourselves, coming at the tail-end of seasons over the last four or five years.
“We know they’ve got a lot of quality in their team, so I’m sure they will kick on over the course of the season – particularly when they play at home. They will be an absolute handful, playing in Pretoria, and when they get supporters back in their stadium as well.
“They are definitely a team that will be there and thereabouts come the end of the season. I wouldn’t be underestimating the Bulls in the future – I think they’re a very, very dangerous team.
“It’s so strange for some of their guys travelling here for the first time, versus for a lot of our guys to travel to the likes of Pretoria, where we’ve never played. We got that when we played against the Cheetahs the first time we went to Bloemfontein.
“I haven’t been to Pretoria myself, but from what I gather, it’s an intimidating atmosphere up there, particularly when they have supporters and all the rest back. It’s such a unique environment, in terms of how they play – very direct and very confrontational – and those guys, when they get on the front foot, they are very difficult to stop.
“You could see that today, in that 15-minute period before halftime, we were on the back foot for large parts of it. I think we rode our luck at different stages.
“We talked about their back-row threat, how aggressive they are… We know Marcell Coetzee very, very well in particular, and Arno Botha from his time at Munster. When you get those guys on the front foot, they are very dangerous to stop.
“Jake White is a very shrewd operator as well, and I am sure he’ll add some quality to his group as he goes along as well.”
@ashfakmohamed
IOL Sport