Centre David Kriel says the mood in the Vodacom Bulls camp is at an “all-time high” as the Herd steel themselves for tough conditions against Saracens in London on Saturday.
The Bulls kick off their Champions Cup campaign at StoneX Stadium, home of English giants Sarries. Jake White’s charges are riding high after a bonus-point win over Connacht in Galway, their fifth victory in six Vodacom URC matches this season.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Kriel emphasised adaptability, discipline, and composure as keys to success against the three-time European champions.
“We’re expecting wind and rain, and especially after last week’s game against Connacht; we expected the worst weather and prepared accordingly,” he said.
“If it’s anything better than that, we’ll just adapt our game towards that, but we’re expecting the worst weather imaginable!
“Saracens’ name speaks for itself; they’ve a rich history and have shown over the last couple of years why they’re one of the best teams in England. We’re expecting a tough battle but one we’re all excited about.”
Kriel, who scored one of four Bulls tries last week, highlighted the value of building momentum as well as having beaten Saracens at Loftus Versfeld in last season’s pool stages.
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“The [Connacht] win has been a huge one, especially a bonus-point win away from home in atrocious weather, so the confidence in the squad is at an all-time high,” he said.
“Saracens is a world-class team, we can’t be sloppy against them and show composure on the ball. It is a positive that we’ve faced them in the past, and we beat them, but our approach doesn’t change.
“We’re still going out believing we can win this game and kick our Champions Cup off on a good note.”
However, discipline remains a focus for White’s men, who have copped three red cards in their last three overseas games. Mpilo Gumede’s dismissal against Connacht followed red cards for Kriel and Johan Grobbelaar, both later overturned.
“We’ve had some big learnings, especially with my red card, and the weekend afterwards it was Grobbies, and now Mpilo again. Preferably we don’t want to get red cards,” he noted.
“It just shows how difficult it is to win overseas. Where the 50-50 calls at home tend to go in your favour, it’s the exact opposite overseas. We’re just working hard on our discipline and not to do anything silly on the field.”
Photo: Tyler Miller/Gallo Images
