In-form fullback Devon Williams said the Vodacom Bulls can capitalise on homeground advantage against Connacht when the teams clash in Pretoria on Saturday.
The Bulls host the Irish outfit in round 6 of the Vodacom URC at Loftus Versfeld. Jake White’s charges dropped to seventh on the standings with a 31-23 defeat against Edinburgh last week, while Connacht edged the Sharks 13-12 in Durban.
It is a first match back on the Highveld for The Herd since mauling Scarlets in their season opener, before a gruelling four-week tour to Europe that yielded two wins and two losses.
Speaking in a Bulls teleconference on Tuesday, Williams emphasised the challenge posed by Connacht, with the heat being a significant factor.
“When we are overseas they know how to target certain areas [of our game] and I think it’s the same when they come here, it’s going to be a bit of a dogfight,” he told reporters. “There’s certain areas of the game they can target to slow us down because the heat definitely plays a huge role here.
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“I definitely think they’ll have something up their sleeves to change the game a little bit in their favour. But it opens up more opportunities [for us] to throw the ball around a little more and if we can speed up the tempo, it’ll be difficult for them to keep up in the heat and with the altitude.
“We took a lot of positives from the tour but now it’s to convert those positives and make Loftus our fortress and not give away any points here.”
Williams, who can also play wing and flyhalf, acknowledged the significant improvements in his game from his tour experience, especially adapting to the challenges of playing on 4G pitches and being away from home.
On loan from the 2022 Currie Cup champions Pumas, he has scored three tries from five starts this season, and the 31-year-old stressed the importance of adaptability and learning.
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He added: “Making the step is up to the player, and the guys around me have made it quite easy for me to step up and just slot in. But it was easy to adapt with a great group of guys whose doors are always open.
“Both franchises give you the platform to express yourself, but it’s up to the individual what you do about that. The Pumas and the Bulls approach the game with different styles, and preparation is more in-detail focused here at the Bulls while the Pumas are a broader spectrum.”
Williams highlighted the ease with which he has combined with wingers Sergeal Petersen and Sebastian de Klerk in the Bulls back three, while sees the return of World Cup-winning Springboks Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, and Kurt-Lee Arendse as adding another dimension to the team.
“Definitely excited for the Boks to join, they’ll bring a different energy into the group so we can take a lot of positives from them,” he said.
“But I’ve known Sergeal for a while, and Sebastian and I have played together for a while [at the Pumas] so that was an easy combination to slot in.
“I definitely think it’s important for guys to see myself and Sebastian and the captain of Griquas [Hanru Sirgel] who’s playing for the Lions now, to see that there is gateways to get to the top and not feel like they’ve stagnated [at smaller unions].”
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