Captain Ruan Nortje says the Vodacom Bulls must handle the pressure of playing Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday better than they did in defeat to Edinburgh.
The Bulls started last weekend’s Challenge Cup quarter-final poorly, falling 14 points behind after as many minutes and going into the break 21-7 down. The visitors charged back in the second half but ultimately left themselves with too much to do.
Nortje was particularly frustrated by the Bulls’ malfunctioning lineout and admitted they didn’t cope with the early pressure they were put under.
“Our lineout is a big part of our game where we impose ourselves and try to create momentum,” he told the media on Tuesday. “That first half especially … a skew throw, a knock on … just fundamentals that we missed. That put us under a lot of pressure and with the way Edinburgh started that game, the pressure just compounded. As players, we take it on the chin. We were not good enough.
“This weekend, there will be a massive crowd at Thomond Park and a lot of noise from Munster’s passionate fans. There will be pressure on us at some point in the game, so we’re going to have to be much better at coping with that pressure.”
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When asked what he, as captain, could have done better in Edinburgh, Nortje said: “You can come up with solutions quicker – to do something different, to slow the game down.
“In the game, it feels like things are happening 10 times faster than they actually are and there are a lot of voices from different sides, so for me it’s about staying calm, trying to feed off the guys around me who have a lot of experience, and trying to make the best decision on the field.”
Fifth-placed Munster have a 50% win record in this season’s Vodacom URC, but showed what they’re capable of by winning their round-of-16 Champions Cup playoff at La Rochelle and pushing Bordeaux all the way in their quarter-final defeat last weekend.
“Munster are finding their feet at the right time [of the season], so it’s a great game for us to test ourselves and see where we are really at,” said Nortje.
“We know they are a world-class outfit and I think it’s going to be a massive set-piece battle. As I said, we need to improve in the lineout, but we’re pretty happy with how we are mauling at the moment. We also know that against Munster, and Ireland teams in general, it’s always a massive breakdown battle and I think that’s going to be the big thing this weekend.”
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From a personal perspective, Nortje is still getting back to his best having recently returned from a two-month injury layoff.
“It was a frustrating time for me, but I think it was good for the body to get a good rest. Injuries happen, and I’d had a very blessed five or six years before that without any injuries. So I’m just grateful to be back on the field.
“I still have to get back to my normal work rate and game, but I’m striving to get there as quickly as possible.”
Photo: Euan Cherry/Getty Images
