Africa-Press – South-Africa. While the rest of his engagement building up to the Bulls’ URC meeting with Benetton in Treviso on Friday evening was generally measured, Jake White was in a combative mood when asked about his team’s iffy overall away record in the tournament to date.
Currently win-less on their three-match tour, the men from Loftus have only triumphed in three of their eight matches in the northern hemisphere, resuscitating longstanding view – hailing from their Super Rugby days – that they simply aren’t an effective touring side.
Yet for White, it’s a perception cultivated predominantly by the media.
“The media are the people that makes us out to be a bad touring team because they keep writing about it,” he said.
“We don’t talk about it. We don’t say to each other we’re a bad touring team.”
The former World Cup-winning coach, with some justification, argued that the Bulls’ record needs to be viewed against the nature of the URC, which certainly suggests that teams in general struggle to win consistently on away soil.
Whether that sentiment is a way of masking inherent weaknesses is an argument for another day, but it is factual.
“We won as many matches overseas as any other South African team last season,” said White.
“No-one beat Munster at home last season, as did Glasgow. We’ve had very tough tours in the URC. Last season we had four games against the four best sides. Out of those four, three of them ended in the playoffs.
“The reality is that this perception has been created because its driven by you guys, the media.”
He also believes supporters should trust his pedigree for moulding teams what enjoy playing overseas.
“When I was at the Brumbies, we had the longest winning streak ever away from home in Super Rugby. We had the best away record [in 2014] when I was with the Sharks.
“What happens now? Now I get to the Bulls and they’re perceived to be poor tourists? How does it change? It’s the same coach working here after all.
“I don’t believe it’s got anything to do with touring or mindset or whatever. The last few years have been what they’ve been.
“We will win away games when we get better, truly understand the opposition we face better and develop more depth. I’m not taking anything away from the boys I have now. We’re not doing anything different to what everyone else is doing.”
Kick-off is at 18:30 on Friday.
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