A Bulls response to Dublin is needed this weekend

There is little the Vodacom Bulls can do but get back out on the field and show their response on the Loftus Versfeld turf.

That’s the view of Director of Rugby Jake White following the drubbing at the hands of Leinster last weekend in Dublin where the Pretoria side received a hammering and - in White’s words - “a reality check” in their quest to win the Vodacom United Rugby Championship crown.

The Bulls have to shift their attention this week to French side Lyon, who arrive sporting a host of top stars and are keen to end the Bulls unbeaten record on their home turf against European opposition.

But just how much has the Dublin drubbing affected the Bulls and how much of a setback was it for the side?

And how much will that affect them against Lyon? Especially as they stand the chance to qualify for the top eight of the Investec Champions Cup for the first time?

White was defiant on this one, and sought to allay fears of his team’s supporters that there wouldn’t be a response after their second half mauling.

“Every game is important for the Bulls. We want to win every game,” he said in response to a question on the importance of Saturday’s match.

“If I had to tell fans that there were matches that were less important I don’t think they will be very happy with me. We are playing at home and we have a chance to right what went wrong last Friday night.

“We were poor in the second 40 minutes and the team now has a chance to put that right.”

White is correct on this one. You are only as good as your last game, and while Dublin was a shock to the system for the Bulls, there are reasons for it and the best thing the Bulls can do is get back on the field and show their commitment in this weekend’s game.

But the reality check was a shock when one considers how good their season has been up until now, and how far behind they still are of the well-funded European sides that will dominate the Champions’ Cup talk in the next few weeks and months.

White is clear that it will take a depth exercise like Leinster has to talk with the bigger European sides.

“It was a reality check in my face,” he soberly offered. “It is okay if you are comparing apples with apples, but we are not comparing apples with apples here. What we can do is what we can control.

“We can train harder, be smarter on the field and try and limit our mistakes on the field. That is what we can do as a group.”

And Saturday will be that litmus test of just exactly how much the Dublin loss has affected them.

If they put on a performance worthy of Loftus Versfeld it would be a blip in the ocean that they have learnt from. If not, there will be deeper scars to look at.

And the Bulls mountain to climb in their hopes of becoming a top dog in European rugby might be a bit steeper.