Marcell Coetzee says the Vodacom Bulls cannot afford any soft moments against a formidable Leinster outfit when the teams clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Bulls showed true grit against Benetton in a thrilling quarter-final in Pretoria last week to snatch a 30-23 victory, booking a first home Vodacom URC semi-final in the process against the Irish giants.
Benetton, in the playoffs for only the second time and first since 2019, Benetton stayed in the game throughout and the Bulls had to dig deep on defence to deny the visitors, who showed incredible tenacity until the final whistle.
The Herd provided one of the famous upsets of the URC by winning 27-26 in the 2021-22 semi-finals in Dublin, yet speaking in the buildup to this week’s meeting, Coetzee emphasised the importance of being clinical against Leinster, who brushed aside Ulster 43-20 in Dublin to punch their tickets to the Republic.
STATE OF THE URC: Bulls fly SA flag in semis
“The biggest thing for us is we need to capitalise on the big moments, especially with playoffs. You can’t afford soft moments and [allowing] teams to get in because that will punish you,” the loose forward told reporters.
“Being in playoff spots you have to make every point count and have the right flow and game management … so that’s fixables. Three restarts [on Saturday] put us under heaps of pressure, letting them into our 22 – that’s what I’m trying to say by keeping them out.”
“If you talk about Leinster, all those internationals, that’s a team that’s been growing and has been consistent over the past few seasons and they know each other well,” Coetzee added.
“And they haven’t just been doing it in the URC, they’ve been doing in it in the Champions Cup and for the Irish national side.
“I think their flow and the way they can build phases in a game puts the opposition under pressure; that’s where the spaces come from. And when they’re into your 22 they leave there with points.
“It’s going to be a work-on for us, especially when defending in our own 22, getting off the line. But those are fixables and we’re looking forward to whatever is coming our way.”
It’s been a frustrating season for the 33-year-old Coetzee, who has played 14 matches across all competitions and last featured for the Bulls in the last 16 of the Champions Cup on 6 April.
“It’s never ideal, as the season progresses you do get a lot of injuries. You want to be on the field, you want to be with the boys, and you want to share those moments,” he said.
“You try and contribute off the field, and that’s what I’ve been doing the last couple weeks, being the waterboy as well. Our team manager joked with me and said you must be the highest paid waterboy now!
“The boys pulled it through, the rehab has been going good, so maybe…”
Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile/Gallo Images
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Marcell Coetzee says the Bulls cannot afford any soft moments against a formidable Leinster outfit when the teams clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. @Vodacom #URC
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