Bulls to breathe fire against Dragons and won’t hold back for fear of injuries, says Johan Grobbelaar

There will be no complacency from the Bulls as they head into the final round-robin match of the United Rugby Championship (URC) against the Dragons on Saturday in Pretoria. 

That was the vow of hooker Johan Grobbelaar, who has been a pillar for the second-placed Pretoria side this season. 

The clash at Loftus Versfeld (3pm start) will give the Bulls the opportunity to finish second on the official URC log, and they only need a single point from the duel to secure the spot.

It will put them in a position to play a home semi-final should they make it past the quarters, but they’ll only know at the end of the final round who they’ll be facing in the first knockout clash.

According to Grobbelaar, there will be no resting on their laurels, even if they are facing bottom-feeders the Dragons.

The Bulls will be looking to consolidate their second place this Saturday with an emphatic victory as they continue to build momentum for the playoffs. 

“There will be no complacency as we move towards the business end of the competition,” the Bok hooker said.

“Maybe this weekend’s game won’t change much about the (URC) log, but it’s very important, looking at our form and going into the playoffs.

“So, there is no more room for losses going forward. There is a lot of motivation going forward (into this game).

“Not necessarily because who we are playing, but at this stage, you want to keep building and be at your best.

“You don’t want to wonder what’s going on, especially when heading into the quarter-finals. 

“We want to be on top of our game against the Dragons.”

According to Grobbelaar, there won’t be a lack of motivation from them when facing the Dragons, even if they’ve secured a home quarter-final already.

He feels they are all working towards their end goal, to win the final, and everyone is motivated and looking forward to the rest of the competition.

They will rely on their leadership group to pull them through, while sport psychologist Dr Henning Gericke has also been prepping them throughout the season for what awaits in the playoffs.

“Doc Henning keeps us calm and motivated. He sees us every day, and he is doing an awesome job in that department,” Grobbelaar said.

“I don’t think any of the guys will be holding back (even after the injury to flyhalf Johan Goosen). Injuries are a reality. But I don’t think any of the guys will hold back.

“We’ve made the finals twice and played three times in the playoffs. There’s no trophy to show yet.

“But there have been learnings, and we will take that. We want to ensure we finish strong, even in the final, to make sure we pull it through.”