Jake White rues missed opportunities after Bulls blown away by Saracens in blustery London

Bulls coach Jake White was not happy that his side did not take their chances in Saturday's Champions Cup loss to Saracens in London.

In blustery conditions at the StoneX Stadium in London, the Bulls toiled and toiled, but came out second best against a well-prepared Saracens side that was stocked with England internationals.

Speaking to reporters after the game, White voiced his frustration about the chances not taken by his team.

“It was about taking chances when we were down there [in Saracens’ half],” White said. “What they did well in the beginning is they kept us out for long periods of time and we didn’t finish as many opportunities as they got in the second half.

“Like I told the team, Saracens are a good team and know this ground like the back of their hands… I just think we weren’t clever enough in the first half to put points on the board and build pressure.

“Once it was 8-5 it was going to be an uphill battle from there and the summary was very simple: they got into our half many more times [than we did]," said White.

“In fact, many more times into our 22 than we got into their 22, and that’s exactly the difference – you can’t allow a team like Saracens to have so much time in your 22 and expect to win.”

The Bulls will be in action again in the Champions Cup next week when they host Northampton Saints at Loftus Versfeld, and White was targeting that encounter to get his team's campaign back on track after Saturday's loss.

“Everyone plays in a competition to be there in the backend and we’ve got three games left; we’ve got Northampton, Castre and Stade Francais. We win those three games, the chances are very likely we’ll be in the playoffs, or the top 16 at least."

IOL Sport