Match Preview: Bulls want to fire some shots at Lyon
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Vodacom Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee has warned Lyon that the South African side are eager to build on their convincing Investec Champions Cup Round 1 victory over Saracens when they take on the French club at Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Saturday.
The 32-year-old flanker, who returned to action off the bench last weekend after a three-game ban, knows the value of away victories in a competitive Pool 1.
But he is fully aware that it will be a difficult task, as last season Vodacom Bulls were thumped 31-7 at Lyon after squeezing home 42-36 at Loftus Versfeld over the French side.
“We want to go overseas, we want to fire some shots, and we know what the results are if you win away from home. It helps you long term when it comes to the playoffs,” he said.
“The motivation will definitely be there, but our biggest challenge with the group that we’re taking is to be accurate, execute what we have to do,and not let other factors affect how we want to implement this game.
“A lot of the guys who were there last time are going back now and know what to expect. I think it will be a very physical battle, but we have a very good plan on how we will play against them.”
U.N.S.T.O.P.P.A.B.L.E.
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 9, 2023
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The United Rugby Championship side are certainly in fine form, having won six of their eight matches so far this season to rise to third, whereas Lyon have struggled in the TOP 14 and are occupying 12th place after only three wins in nine matches.
“We are currently happy with how we are playing,” Coetzee said. “It’s always the case that you have to get rid of the rust in the first few games.
“But what also helps is that this season we implemented a new system with which we want to get everyone involved on the field. The pace and the standards are greatly increased in the process and everyone knows where we stand.
“It also helps that we have added experienced guys like Wilco Louw, Akker van der Merwe and Jaco van der Walt, who gained good experience in Europe. That experience counts for a lot. The World Cup Boks also brought back experience, which is to our advantage.
“We want to be in a position where, if we lose players, there simply have to be other guys who can take their places. It has started to work very well for us lately.”
The game starts at 17:30 GMT and can be seen on beIN SPORTS, TNT Sports, SuperSport and FloRugby.
