Bulls under fire thanks to Jake

That article is a load of bollocks. Not a chance the SA teams will get kicked out of the Champions Cup.

There has been countless teams that have sent weaker or B teams in the Champions Cup because their focus has been on the domestic league. Hell Lyon sent its B team to SA to face the Bulls a week before.

And yes the Bull's got trashed but so did a full strength Exeter Chiefs by an even bigger margin the next day.

It was the English that where most behind the constant reformatting of the tournament. We have this stupid round of 16 that needs to be got rid of.

Bring back the old format of 6 groups of 4, 3 matches home and away. Top 6 go through and the 2 best runner ups. This will cut out a whole load of matches where B teams are sent to away games because its simply too easy to get out of groups.

The French and the English should look at themselves in the mirror when they take about devaluing the tournament.

The Bulls have been let off without a sanction. It’s been put down to the travel situation. 

Long COVID is nothing… the Watson snub has now been scrambling Dave’s brain for 18years. 

Geez Strav seriously? No difference between a pool game and a QF?

Emm...last 16 is not a pool game. 

You are wrong regarding the travel - wanker Jake threw his toys out of the cot saying 8 different flights would be required. SA rugby had it covered with one flight. You don’t acquire a single flight after discovering 8 would be required by a later source

Nope I'm not. According to the Supersport their own reporter viewed the list of flights that the Bull's where due to fly out on and confirmed there was originally 8 different flights for the team before it was changed.

https://supersport.com/rugby/super-rugby/news/86566eec-eac3-46ab-93f3-02dee6122a97/sa-rugby-solve-bulls-travel-nightmare-with-new-flights

Its quite possible that Jake felt that the original 8 flights would kill any chance the Bull's had against Northampton and by the time it was changed he had already announced the team that was going and didn't want to change it back.

Thanks for the context Stav...interesting and much appreciated. 

All I can say is that I’m sure Northampton would have fielded their strongest side had they been the ones to travel. 

SA Rugby themselves that's how much it cost.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/sa-rugby-statememt-bulls-travel-arrangements-champions-cup-northampton/

The  fact is  that the flight costs would have eben R11 200 for a returrn flight to London - for a touring party like that (ie 36 people maximum) .    I can remember flying back to SA  on the same flight from Perth to Johannesburg  used by the Springboks.   The suppot staff and even the President of SARU flew - were in ecionomy class seats the players were all in business class.

In any event even if the situation is the same with the Bulls players - it would cost a fraction fo the R4,1 million refered to above. 

I think if there is one thing that is going  to count here is that 74,5% of the  Bulls franchise shareholding is held  by a partnership between 2 of the richest people in the country - namely Rupert and Montsepe,    They fund the franchise and even has an employee Brits - who looks after their rugby interests.    They are not going to be happy about this issue - Rupert especially have enough influence in the sports world to have White given at least a lecture or being fired.

I suspect the latter is on the cards. in this case.          .