Enough gas in the tank? Jake admits 'tired' Bulls need extra motivation for Currie Cup semi push

Bulls boss Jake White admitted that it's gotten difficult to keep his players motivated for an extra push this deep into their gruelling season, as his team frantically chases a Currie Cup semi-final place.

White has adamantly fielded his strongest possible side, bar resting regular captain Ruan Nortje, flogging players who have had to deal with the first-ever Champions Cup season on top of the United Rugby Championship.

The Bulls made the playoffs of both European competitions and are in a dogfight to make the same knockout stages in the homegrown Currie Cup. And White, since taking full reins near the end of the URC, has uncompromisingly fielded his most senior sides weekly.

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And he's done the same ahead of the Griffons visit to Loftus on Friday (17:05).

"It's difficult. I will say that I can sense the players are tired now," said White.

"This is the 46th week of our year. But we've entered the competition to give it credence and justice and we've given ourselves a chance to compete in it.

"There's no use putting your name down for a competition and then you don't want to be there at the back end of the competition.

"It is a difficult motivator for everybody, but I've got the buy in from the players that, while we've still got a chance and we put our name down for this competition, we do the best we can."

The sixth-placed Bulls must win their last two matches with a bonus point and hope to amass a big enough points difference to ease their -43 current aggregate. They must also hope that two of the Cheetahs, Pumas, Western Province and Lions slip up and allow them into the top four.

Their 63-15 first game loss to the Pumas did them