Jake White Remains Optimistic About Bulls' Chances Despite Narrow Defeat to the Stormers

• The Bulls suffered their fifth consecutive defeat to the Stormers after a thrilling game at Loftus Versfeld
• Jake White believes his Pretoria side will bounce back despite injury challenges and their busy schedule
• The Stormers are South Africa's highest-ranked side in the United Rugby Championship at present

Jake White is confident the Bulls will bounce back after their disappointing loss to the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship.

The Pretoria-based side faced off with the team from the Western Cape and were beaten 23-19 at a packed Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

A record 41,205 fans gathered to watch the game as the Bulls succumbed to their fifth defeat in a row against the Stormers.

White remains optimistic despite challenges

Despite the defeat, Bulls Director of Rugby, White is confident of his side's abilities for the rest of the tournament, despite the challenges when it came to injuries and the busy schedule, News24 reported.

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Bulls captain disappointed with loss

White also came out in defence of the team's captain, Ruan Nortje, following the close defeat.

During his post-match talk, Nortje looked heartbroken as his side failed to secure a win despite spending the last five minutes of the game close to the opposition's try line.

White admitted that his side could have done things differently at the end, but also supported Nortje, IOL noted.

“My captain will get it right. He’s going through a tough time now with calls and people double-guessing whether or not he’s got the right calls," he added.

What's next for the Bulls?

The South African side have a bye this weekend before taking on the Emirates Lions on March 4.

They then travel to take on Ulster on March 25 and face off against Toulouse the following weekend in the Heineken Champions Cup.

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The URC is heating up

The Stormers lead the way when it comes to South Africa's chances in the URC, but the Bulls and Sharks are not out of the running just yet.

Here's how the log looks after the latest round of action.

Bulls and Stormers' Twitter war

Sports Brief previously reported on the Stormers and the Bulls starting the mind games ahead of a crucial URC match in Cape Town.

The great arch-rivals of South African rugby bantered with each other on Twitter as anticipation grew for the riveting clash.

The Bulls' Twitter account tweeted a video of Stormers fans fed up with their team's poor run of form in a tongue-in-cheek jibe.