After defeating the DHL Stormers in the Super Rugby final with overwhelming ease fourteen years ago, the Vodacom Bulls are once again on the verge of winning a major championship.
Now that South Africa’s Super Rugby days are well in the past, the Bulls want to be the second South African team to win the prestigious BKT URC championship. Ironically, the same Stormers who defeated Pretoria all those years ago denied them two seasons ago.
In the current season, Jake White’s team faces Glasgow of Scotland in hopes of a historic day in front of a sold-out Loftus Versfeld.
After their thrilling victory against a very skilled Leinster team in the semifinal last weekend, the Bulls may believe that their future is in their hands, but their opponents won’t be content to play by the numbers.
The Warriors, on the other hand, did a similarly fantastic job of ending Munster’s championship run.
When all was said and done on Saturday night, the hush in the crowd as the final whistle boomed across Thomond Park was unsettling and exactly how the Warriors would like to leave Loftus.
Without further ado, enjoy this sneak peek at the next action, which will only be available on FloRugby for live streaming.
For White’s team, it’s one in, one out from the off because Springboks fullback Willie Le Roux is sidelined due to injury.
Devon Williams, the World Cup winner, will move from wing to fullback in Le Roux’s absence, with Kurt Lee Arendse taking over on the left wing.
Aside from this modification, White has stuck with the same starting lineup to be consistent.
Conversely, Glasgow’s head coach Franco Smith hasn’t altered his team from the one that defeated Munster at Thomond Park.
Crucial Match
The physicality that each team’s center partnership brought to the game was crucial to their semifinal victories.
It’s interesting to note that the combinations have a similar construction: both inside centers, Sione Tuipulotu of Glasgow and Harold Vorster of the Bulls, are bruisers, and their outside partners, Huw Jones of Glasgow and David Kriel of the Bulls, are excellent strike runners.
This is obviously a simplified evaluation of the four players, as they are all quite complete. But this has been their general mode of operation within their individual systems, in theory.
Tuipulotu pursued Munster fly-half Jack Crowley in Limerick. Crowley is a strong defensive player, but his size and strength are a major disadvantage. In the end, it proved to be the difference as Jones scampered away because the Warriors struck when given an opportunity thanks to their regular delivery of excellent gain line ball.
While not as noteworthy as Tuipulotu, Vorster successfully used the same tactic against Ross Byrne of Leinster on the opposite side of the world. This strategy laid the groundwork for the Bulls’ wide-ranging and aerial attack to weaken the Leinster rush defense.
Lastly, with a constant eight or nine out of ten performance this season, Kriel may have been the best player for the Bulls.
With his quick reflexes and physical edge, Kriel can finish moves and break lines while also providing support for others around him in the outside channel. This is a skill that Jones possesses as well, and he is approaching his peak performance at a perfect moment for the Warriors.
Forecast
This match won’t be as easy as many people in the South African rugby community think it will be.
The Warriors are a formidable team full of foreign players who are used to competing on the largest platforms.
The Bulls will undoubtedly start the game as favorites because they are at home and won’t have to deal with the substantial travel time that comes with playing in different hemispheres.
However, this writer can’t get the uneasy sensation that the Warriors are more of a 50/50 option given their background and offensive schemes.
If Franco Smith’s team perseveres and doesn’t give up points quickly, like they did in their pool-stage matchup, they will cast some doubt on the Bulls in the latter stages of the game.
There is little difference between the two teams in the pack, but across the backline, the visitors have the upper hand.
The Warriors are the better in-form of the two teams and are on a roll, much like Munster was last season, even if it is definitely not the popular option. Glasgow wins by four goals.
Bulls lineups
Harold Vorster, 12, Devon Williams, 14, Sergeal Petersen, 13, David Kriel, 11 Arendse Kurt-Lee, Johan Goosen, 10, 9 Papier Embrose, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 6 Marco van Staden, 7 Elrigh Louw 4 Ruan Vermaak, 5 Ruan Nortje (c), Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Gerhard Steenekamp, and one other
16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, and 19 Reinhardt Ludwig are the replacements. 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger 23 Cornel Smit, 22 Chris Smith
Glasgow Bulls
14 Josh McKay, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Kyle Steyn (c), 14 Sebastian Cancelliere Tom Jordan ten, George Horne nine, Jack Dempsey, age eight Rory Darge, 5, Richie Gray, 6, Matt Fagerson, 3, Zander Fagerson, 2, Johnny Matthews, and 1 Jamie Bhatti
18 Oli Kebble, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Euan Ferrie, 17 Nathan McBeth, and 16 George Turner were the replacements. 21 Jamie Dobie, 22 Henco Venter, and 23 Duncan Weir
