By Lucky Vince Pienaar
It’s do or die for the Bulls and the Stormers as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship reaches the semi-final stage this weekend.
➤ Jake White has managed the Bulls close to perfectly, and they are in second place on the log, one solitary point behind Munster.
It means they come into the match against seventh placed Benetton as firm favourites.
Crucially, the Bulls have a home match, and the dry Highveld weather will suit them perfectly. Not only will Benetton have to cope with the altitude and the hard surface, but Loftus Versveld is undoubtedly a fortress, presenting the Italian team with a mountain to climb.
It is not impossible that the fast game the Italians favour won’t throw a spanner in the works, but it is very unlikely.
Traditionally, the Bulls are known for their so-called “Northern Transvaal” rugby, which focuses on forward muscle to soften the opposition. However, Jake White has built a team with very few weaknesses, both front and back.
While they have players like Elrigh Louw, Cameron Hanekom, and brilliant tight forward Akker van der Merwe in the scrum, they also have Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse on the wings and playmaker Willie le Roux at fullback.
It’s hard to see how Benetton can pull this one off. In fact, overconfidence is the only thing, it seems, that could trip up the Bulls.
➤ The Stormers have a much tougher road to the final. They are not out of the contest at all, but having finished fifth on the log, they have only tough away games if they are to stay in the hunt. And the reality is that they have lost their last four away matches in Europe.
The Glasgow Warriors will enjoy that all-important home-ground advantage. Scotland may be in the early stages of summer, but it is a Scottish summer. The forecast is six degrees Celsius, with light rain and a stiff breeze.
John Dobson still has some of the country’s most talented players at his disposal, and they are nobody’s punchbag. They will be there to win. There is also the added incentive for several players to put up their hands for Springbok selection in the tough international matches that start in a few weeks.
Pictured above: Bulls flyhalf Johan Goosen.
Source: Bulls Rugby
