Next weekend’s derby between the Bulls and the Stormers is being billed as bigger than some of the Tests the Springboks will play this year.
That may sound like hyperbole, but it’s difficult not to view it as one of the United Rugby Championship’s blue chip fixtures.
Loftus looks set for its biggest crowd in the URC, while Stormers coach John Dobson said: “It is going to be the biggest non-Test match. It will be bigger than some Tests. It is going to be huge for South African rugby.”
It is possibly the biggest local showdown since the same teams contested the 2022 final.
“Probably, this one has more merit because both teams are under pressure,” said Dobson.
Defeat too ghastly
Both will consider defeat too ghastly to contemplate.
The Stormers have been on the back foot since a bleak November and have ground to make up on the Bulls, who are the South African pacesetters.
The Bulls though are under pressure to validate the improvements they’ve made this season and solidify their position at the top of the South African Shield.
Moreover, the Bulls have beef with the Stormers after seven straight defeats.
Personal ambition will also be likely to fuel the inferno. The Springboks this year start a fresh Rugby World Cup cycle towards the 2027 instalment and news about next month’s alignment camp may have stirred the waters in some.
“The players may have had feedback, but the alignment camp, or the reaction to it, probably will have an effect. Some guys are obviously competing. Cameron Hanekom and Evan Roos, among the loose forwards. Maybe guys like Deon Fourie and Joseph Dweba may feel they have a point to prove. It will add another level,” said Dobson.
Out of reach
He admitted the Bulls will slip out of the Stormers’ reach if they win. “We will never catch them in terms of hosting rights for the knockouts. Leinster will be likely to secure their spot, but for the rest of us it is a dogfight to host the other semifinal. If we lose this game it is ‘goodbye’ to us.
“For the Bulls, by weight of history in the URC, it is a pressure game. I’m sure they don’t want to lose to the Stormers again,” said Dobson.
By his own admission, though, the Bulls have been the form team in the SA Shield.
Perhaps the Bulls are now primed to set the record straight. They have momentum, are well prepared and boast squad depth.
The players may have had feedback, but the alignment camp, or the reaction to it, probably will have an effect. Some guys are obviously competing
— Stormers coach John Dobson
“That means Jake [White, director of rugby] has been able to rotate the squad a lot more, which has kept the players fresh,” said Bulls Company CEO Edgar Rathbone.
The Bulls have augmented their training to help make the leap in depth and performance. “The players who are second and third in their positions have spent enough time on the training field,” added Rathbone.
All hands on deck
The Bulls now make sure their entire squad of 45 are on the field and involved in training sessions. “It is as if everybody is getting ready to play on the weekend,” said Rathbone.
It is not the only reason the Bulls have emerged from the tunnel with verve and vigour this season.
The restorative benefits of taking up a seat closer to the cockpit on their overseas travels put to bed fears of fatigue.
“We went to our shareholders before the season and requested additional funds to upgrade our seats on flights,” said Rathbone.
“That was approved. We upgraded the starting XV for the first game overseas to Business Class and the same applies to the starting XV for the first game back in South Africa. It has made a difference and has been a huge benefit,” said Rathbone.
Setting the record straight
The Bulls don’t just want to set the record straight against the Stormers. They want to break their URC attendance record of 41,000.
“It is a cathedral of world rugby. It is like an Everest in South African rugby, winning at Loftus. We’ve done well there over the past few years because we’ve embraced it. The fuller the better,” said an undaunted Dobson.
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