The Vodacom Bulls may have snuck into the Investec Champions Cup playoffs via the back door, but their Round of 16 opposition Glasgow Warriors won’t exactly put fear into them ahead of a massive showdown in April when the competition resumes with the knockout rounds.
But then again, neither will Glasgow under Franco Smith be concerned with a Bulls side still finding their feet under Johan Ackermann.
The gritty win over PAU on Friday night not only stopped the seven game losing streak since Johan Ackermann has taken over as coach, but it also left the Bulls with some confidence as they head to Scotland for their next match in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship against Edinburgh.
While the jury is still out on whether this is a turning point for the Bulls, one thing is certain, the win over PAU was built on grit and determination and allowed the Bulls to prove to themselves again that they can win away from home, and they can turn things around if there is commitment on defence.
Because, let’s be honest, the defensive performance on Friday night was a step above what they have produced in the season thus far and was necessary to grind out the victory.
The celebrations afterwards showed just how much it meant to the squad, who have been under loads of pressure due to their own performances.
So while it was good news all around, the draw to face Glasgow at the Scotstoun would have been treated with smiles from the Bulls players. An opponent they know well, at a ground they won at in April under Jake White. It certainly could have been a lot worse for them and they know it.
Whether or not they will progress, there is the mouthwatering prospect of a quarterfinal in Cape Town if they win and the Stormers upset French side Toulon, and even that scenario didn’t seem anything but fiction some 72 hours ago.
And while we can debate the merits of whether a side that won one game in four deserves to be in the playoffs, the reality is that the win in France has given the Bulls a lifeline they can take if they get some momentum back into their season.
That's what makes their game against Edinburgh so important. Sean Everitt’s side is not one that will be unfamiliar to the Bulls side, and are in pretty decent form at the moment (this weekend’s result in the Champions’ Cup notwithstanding).
They provide an interesting acid test for Ackermann’s side to prove that the win in France wasn’t a fluke out of desperation but a signal that things are turning around.
There were some telling moments in the game - apart from the defence - that stood out as well. Sebastian de Klerk’s move to 13 was inspirational and 19-year old Cheswill Jooste has again shown himself to be a player that needs to be on the field. The kid is special, as his try that turned the game on Friday night showed.
The selection was also good, with the likes of Marco van Staden, Nizaam Carr, Ruan Nortje, and others giving the Bulls a boost off the bench when it mattered. You can, however, expect the Bulls to load their team ahead of the Edinburgh game, and to include Canan Moodie now that he has overcome his concussion protocols.
The big question will be if this win, however desperate it was, is the springboard to finding the form they need to resurrect their URC season, or whether it was just a one-off and the problems still linger.
There is no doubt the Bulls needed that victory, and nobody expects it to be an overnight success and return to winning ways immediately. But shrewd selections, players who need to stand up and be counted and Springboks that play with the passion that deserves that title can help.
Ackermann himself was not getting overjoyed after the win, and knows there is still a lot of hard work to do.
“The reality is that it is only one win,” he said after the game. “We next face a tough Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship. Edinburgh are one of the best teams in the URC and full of internationals.
“We will enjoy the win as a group and then reset and start focusing on Edinburgh. It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s only one win. It is nothing to get overly excited about.”
The Bulls know they will need to back this up, and show it wasn’t a one-off and Ackermann will be drumming that home this week.
But a win away from home against Edinburgh will do his side well, and while it won’t be something to get excited about, it will get their fans believing that they have turned the ship around and are heading on the right track.