As the Vodacom Bulls enjoy a rare week off in a never-ending season, they returned to South Africa with the knowledge that no matter what challenge they face in the next few weeks in the Vodacom United Rugby Challenge, they are equipped to win away from home.
The main takeaway for them - and by extension the Hollywoodbets Sharks as well - was that the two big victories in Limerick and Glasgow have shown that the travel bogey that has plagued them from the days of Super Rugby is no longer such a massive factor.
While the caveat for any team in the URC will be to see if they can go to Dublin to beat Leinster at the Aviva, the Bulls can at least look forward to two weeks at home to end their regular season and try and ramp up the momentum against Cardiff and Dragons before they head into a home quarterfinal as well.
Whatever happens after that is likely to be determined by their log position, and what Glasgow Warriors do in their last two matches against Benetton and Leinster. One point behind Glasgow at the moment, the Bulls are likely to back themselves for 10 points from the two games, and at Loftus that should be their aim in general.
But that bonus point that Glasgow got in the last few minutes at Scotstoun, and the decision of the Bulls to kick the ball out when they got a very kickable penalty on the stroke of fulltime, has altered the complexion of the run-in quite a bit.
THEY KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
Had they denied Glasgow the bonus point, they would have been ahead of them with two games to go. But as it stands now, they need to make up the bonus point somewhere, and the only thing they can do is continue to win and grab as many points from every game as possible.
It doesn’t help anyone to debate whether the Bulls should have taken that last kick, as it is now in the past, and the players and staff will hope it doesn’t haunt them at the end of the season.
Glasgow definitely have the tougher road in, but it could turn out well for them, as the defeat would have stung them, and they have a number of Scottish internationals - including their captain Sione Tuipulotu, returning in these final weeks of the tournament.
They also have a week off after being smashed by Leinster in the quarterfinal of the Investec Champions’ Cup, as all attention turns to Europe this weekend.
Benetton’s big loss to the Stormers would have stung them and they can’t afford to lose the Glasgow game either, especially with the race to the top eight being incredibly tight. The Bulls will be hoping somehow they deny Glasgow a victory, or a bonus point in the process, leaving it up to the last game.
That would leave Glasgow to go to the Aviva needing a good victory over a team that beat them 52-0 a few weeks earlier. But as with the nature of the competition, it could mean that Leinster - a week before the Champions Cup final - may do as they’ve done all season and play a second-string team, leaving their stars to get ready for the final.
While that team isn’t short on quality, it would play into Glasgow’s hands in the race for second place, but they would still need to get a bonus point win, something that is difficult in any circumstances against Leinster.
This is all assuming the Bulls win their home games with bonus points - and Cardiff - sitting fifth on the log - will be the bigger test for the Bulls. They have their own challenges and know if the equations go their way, they have given themselves a chance for the second spot and a decent home run to the semifinals, if they get that far.
And if by any chance there would be an upset in Dublin, then they could again host a final if they get that far as well.
Either way it is all to play for, and the Bulls know how valuable those wins in Limerick and Glasgow were, and how different it all would have looked this week if they had lost those.