Desperation.
That’s the key to winning the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final between Irish juggernauts Leinster and the Vodacom Bulls this weekend.
There is no doubt the Pretoria side start at Croke Park as massive underdogs, but just how desperate they are to win will determine the key to the final and whether they can finally achieve their aim of an URC title after three finals.
Leinster will be just as desperate - four seasons without silverware for a side that are virtually the Irish test team will be unacceptable. While their failure in the Investec Champions’ Cup will be seen as a much bigger failure, this is their last chance to get some silverware and it wouldn’t be unfair to say that head coach Leo Cullen’s job is on the line.
The Bulls have a lot to play for. They have dedicated the season to their fallen former teammate Cornal Hendricks and have played a lot on the fact that the number 14 - which they have retired for the season - is a rallying cry. The game will take place on the 14th of June as well, exactly one month after Hendricks passed away.
But that memory alone won’t be enough. The Bulls will need something extra. They will need their setpiece to dominate and to boss the aerial battle. They will need their discipline - they have the worst record in the Championship - to be squeaky clean. They will need all this and something extra.
Leinster have the Dublin crowd, the weight of expectation and a lot of stars pushing them forward. They believe they should be URC champions and they have finished top of the regular season log three out of the four seasons. But they have also failed when it mattered.
This time they’re out to prove its different, and everything is seemingly in their favour. For the Bulls, they have a mountain to overcome, and they need to stay in the fight.
Coach Jake White knows the value of desperation, but he is also right when he says the Bulls will need something extra to win at Croke Park.
“I think it’s one of those where you get to a final, everyone’s desperate to win, let’s be fair. Anyone who ever sits in a final and says, ‘we’re not desperate,’ or ‘we’re not as desperate as the other team,’ would be naive,” White said on Thursday.
“I can only worry about what we want to do. And obviously, we’ve had two chances in finals. Now this is our third chance, and we will be desperate. Whether it’s as desperate or more desperate I think it goes deeper than that.”
White said the Bulls hunger went deeper than a desperation to win.
“It’s not just about rugby and desperation. I think it’s about a little bit extra. That’s the challenge, or that’s the test we’re all going to have: which one is going to be really desperate when everything is on the line.”
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With Marco van Staden coming in for the injured Cameron Hanekom, the loose trio’s balance has shifted, and Hanekom’s prowess on defence will be missed. But White is banking on other factors to see the side through.
“It just means that I’ve spent more time on my knees this week praying for rain,” White laughed when asked about the change.
“The balance is obviously a bit different with Marco. He brings different attributes. He’s a World Cup winner and he’s playing against Josh van der Flier. They’ve obviously played test match rugby against each other.”
He was complimentary to Leinster, but noted how well funded they are and the depth they have that other sides can only dream of.
“They’ve got 23 internationals and that’s only because they are only allowed to play 23. So they’ve got many more internationals than we’ve got. They are the benchmark of where every club team wants to get to,” he said.
“We’ve got better and our team is growing and we are much better than we were four years ago when this group started.”
And desperation is one part of the key to success. The memory of Hendricks is another driving factor.
But to win in Dublin the Bulls know they need to do something special. They need to deliver a performance for the ages. They need to defy the odds. And they need to do it away from home.
It’s a big task, but if they want the title, they need to deliver.