If there is one thing that counts in the Vodacom Bulls favour when they get to the Scotstoun on Saturday to face Franco Smith’s Glasgow Warriors in their Investec Champions’ Cup Round of 16 clash, its that it is a side they know all too well.
The annual battles within the Vodacom United Rugby Championship have been brutal between the two sides, including the 2024 final where Glasgow triumphed at Loftus Versfeld against the odds, and a stunning comeback win by the Bulls last season away from home.
So it goes without saying that when the Bulls got notice of their clash against the Warriors, having snuck in the back door to qualification with a gutsy win over PAU in France a few months back, they were fearing being paired away from home with one of the giants of European rugby.
Instead, and this is no disrespect to Glasgow, who are shaping up to be one of the bigger sides in Europe at the moment, but they would have smiled when they saw they were facing a familiar foe away from home.
RELISHING THE PROSPECT
South African sides haven’t always covered themselves in glory in the Champions’ Cup playoff rounds, but the Bulls would have left South Africa with a spring in their step, and if you listen to captain Marcell Coetzee, are quite relishing the prospect of facing the Warriors in their battle on Saturday.
Win and they either head to Toulon or Cape Town, with the latter not being the preferred route as the week after they have to head to Wales for two URC clashes away from home.
Lose and they have a week in Europe - which makes sense given the price of jet fuel and moving a big squad around - to prepare for the Welsh double header in their URC campaign.
Coetzee was honest when talking about Glasgow, and said the team was embracing the challenge of being underdogs for this weekend.
“ We've been going at each other for the past years, played finals against each other and a lot of games. So, yeah, it's kind of like the animal you know pretty well,” Coetzee said.
“But I think either way, Glasgow is a class outfit. What Franco has done with them over the years is exceptional. So,we regard every team now when we play as one of the powerhouses, especially when you get so far in the tournament.
NEXT LEVEL
“And we know them at home, they just take it to the next level. So, we have to be mentally prepared, we have to be physically very prepared because it's going to be a big one.”
The victory over Glasgow last season in the URC was a turning point for the Bulls - so much that they put up a picture after the following week’s win over Munster in their changeroom. The tour cemented their team culture and their fight for each other.
Those lessons will be exceptionally important this weekend when they face the Warriors again.
“We learned a lot about ourselves on that tour. It was also at a stage where we were very under pressure,” Coetzee explained.
“And we had to get a few important wins. But I think if you sort out the off-field culture stuff, it will transfer it into the game. And I think we managed to get the balance well between enjoyment and giving our best on the weekends.We'll draw a lot of confidence from that coming into this weekend. But at the end of the day, it's between the four lines and you have to make it work.It does help if you get the off-field stuff right.”
BULLS SEE AN OPPORTUNITY
While there may be some who ponder whether - after their poor start to the competition - if it was worth still trying to qualify for the last eight or rather send a second-string team, Coetzee dismissed this, saying the Bulls had taken a decision to fight in all competitions they play in.
“No, it's exactly like that.Coach Akkers in one of his first meetings said that he wants to be competitive in all formats.The players jumped on board with that. We see a lot of excitement for this task/ I think at this time of the season, you know, you want to maintain your continuity and momentum. Every game you play is an opportunity and we now have the opportunity to go to the next round of the EPCR. That's what we like about it at the end of the day. We're a group of full-competing players who always want to give their best. So it's all a driving force to just be part of the competition and give your best. The message to me and the guys next week is exactly the same. It's an opportunity that we can grab and we have to make the most of it.”
The Bulls will name their side on Thursday afternoon for the clash.