All eyes will be on the way that coach Johan Ackermann approaches the penultimate Vodacom United Rugby Championship fixture against Italian strugglers Zebre Parma this weekend at Loftus Versfeld.
Normally a Bulls side in contention for the playoffs would be feeling very confident going into the second last encounter at home, no matter who the opponent is, but even more so as Zebre find themselves firmly at the bottom of the URC log with little to play for.
That being said, there is a lot to gain from this weekend’s match up for the Bulls. For one, they can take another step to confirming their place in the playoffs and secondly make up some ground on those teams ahead of them.
The Bulls are in a fortunate position that if they win both their last games and some results go their way, they could end up in the top four - or even pass both the Lions and Stormers should those sides lose their last two games.
The latter is a highly unlikely scenario, but it is still possible.
With this in mind the Bulls have some tough decisions to take on the team front this weekend, none the least on who gets to start against Zebre.
While on the one hand they want to play their strongest side to continue momentum, there is the situation surrounding Canan Moodie that they have to take into account.
ONLY OPTION IS TO WIN
Moodie injured his hamstring a fortnight ago and returned home to try and heal, and depending on how that process has gone - timelines on recovery are notoriously difficult to predict - and there is a real sense that an extra week may be a good thing for Moodie to rest.
Still, if it is about momentum and he is fit and ready to play there is no reason to keep him on the sidelines either, and Ackermann will have a chance to make that decision after receiving the medical update.
The squad returned from their few days off on Monday and all indications are that the best available side will take the field on Saturday, with the Bulls launching the two games against the Italian sides as part of an Italian festival at Loftus.
The Bulls will know that while the festival atmosphere is what they are aiming for on the pitch, the reality is that there is a job to be done, and Ackermann will hammer this home.
For this reason they have not spoken much about permutations, with the general sense in the side to let the games play themselves out and see what transpires.
After a season which saw them on the brink with seven straight losses, the Bulls would prefer to be under the radar while the other sides fight it out for placings in the top eight - a prospect which means a top seven spot is more the target for everyone considering Ulster are in the EPCR Challenge Cup final and would qualify for the Champions’ Cup if they win that, taking away a place for the eighth placed finisher.
The only option is to win and ensure they rack up as many points as possible, and then watch where the chips will fall.