It may already be the butt of several joked in rugby circles in the Cape, but the Vodacom Bulls need to find a way to break their duck against the DHL Stormers in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
There is no doubt that the Bulls approach over the last two seasons has fallen short of what was needed against John Dobson’s charges, and the determination to play the Bulls strongest on all games turned what was supposed to be a classic rivalry into a bit of an obsession.
Six times the Bulls have lost to the Stormers in URC, and now Saturday the two will meet in a seventh outing, a stat that the Stormers fans relish and Bulls fans hate.
And a stat that has been part of the obsession for coach Jake White over the past few seasons.
White may not admit that it irks him, but the pride in the Bulls jersey and the old foe means that these losses are taken a lot more seriously than, say, some others.
Last year the mistakes that were made have been owned up to, with White openly admitting that he was “scared to change his team” and back the fringe players. This season he has openly done that.
Plus this season the Bulls have a lot more depth, thanks to a buying spree in the off-season and while some - like Jannes Kirsten and Jacques du Plessis remain injured - there is some optimism that the Bulls may well be able to put up their best performance this weekend despite the odds and the record.
For one, the back three has Willie le Roux in sublime form and Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie both possess game breaking abilities. For once the Bulls midfield is in form, arguably one of the best in the URC this season with Stedman Gans forcing his way into the 13 jersey and David Kriel having a sensational season at 12.
Marco van Staden’s form since being included in the World Cup squad last year has just skyrocketed and Cameron Hanekom is a name on many South African and Welsh supporters lips after the youngster emerged from nowhere.
Plus up front Wilco Louw has stabilised a scrum and formed a hardy partnership with Akker van der Merwe and Springbok Gerhard Steenekamp,
In all, this Bulls team is a lot more rounded than the ones which played in the past few years, but the question will be how much the mental block needs to be overcome after not winning in Cape Town for a decade (excluding Covid-times, which were played without crowds).
The derby may present the Bulls with their best chance at redemption, but it is also a shot to take a step forward in the Shield competition, and to finish the year off on a high.
And there is no doubt that White would relish the victory more than most, given the recent history.
All runs do come to an end, as any coach knows, but sometimes the toughest obstacles to overcome are those internal ones, and the Bulls will need to overcome their own demons to stop the streak against the Stormers.
Dobson’s team tend to bring out their best for the game every single time, and the Bulls have made some rookie errors that have cost them dearly in the past.
But if they get the prep right and find their own mojo, they could well give themselves an early Christmas present. And give White something to smile about.