The Bulls face a stern test against a red-hot Dragons side when they clash at Rodney Parade in Round 15 of the URC on Friday.
To Win
Dragons | Draw | Bulls
Handicap
Dragons | Bulls
Match context
While they may have been pipped by Glasgow Warriors in a disappointing Champions Cup round of 16 tie a fortnight ago, the extra week off may suit the Bulls as they prepare for the first of their two-match tour of Wales.
Placed precariously in eighth, stumbles in Cymru could spell major problems for them before they return to the Republic for their final two round robin matches, but it’s unlikely the significance of these games will be lost on such a vastly experienced group of players and coaches.
With so much world class talent at their disposal, one would think the Bulls will have the necessary resources to go over to the UK and bank at least eight-log points from their next two games against Dragons and Scarlets. Doing so would put them in a prime position to lock in a quarterfinal berth before their Italian double header against Zebre and Benetton on 9 and 16 May at Loftus Versfeld.
Johan Ackermann will be forced to make changes to the side that fell 21-25 to the Glaswegians, with both wingers Cheswill Jooste (foot) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (dislocated finger) picking up knocks in that fixture. It’s far from ideal, especially with Captain Fantastic Ruan Nortje recently confirming his impending departure from Pretoria, but the franchise will simply have to ride out the waves this week and keep the main thing the main thing.
In the other corner, Dragons are riding an almighty wave of their own, albeit one of a different sort after enjoying tremendous success in the EPCR Challenge Cup knockouts over the past two weeks. Their dramatic away wins at Stade Francais and Zebre have teed them up for a first semi-final appearance in 10 years and their home support will be full of beans as they prepare for this tussle with the Bulls.
Sitting 15th on the 16-team tournament, it will be more a case of playing for pride for Filo Tiatia’s charges, though their exploits in Europe may have left them slightly worse for wear.
Players to watch
Angus O’Brien (Dragons)
Fullback O’Brien kicked 15-points in the EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinal win over Zebre in Parma and will be key again for his side as they look to channel their glorious European form into the URC. The 31-year-old former Wales U20 player’s boot will be crucial in taking advantage of all opportunities his side gets to score points on Friday.
With Handre Pollard’s tactical kicking also set to be a major factor, O’Brien’s positioning must also be on point.
Ruan Nortje (Bulls)
The Bulls stalwart, who is now just four games shy of amassing 150 caps for his beloved franchise, has announced his intention to depart for Japan at the conclusion of this season. Nortje has been arguably the greatest Bull of his era and will leave a big legacy behind (though it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see him return to Loftus further down the line).
Having grabbed so many headlines this week, expect to see the 27-year-old as involved as ever in Wales as he looks to keep his side in contention for a first ever URC title.
Tactical overview
The overriding concern for the Men of Gwent will be whether they can pick themselves up for another hugely physically demanding game after playing so superbly in the Challenge Cup.
With nothing much to play for in the URC, it remains to be seen just how much emphasis the players place on this game and indeed which individuals will even be selected by Tiatia. All eyes are now on their upcoming semi-final date with Montpellier and many of their big guns may be rested for this one.
On the other hand, the Bulls will be going in all guns blazing as they look to strengthen their URC quarterfinal ambitions and, injury concerns aside, theirs should be another Springbok-laden XV come matchday.
If Dragons are as ill-disciplined as they were at times during last week’s clash with Zebre, the boot of Pollard will make them pay, while their breakdown work also needs tightening up as they brace themselves for the might of the Bulls’ forward pack.
Looking at the big picture, the Bulls have won each of the four previous meetings between the sides and it would be a big surprise to see that trend bucked this weekend.
Prediction
Given the overall context of this weekend’s match in Newport, don’t be surprised to see the Bulls take the win and clear the handicap while so doing.
