Bulls aim to avoid becoming the Bills in their fourth tilt at URC title

In the early to mid-1990s the Buffalo Bills lost four Super Bowls in a row. After the first two defeats there was some sympathy from neutral observers.

After the third, the Bills became a laughing stock, and when they made the Super Bowl for the fourth consecutive time, most of America was actively anti-Bills because they represented the thing Americans loathe – losers.

In the saga of losing the big game repeatedly, what was overlooked was what it took to get there. Only two teams make it to the Super Bowl every year. Making the big game is an achievement, but success is defined in silverware.

The Bulls are on their own similar run to the Bills when it comes to the United Rugby Championship (URC) – three finals, three defeats.

On Friday night, the Bulls play in their fourth URC final in five years with that unwanted record hanging over them. All the previous success leading to the final, and the finals before this one, will mean nothing if they don’t come home with the trophy.

Heads rolled

After the third URC final loss in 2025, against this year’s opponents Leinster, the navel gazing became toxic. Coach Jake White was ousted in an internal putsch, with senior players giving the board the ultimatum that either the coach be removed or they would walk.

The board backed the players and White was sent packing. It was acrimonious and unusually ruthless in a South African rugby context.

Johan Ackermann was called in to replace White and create a more harmonious dressing room, with the same mandate though – “win trophies”.

They promptly lost seven games in a row and Ackermann was under pressure. But there were green shoots of promise, and with the appointment of assistant coach Neil de Bruin, son of Bok women’s coach Swys, performances and results improved.

Ackermann succeeded in creating a better team culture, and with De Bruin and fellow assistant coach Kennedy Tsimba started creating a winning mentality.

Many factors came together, which included the return of their vast legion of Springboks, and with it results improved.

“I knew that taking into account the history of this place and how passionate the supporters are, if we didn’t get to the final there would be a lot of questions asked, especially if we didn’t get to the play-offs,” Ackermann said last week.

“I knew that pressure was on, but the most important thing was to start building a culture and a philosophy of how I see rugby. I have the obligation to lead and get the atmosphere where the players can still be valued and enjoy what they do. That was my motivation because I believe rugby is great and we are all very passionate about it. But there is a bigger picture outside of that.

“The real spark was credit to Neil (de Bruin), who came in and brought new energy and excitement. The players also kept believing in the plans we wanted to implement. The culture started to form, our values started to get more practical.”

Momentum

The Bulls have won 11 of their last 12 URC games, including the last eight in a row and go into the final with momentum.

They beat Glasgow 22-21 with a courageous comeback from 21-3 down at Murrayfield, to secure their place in the final.

They have a Springbok-laden team, full of experience and flair. They have a collective goal, and some personal missions to fulfil.

Their pack is formidable and, with plenty of X-factor in the backline, they are almost unstoppable off front-foot ball.

The Stormers, who lost the semi-final 20-11 against Leinster, which included a red and yellow card, showed the way.

The Stormers were ruthless in defence and kicked for territorial gain, rather than trying to bash their way through Leinster’s Jacques Nienaber-inspired defence.

They were in the game until a moment of madness from flank Ruan Ackermann resulted in a red card with less than 20 minutes to play.

“We are really proud of what the Stormers did. I thought they pitched up with a competitive mindset for 80 minutes,” Bok coach Rassie Erasmus said this week in reference to the URC semi-final.

“Some things didn’t go their way, and some were their own doing. But they were physical and never gave up. You could see when the guys went out after half-time, there was real desperation to win the game.

“Leinster is going to be tough, we all know that. But I think if the Bulls want to look at the blueprint of how to beat them, without getting a red card here or yellow card there, they can look at what the Stormers did. They came really close.”

Leinster coach Leo Cullen expects the Bulls’ old heads such as fullback Willie le Roux and flyhalf Handré Pollard to dictate matters.

“It’ll be interesting to observe how the Bulls go about playing against Jacques’ defensive system, because they will have a good understanding with obviously Pollard and Le Roux, who will know him very, very well. So it’s a fascinating dynamic in how that plays out,” Cullen said.

“The Bulls, as we saw in the semi-final against Glasgow, they don’t fear coming away from home. Glasgow have probably been the form team this season and finished top of the log as well. Glasgow, 21-3 ahead in that game, you can see the Bulls, they just stay in the fight.”

Farewell to Nortjé

Lock Ruan Nortjé, who started at the Bulls in 2017, will play his final match for the team before moving on to Japan.

He has become a Springbok while a Bull and matured into one of the finest second rowers in the world. A URC winners’ medal would be a fitting parting gift for the club stalwart.

“It’s hard for me to put into words what this team has meant to me. It would be amazing to end off my time with the Bulls with a trophy,” Nortjé said. “But this team has meant so much more to me than just winning games and trophies. The Bulls played a part in shaping the person that I have become, and for that I can only be grateful.

“For me, and for all of us in this team, it would be really special to win the trophy for the people of Pretoria. We know we are up against a quality team, like they showed us last season (Leinster won 32-7).

“So for us it’s all about having belief and going out and giving everything we’ve got until the last minute.” DM

Teams:

Leinster: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jamie Osborne, 11 James Lowe, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Max Deegan, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 1 Jerry Cahir.
Replacements: 16 Dan Sheehan, 17 Alex Usanov, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Diarmuid Mangan, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Harry Byrne, 23 Garry Ringrose

Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Jeandre Rudolph, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Nizaam Carr

Date: Friday, 19 June

Venue: Croke Park, Dublin

Kick-off: 8.30pm SA Time

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)

Assistant referees: Adam Jones (Wales), Ben Breakspear (Wales)

TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)