The Bulls believe they have selected a 23-man squad designed and fortified to handle 80 minutes of Leinster questions in Friday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) final in Dublin.
In a bid to win their first-ever URC title, following disappointment in three previous finals, head coach Johan Ackermann will send 11 Springboks onto the field in the starting XV, while five others occupy the bench for the championship match at Croke Park (8.30pm kick-off).
There was no tinkering with the team that produced a monumental effort from 21-3 down to beat the Glasgow Warriors in the semi-final a fortnight ago. And while that clash will provide them with momentum going into a repeat of last year’s Grand Final, the Bulls also know that nothing that came before this encounter will really count against the Irish powerhouse.
It will all be about what they produce on the day; how they halt Leinster defensively, and how accurate their attack is against a tight-knit home defence. They will also have to contend with a noisy crowd at the stadium.
“For me, it’s important that we understand that it’s a privilege to be here,” Ackermann said.
“It’s not your right, you’re not entitled to be here. To come to work every day and call this work - it’s a great privilege. We’ve got a shot, and if you ask me, do I believe we can win? Then I’m going to say yes.”
The battle for ascendancy will certainly start up front, and only two players in that Bulls starting pack do not have international experience. That means they can fight fire with fire against Leinster’s Irish stars. The scales may even be tipped in the Bulls’ favour at scrum time, but the cunning work of the home side's loose trio could level matters at the breakdown.
Both sides also possess some brilliant lineout jumpers, which should make the contest on the touchline a nail-biting affair.
“We can’t be scared,” Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said.
“It’s a quality team they have assembled. We’ve got to meet them head-on and go for it. And that’s what we’ll do. You know they are going to come after you in the tighter aspects – the scrum, the lineout maul – so it would be foolish to look any further than that from a set-piece point of view.”
When it comes to experience at the back, four Bulls players have had their hands on the Webb Ellis Cup at the highest level. Bulls flyhalf Handré Pollard and fullback Willie le Roux have done it back-to-back, so their knowledge of knockout rugby will be invaluable.
The difference could lie in the backline. If the visitors click, they can be a handful with the likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse and the bulldozing Stravino Jacobs on the wings. But if they fail to get going, Leinster's coordinated attack could gain the upper hand.
The stage is set for a massive encounter, and the team that starts well and capitalises on its limited opportunities will likely come out on top. After countless disappointments at the final hurdle, the Bulls will be eager to ensure this rematch ends in triumph rather than more heartbreak.
Bulls XV
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 (c), 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 Jeandré Rudolph, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Nizaam Carr.
Leinster XV
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.
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