COMMENT
The Bulls will be licking their wounds over the next two weeks after their dramatic defeat to the Stormers last Saturday, perhaps feeling as if they don’t want to see a rugby ball over that period at all. And that would be totally understandable, given the enormous challenges Jake White and his team have had to endure in their 2024/25 campaign.
Stormers fans would’ve rejoiced at beating their arch-rivals at Loftus Versfeld, especially after a four-match losing streak. However, there is still real hope at the end of a torturous season that the Bulls could end up with not only one, but two trophies by mid-June.
Yes, that’s right – and no, I am not a Bulls supporter all of a sudden!
If White plays his cards right and makes some major selection decisions, it is entirely possible for the Pretoria outfit to be successful in both the United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup tournaments.
The Bulls are sitting pretty in third position on the URC log at the moment, with 41 points from 12 matches, seven ahead of the Sharks, who have a game in hand – which will be played against the Lions in Durban on Saturday.
The defeats to the Sharks and Stormers in recent weeks have probably ended the Bulls’ chances of catching Leinster, who are unbeaten in 12 games and on a whopping 57 points.
The Bulls, though, only trail second-placed Glasgow by three points, and they will square off in Scotland on April 25. But whether the Bulls end third or fourth is not really much of a difference, as long as they can play in a home quarter-final.
They are off for the next fortnight before facing Leinster on March 22 and Zebre a week later, both at Loftus Versfeld.
Here’s the joker card, though, for White’s team to still claim a trophy and qualify for next season’s Champions Cup: by winning the Challenge Cup.
They take on Bayonne in France on April 5, which is a totally winnable round-of-16 game if the Bulls pick their strongest-possible team for the Challenge Cup.
The Bulls will then play a quarter-final the following weekend, although it’s not clear if that game would be home or away, depending on who makes the last eight.
That encounter is followed by two massive URC away games, against Munster in Ireland and Glasgow in Scotland. And guess what follows a week after that? The Challenge Cup semi-finals.
As White mentioned recently, it would be impossible to pick the same team in the URC and Challenge Cup as they play on consecutive weeks. And the draw may just see the Bulls playing in Europe for five weeks in a row, from the Bayonne Challenge Cup game to the Challenge Cup semi-final on May 2-3-4.
Considering their strong log position in the URC, it would be worth White’s while to field a B team against Munster and Glasgow away, to ensure that the A team win those Challenge Cup playoffs.
Even their last two URC league matches, against Cardiff and the Dragons in Pretoria in May, are winnable with a second-string Bulls side.
Of course, White won’t come out directly and say he is picking an A and B team.
Scenes from Loftus on Saturday 😍
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) March 3, 2025
We can't wait to see YOU back at Loftus on the 22nd of March for our match against Leinster 🏆
🎟️TICKETS ➡️ https://t.co/m0aR7qqnbH @Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA #ForeverBlue pic.twitter.com/BGO3Ttuv8f
But he has been pretty clear since taking charge at Loftus Versfeld that winning trophies is what counts most for Bulls fans.
So, why not take try something different in order to achieve that goal?
That may just be the kind of brave approach the Bulls need to lift that elusive trophy, having lost in two URC finals over the last three seasons.
Upcoming Bulls Fixtures
URC, March 22, 5pm: Leinster, Pretoria
URC, March 29, 2.45pm: Zebre, Pretoria
Challenge Cup (round of 16), April 5, 1.30pm: Bayonne, France
* Possible Challenge Cup quarter-final, April 11-12-13: home or away
URC, April 19, 6.15pm: Munster, Ireland
URC, April 25, 8.35pm: Glasgow, Scotland
* Possible Challenge Cup semi-final, May 2-3-4: home or away
URC, May 10, 4pm: Cardiff, Pretoria
URC, May 17, 3pm: Dragons, Pretoria
* Possible Challenge Cup final, May 23: Cardiff
* Possible URC quarter-final, May 30-31: home or away
* Possible URC semi-final, June 7: home or away
* Possible URC final, June 14: home or away