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The clash this weekend between the Bulls and Waratahs will be significant in a number of ways.
The Waratahs have had some good wins this season, and yet have struggled to maintain any consistency and even their win this weekend over the Chiefs were one of two halves.
The Waratahs romped away to a 15-0 lead, a drop in intent and intensity by the Tahs saw the Chiefs fight back and it was a late try that secured the win for the Waratahs.
A significant statistic is that the Waratahs haven’t won against the Bulls since 2005, in fact it has been lean years for the Waratahs in South Africa, no wins since 2009.
The Bulls on the other hand is fighting for the top spot in the South African conference, and after some success on their road trip have been building their confidence with a win over the Cheetahs and Kings over the last two weeks.
The catalyst for the Waratahs backline of late and perhaps the form 10 in Australia, has been Bernard Foley, his little snipes and offloads have been putting players such as Rob Horne and Adam Ashley-Cooper into space, and it seems AAC has a new lease on life.
His runs are harder at the line, he hits the line with intent and newcomer Israel Folau has been slowly growing in confidence.
Last weekend has been his best performance yet for the Tahs and who will forget that brilliant cross kick to Folau as he leapt into the air to secure the ball and go into the corner for the try.
The Bulls on the other hand has been slowly building momentum with Jano Vermaak and Morne Steyn controlling matters and the youthfull midfiled of Jan Serfontein and JJ Engelbrecht becoming a rather dangerous pairing in the Bull’s midfield.
They have been doing some powerful running for the Bulls from midfield and a few well timed offlloads have seen both of them turn positive results on the scoring sheet.
There are similarities to these two teams, both are dependent on a strong pack to give them go forward ball, and on occasions their direct running has resulted in some sublime scoring opportunities.
On paper this is an evenly matched team and it will depend on the day which forward pack brings the most intensity.
It could be a dour affair if both teams go for the territorial kicking game, but by the same token if both teams decide to utilise their powerful runners, we could be in for a humdinger.
The battle of the boot will see Morne Steyn and Patrick McKibbin exchange penalty goals.
Hooper’s work rate on defence will be a certainty, Israel Folau will be running it from deep, Statistically Bernard Foley has the most offloads and line breaks of any Australian fly half, and will be seen to be as dangerous as Folau from the back.
Dave Dennis and Juandre Kruger are amongst the leading line out operators this season.
The Bulls will win this if they show intent with ball in hand, kicking to Folau at the back could backfire dramatically if the chase isn’t good.
I give a slight edge to the Bulls, although the win will be important to both teams, the Bulls are marching to the top of the South African conference, and that in itself should be a bigger motivating factor.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.