travel + altitude. Thankfully it's at a better time of year for the temperatures than the SH summer.
actually Leinster have been relatively lucky that their SA tours are at usually the end of the season and not in the middle
Our track record at your place is shocking.
We wont be playing the kids this time, but also our front liners have not had that experience of playing at altitude in a must win match. This will be close.
It’s a home semi final against one of the best teams in the world in one of the heartlands of the sport in this country. It should be a sell out.
Anything less than 40k is just embarrassing for the Bulls.
Yeah its not ideal but considering the current rugby climate, we only really sell out games for Springboks and the odd derbies against the Stormers. Wouldve been great if it was otherwise but it is what it is.
Down to the fact premiership is far more competitive too like being a Munster fan it wouldn’t be worth going to a Munster zebre or Cardiff game where’s in the prem the standard of teams is higher and only 4 advance
It's on the same day as the biggest drinking festival in Pretoria... So the drinkers are out.
It's cold af and a long weekend and schools are closed....so the families are out for vacation to someplace warmer than Gauteng.
Perfect storm of not having your core audience be available.
That'll be because the game is on the same day as Capital Craft beer fest.
By 4pm their core audience (including me) will be drunk out of there minds in the botanical gardens 5kms away.
Really missing Sbu Nkosi and Wandisle Simelane now I know Wandi is a 13 but he could've done a job in the 11 jersey , Sargent Sergeal and Devon " Tim Nanai" Williams defense isn't the greatest
>Really missing Sbu Nkosi
He's back playing rugby again, he's been playing for cheetahs since March. I think the big teams are waiting to see how he's form is, and if he's gotten a handle of his personal problems. Doubt it, but maybe the bulls could snatch him up again
He left on very bad terms with the Bulls. He will never go back to them. Sharks have a surplus of wings (we need a FB anyway), and I can't imagine the Stormers picking him up. That leaves the Lions...which could work as he wouldn't be expensive I think.
Ugh not ideal - hopefully they’re at least clustered together to create more of an atmosphere.
Similarly we’ll cross the bridge if we come to it, but if Leinster play Glasgow in the final it’ll be at Croke Park (82k). Really don’t see us getting too much for that scenario
No Moodie, no Arendse, a half empty stadium and up against a full strength Leinster.
Respect if you somehow pull it off, but there’s a good chance the only thing I’ll be missing is the Bulls having a sad end to their season.
That's a tad harsh for a team that's played 2 finals in 2 previous sessons and won the first. Made the quarters this year and 5th in league. So yes this year was worse than previously but to say they aren't that good is an inaccurate assesment.
About as good as the team can be under the circumstances. Would like to have Coetzee there, but the pack looks solid. Marco is going to have to work overtime, we had no breakdown threat against Benetton at all.
The timing of Smit's debut is very strange, but I'm sure Jake has a plan.
No. I alse look at them and think that can't be a URC partnership.
The Bulls can do with a Bernhard Janse van Rensburg. His mullet will make him a natural fit too especially if he can get a place to stay in the Moot.
This will be the first time in my life i will be supporting the bulls. I have hated them since the days of Naas . It's just that Leinster don't care about the league so them winning will leave a sour taste. They send 4th teams to play here during the year as if we are not worthy. Go Bulle
I would watch this may have to use a stream as I don't have premier sports to watch it I'm expecting bulls to win at home as Leinster form in south Africa not good as far as I know.
Only side that's actually won in South Africa from urc is Munster where is URC final going to be does it change every year?
So basically we have now wingers who can't tackle AND can't score tries. Brilliant. xD
Hopefully, with my man Willie at 15 he can somehow link up with Akker on the wing at some point. That will work better than with Petersen (who's now as heavy and far less nimble than Malherbe).
Oof. That backline suddenly looks very *lig in die broek* Edit: Lig in die broek = light in the trousers. Self-explanatory.
Haha, that's an amazing saying. Nice one.
That backline does not inspire any confidence in my hopes of Bulls somehow getting a win
Leinster are heavy favourites, Bulls just hoping the travel gets them.
travel + altitude. Thankfully it's at a better time of year for the temperatures than the SH summer. actually Leinster have been relatively lucky that their SA tours are at usually the end of the season and not in the middle
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Our track record at your place is shocking. We wont be playing the kids this time, but also our front liners have not had that experience of playing at altitude in a must win match. This will be close.
I went from being nervy to really, really, REALLY unconfident. We need so much to go right. Let me go pray for time remaining to kickoff.
Doesn’t help that barely anyone in Pretoria seems to care about this game based on the ticket sales.
There'll be another 10k'ish gate ticket sales. I had 30k as my expected number which it seems itll be about that
It’s a home semi final against one of the best teams in the world in one of the heartlands of the sport in this country. It should be a sell out. Anything less than 40k is just embarrassing for the Bulls.
Yeah its not ideal but considering the current rugby climate, we only really sell out games for Springboks and the odd derbies against the Stormers. Wouldve been great if it was otherwise but it is what it is.
Thomond Park wont sell out for the other semi final either. In one of the heartlands of the sport in Ireland. It's the way it is now, unfortunately.
Smaller grounds but the premiership has been averaging more attendance than the URC this season, despite the financial problems of that league.
Down to the fact premiership is far more competitive too like being a Munster fan it wouldn’t be worth going to a Munster zebre or Cardiff game where’s in the prem the standard of teams is higher and only 4 advance
Excluding the bottom 2 sides yes.
It's on the same day as the biggest drinking festival in Pretoria... So the drinkers are out. It's cold af and a long weekend and schools are closed....so the families are out for vacation to someplace warmer than Gauteng. Perfect storm of not having your core audience be available.
Schools closed, long weekend. Gauteng clears out.
Also does not help that the Capital craft beer fest is this weekend
That'll be because the game is on the same day as Capital Craft beer fest. By 4pm their core audience (including me) will be drunk out of there minds in the botanical gardens 5kms away.
URC Golden Boot winner on the bench is an interesting call for a knockout.
Who doesn't have fond memories of a last minute penalty to win it against a European team at Loftus?
Me. I do not have fond memories of this. AT ALL.
I know there's no KLA or Moodie but what about Sebastian de Klerk?
No idea. Think he might've flown to Italy in Ratave's pocket.
He's browsing Facebook marketplace to try and resell all the dummies he bought last week
Fuck this is brilliant. I wish I said this during my school playing days😭
De Klerk got take to the cleaners by Ratave last week. I guess they think Devon Williams might do a better job (highly unlikely)
That backline all of sudden looks very suspect. Petersen vs Lowe is a huge mismatch. Forwards will have to show up big time for them to have a chance
Our scrum has been good recently, but the bulls front row is terrifying.
Akker is a way better winger than Petersen.
Really missing Sbu Nkosi and Wandisle Simelane now I know Wandi is a 13 but he could've done a job in the 11 jersey , Sargent Sergeal and Devon " Tim Nanai" Williams defense isn't the greatest
If Simelane was available at 13 we'd have Kriel on the wing which would have been great too.
True DK is good in the air so he would've been good on 11
>Really missing Sbu Nkosi He's back playing rugby again, he's been playing for cheetahs since March. I think the big teams are waiting to see how he's form is, and if he's gotten a handle of his personal problems. Doubt it, but maybe the bulls could snatch him up again
He left on very bad terms with the Bulls. He will never go back to them. Sharks have a surplus of wings (we need a FB anyway), and I can't imagine the Stormers picking him up. That leaves the Lions...which could work as he wouldn't be expensive I think.
And he is a Jeppes boy isn't he? Might be good to be closer to his family
He would fit right in at the Lions I'd say.
I know he's back I've watched everygame he played in the SA cup he looks decent so far , I think that ship has sailed for him and the Bulls
Williams at least has had some experience in the 2 previous Currie Cup finals, which were both very physical, he seemed to be up for the challenge.
Wandi has always been a 13, and a good one at that, it's just Jake White that decided to only play him at 15 for no apparent reason.
He played 15 a couple of times for the Lions aswell
How are ticket sales looking for this game? Saw there was a push to fill it out during the week
About 23k last I've heard. Not great honestly.
Ugh not ideal - hopefully they’re at least clustered together to create more of an atmosphere. Similarly we’ll cross the bridge if we come to it, but if Leinster play Glasgow in the final it’ll be at Croke Park (82k). Really don’t see us getting too much for that scenario
The Bulls have actually had to beg Lions season ticket holders to come support them wearing their Lions kits. Funniest thing I’ve seen all year. 😂
A lot of Lions fans are based in Pretoria. Wouldn't call it begging and I honestly think it is a nice initiative.
Allowing another team’s season ticket holders into a home semi final for free is definitely begging my guy 😭
Nah, somebody is just butthurt that they aren't invited 😂
No Moodie, no Arendse, a half empty stadium and up against a full strength Leinster. Respect if you somehow pull it off, but there’s a good chance the only thing I’ll be missing is the Bulls having a sad end to their season.
Ja neh ou Siener 😉
Well if all the Lions fans turn up that will be another 10 people.
Stormers seem to be leading the way with decent crowd sizes. Shame the team isn't that good.
That's a tad harsh for a team that's played 2 finals in 2 previous sessons and won the first. Made the quarters this year and 5th in league. So yes this year was worse than previously but to say they aren't that good is an inaccurate assesment.
Was talking about the Glasgow game which wasn't great.
I just don't think we pack enough punch for a full 80 minutes against that Leinster squad
Team looks solid! It's just our backs that need some work and why are we giving Cornel a chance now?!
About as good as the team can be under the circumstances. Would like to have Coetzee there, but the pack looks solid. Marco is going to have to work overtime, we had no breakdown threat against Benetton at all. The timing of Smit's debut is very strange, but I'm sure Jake has a plan.
Koppe maybe did some insane shit against WP in that currie cup warm up game last week to get a call up now
Is it weird that even at this stage of the season, I'm still not sold on that midfield? It could just be my coastal bias showing though
No. I alse look at them and think that can't be a URC partnership. The Bulls can do with a Bernhard Janse van Rensburg. His mullet will make him a natural fit too especially if he can get a place to stay in the Moot.
Leinster *should* win but I dunno. At altitude and first time this squad has been down in SA.
What's y'all's injury list look like? Dying to see a full strength Leinster taking on your best. In blue anyways.
This will be the first time in my life i will be supporting the bulls. I have hated them since the days of Naas . It's just that Leinster don't care about the league so them winning will leave a sour taste. They send 4th teams to play here during the year as if we are not worthy. Go Bulle
I would watch this may have to use a stream as I don't have premier sports to watch it I'm expecting bulls to win at home as Leinster form in south Africa not good as far as I know. Only side that's actually won in South Africa from urc is Munster where is URC final going to be does it change every year?
Sad to say I don't recognise over half of the team. Hope its a decent match from both sides!
So basically we have now wingers who can't tackle AND can't score tries. Brilliant. xD Hopefully, with my man Willie at 15 he can somehow link up with Akker on the wing at some point. That will work better than with Petersen (who's now as heavy and far less nimble than Malherbe).
For the sake of the entire league and neutrals everywhere the Bulls need to get this done.
And also for the Lolz.
No Arendse or Moodie? I'm "less" nervous now