Three season defining moments that set Bulls up for Final 

OPINION: Leinster will welcome the Bulls to Croke Park on Saturday to determine the fourth United Rugby Championship winner in as many seasons.

The Bulls have been the most consistent team in the competition since its expansion from the Pro 14 to what is now known as the URC, when the “big four” South African franchises dumped Super Rugby and moved North.

Three Finals in four years take some doing, and what Jake White has done since arriving at the Bulls in 2020 has been nothing short of admirable.

Back-to-back Currie Cup wins, a Rainbow Cup Final, a Super Rugby Unlocked trophy, and now three URC Finals are testimony to restoring the Bulls to their former glory years after some inconsistent times between 2011 and 2019.

White highlighted the importance of his players, particularly the younger ones, getting used to playing in front of big and hostile crowds on numerous occasions throughout the season.

This coming weekend will arguably be their biggest test, should the Croke Park Final be a sell-out, which can host 82,300 spectators.

The Bulls Director of Rugby touched on the enormity of the event and what it will mean for his players.

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“We’re playing at Croke Park. People would come to the [URC] Final and hopefully, it will be sold out, and that’s a massive stadium,” White said.

“From a spectator’s point of view, this is probably the biggest game these youngsters can play.

“That will just make them better, and that is part of what we want to do.

“We want to ensure our players become resilient and better when they get into these big pressure situations.”

There were wins for the Bulls this season in front of some of the biggest crowds, and these have shaped them as a side that can face any adversity, be it on the pitch or from the sidelines.

Below are the three biggest wins that helped shape the Bulls’ season and build their mental toughness in hostile environments.

Stormers 32-33 Bulls

Anyone who has been to a sold-out Cape Town Stadium will tell you that it is arguably one of the most intimidating crowds to play in front of.

The Bulls went into this match not having won in Cape Town in front of spectators since 2011 at Newlands, but silenced the crowd within three minutes when Cobus Wiese scored from a great breakout by Cameron Hanekom.

This also marked back-to-back wins over the Stormers for the first time since the competition’s inception after suffering a 0-7 record to their arch-rivals.

It was a pivotal moment in their season as they pushed for a top-two finish.

Munster 13-16 Bulls

Much like Cape Town, the side from Limerick is known for their passionate support base, be it at home or away, and arguably enjoys the best travelling support as well.

The Bulls showed grit to edge the 2022-23 Champions by a late Keagan Johannes penalty.

The win also broke South African teams’ 12-match drought against Munster away from home.

Glasgow Warriors 19-26 Bulls

A week after their heroic win against Munster, the Bulls were at it again.

This time, they got their “revenge” against Glasgow Warriors that upset them at Loftus Versfeld in the 2023-24 URC Final the year before.

This result wasn’t just a massive boost, but a statement that the men from Pretoria can beat anyone on any day, be it at home or away.