Stormers legend Breyton Paulse believes the Bulls' losing streak against his old team in Cape Town will weigh heavily on the visitors’ minds when they tackle a desperate coach John Dobson outfit in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Saturday.
It will be the first time the two South African arch-rivals face each other in this season’s URC after this Saturday’s match was originally scheduled for 21 September last year, but postponed because of the Currie Cup final between the Lions and Sharks.
As it stands the Stormers have beaten coach Jake White’s Bulls seven times, with the Pretoria outfit finally beating their Cape rivals in last season’s round 11 clash at Loftus Versfeld.
It will however be the visitors’ losing streak against the Stormers at DHL Stadium – especially the 2021/22 URC final and knock out blow of the 2022/23 quarter final that will serve as a painful reminder to the Bulls of how tough they have found it to best the Cape side.
But, the 2024/25 URC campaign has not been a kind one for Dobson’s Stormers as four wins and five losses and an injury crisis that seems to have no end, sees the former champions languish in 12th position on the log.
To add to their misery, the Stormers also got knocked out during the group stages of the European Champions Cup in January after winning only one of their four games.
And while White’s Bulls also showed some cracks by failing to make the next round of the Champions Cup, but qualified for the playoffs of Europe’s Challenge Cup, they seem to have regained some momentum after beating Jukskei rivals the Lions 35-22 a fortnight ago at Ellis Park.
Former Stormers and Springbok winger Paulse however knows the form book gets thrown out the window whenever the Stormers and Bulls face off in what is undoubtedly the biggest local rugby rivalry.
And with Stormers management on Wednesday reporting that less than 5,000 tickets were still available for sale, Saturday’s clash had Paulse feeling a bit nostalgic about what it normally took for him and his Stormers teammates to get up for a clash with the old enemy.
Without a doubt, it is the biggest derby in South Africa. And it really does not matter what the form book of both sides says ahead of this clash because there is always that bit of extra spice, you know.
As a former player, I know some of the guys will usually try and downplay the magnitude of the occasion, but I can tell you [this week] there would have been extra motivation and effort out there on the training paddock. It’s rugby version of the Kaizer Chiefs versus Orlando Pirates Soweto derby, you know.
Paulse however reckons the Bulls could be the more nervous of the two teams ahead of Saturday’s clash, and especially having never beaten the Stormers in Cape Town and also knowing that their arch-rivals needing a win to break into the top eight and keep their hopes alive of qualifying for this season’s playoffs.
This is almost a must-win for the Stormers if they hope to reach the playoffs. I just feel the pressure on them will be a lot less because of not having that extra commitment of playing in the Champions Cup or Challenge Cup. And at home, in front of a packed DHL Stadium, they somehow always turn it up a level.
That being said the Bulls have a great group of players and also quite a few Western Cape-born guys like Cameron Hanekom, Embrose Papier and Canan Moodie that will show up in great form and with a point to prove.
Never beating the Stormers in Cape Town, I believe will somehow play a small psychological role.
Meanwhile, Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok is said to have made a miraculous recovery from an injury he suffered in the Stormers’ 36-12 loss to Leinster two weeks ago with coach Dobson expected to name the pivot in his matchday squad on Friday.
