PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 28: Embrose Papier of the Blue Bulls scores a try during the United Rugby Championship match between Vodacom Bulls and Munster at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on March 28, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Anton Geyser/Gallo Images)
Bulls attack coach Neil de Bruin says his side are not too concerned about United Rugby Championship (URC) try-scoring statistics, despite sitting second behind the Lions.
Winning remains the priority, with finishing top of the try chart merely a bonus.
For that reason, De Bruin says the seventh-placed Bulls will not chase bonus-point wins from the outset in their final two matches against Zebre and Benetton over the next two Saturdays.
Instead, the focus is simply on securing victories that will help them finish as high as possible before the play-offs at the end of the month.
Bulls love scoring tries
The Bulls have consistently ranked among the URC’s strongest attacking sides since joining the competition. They scored the most tries in 2024 with 92 and finished second in 2022 (74), 2023 (81) and last season (81).
This season they have 67 tries – three behind the Lions but five ahead of both Glasgow and Leinster.
Individually, scrumhalf Embrose Papier is tied second on nine tries, while hooker Johan Grobbelaar is tied fourth with seven.
With two favourable home games remaining – the Bulls have beaten Zebre Parma in all four previous meetings and never by fewer than 25 points – and rivals facing tougher fixtures, they still have a realistic chance of finishing top.
“I would be a liar if I said it wouldn’t be cool if we could finish on top,” De Bruin said.
“But if we score 11 tries and they score 10 and we still lose, then I definitely won’t be happy. We’re playing well, our attack is functioning and contributing to the success of the side.”
De Bruin added that defence was equally important and credited the work of the Bulls’ other assistant coaches.
‘More than one way to skin a cat’
Reflecting on what he has learned since coaching alongside current Bulls boss Johan Ackermann at the Lions from 2013 to 2017, before reuniting in Japan from 2020 to 2024, De Bruin joked, “I’ve learned there is more than one way to skin a cat.”
He said his coaching philosophy had evolved after exposure to different styles.
“You can play territory and pressure-based rugby and still score tries and accumulate points, which is something we could not really do at the Lions.
“At Ellis Park it was a dry ball, a big field, and players understood the game plan. Japan was similar – less box-kicking and more play.
“In the URC, though, you have to find different ways to the try line, with a lot more aerial contests and scrap-based play.”
