PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 08: Cameron Hanekom of he Bulls during the United Rugby Championship match between Vodacom Bulls and Benetton Rugby at Loftus Versfeld on June 08, 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images)
The Bulls are hoping to tick the final boxes in their preparation for the United Rugby Championship play-offs, when they face Benetton at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (kick-off 4pm).
The fourth-placed side could finish as high as second or third after their final league phase game.
That is because the Bulls are expected to secure a sixth straight win over Benetton, likely with a bonus point, while the only side that could then catch them, the Lions, face a tough task in chasing a bonus-point victory away to Munster.
The Bulls would then move up if the Stormers lose away to Cardiff or Leinster slip up at home against the Ospreys, though the latter seems unlikely.
Milestones up
The Bulls are on a five-game winning streak in the URC, with last week’s 54-19 thrashing of Zebre at Loftus lifting them from seventh place and making a home quarter-final almost certain.
The higher they finish on the table, the better, as they would then host a semi-final or final against any team below them.
Some milestones come up against Benetton.
Willie le Roux, if selected, will play his 400th first-class rugby match. Handré Pollard needs five points to reach 100 URC points for the Bulls.
And if selected, Stedman Gans will play his 100th match for the Pretoria union in all competitions.
Le Roux featured in one of the 10 changes coach Johan Ackermann made against Zebre, including new combinations and players in new positions.
The coach said his side were not perfect, but he had ticked several boxes by giving five bench players starts for more game time.
He saw enough to know that Le Roux could hold his own at flyhalf after scoring a try and kicking seven conversions, while he and Paul de Wet formed a decent halfback pairing.
Ackermann was also pleased with Marco van Staden, who made his first start at hooker, and Jeandré Rudolph, who started at openside flank for the first time.
Gans said it would be a privilege to reach his milestone, and it didn’t matter whether he played from the start or came off the bench.
However the team and game plan look, Ackermann said they will respect what will likely be a full-strength Benetton side.
Benetton have it all to do against the Bulls
The Italian outfit sit 13th on the table, the same as their lowest-ever URC finish in 2021/22. Moving up is almost statistically impossible now.
They are in poor form, securing a significant 29-26 win over Leinster in Treviso, but otherwise winning just three of the last 10 URC games.
But Benetton will be desperate to bounce back from their 46-7 thumping by the Sharks at Kings Park and finish the tournament on a high.
