Bulls have the firepower to conquer Leinster 'mission impossible'

THE Bulls haven't lost in the United Rugby Championship in eight matches.

- ASHFAK MOHAMED

They also have an excellent away record this season, having won five out of seven encounters, with the only defeats coming against the Scarlets and Sharks.

The most significant of those victories were against the Stormers in Cape Town, Munster in Limerick and Glasgow in Scotland.

That is why today’s URC final against Leinster at Croke Park in Dublin (6pm SA time kick-off) is not a ‘mission impossible’ for Jake White’s team.

They will take heart from the fact that they have beaten Leinster in Ireland before, in the 2022 semi-finals in what was an epic 27-26 triumph, and enjoy a four-out-of-six win record against the Irish giants.

Sure, it wasn’t always a full-strength Leinster, but those results are in the history books, and it should provide the visitors with the necessary belief that they finally end their URC title bogey after losing two previous finals.

"I must say we've actually toured quite well this year, and our win record is better than most. I don’t know why it is, we happen to have played really well away from home,” White said after naming his match-23 this week.

“It’s a little bit reminiscent to when I was at the Brumbies. We went through 11 games unbeaten away from home.

"Sometimes when you've got that recipe going for you, it counts in your favour because you enjoy being together, enjoy the players spending time together.

“And when you win, obviously those sorts of memories and those sorts of feelings that you have when you get back as a group is something that’s special as well.

"But also, there’s no doubt guys, it doesn’t matter when we play Leinster.