With the Bulls heading to Croke Park to face Leinster in a repeat of last year's Final, Isa Nacewa and Victor Matfield have identified the individual battles most likely to shape the outcome. Nacewa zeros in on the fullback duel between Willie le Roux and Hugo Keenan — both world-class, but the kicking chess match and tactical decision-making at the back could be the difference. Matfield rates Embrose Papier as the Bulls' chief attacking weapon, pointing to his contestable kicking game as a genuine threat to Leinster's structure, while flagging Gibson-Park as the heartbeat of the Irish side. He also highlights the midfield, where Canan Moodie — whom Matfield sees as the Boks' long-term No.13 — faces either Ringrose or Ioane and must be defensively decisive. The piece frames Leinster as heavy favourites with a formidable finals record, but the Bulls' set-piece power, bench depth, and an eight-match winning run give them a credible path to an upset.
URC Final: The head-to-heads that will decide it in Dublin
Nacewa and Matfield break down the key URC Final battles: Le Roux vs Keenan at fullback, Papier vs Gibson-Park at nine, and Moodie's midfield test against a Leinster back line that ended the Bulls 32-7 twelve months ago.
Klopper starts at tighthead as Bulls name experienced XV for Glasgow semifinal
Francois Klopper starts at tighthead ahead of Wilco Louw as the Bulls name 11 Springboks in their starting XV for Saturday's URC semifinal against Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield, with Marcell Coetzee and Johan Grobbelaar both reaching personal milestones in the match.
Springbok Recall! Relive Phepsi Buthelezi's 2025/26 Season
#SharksRugby #PhepsiButhelezi #Springboks
Bulls dismantle Munster 45-14: Bok depth tells, Hanekom stakes Bomb Squad claim
A detailed breakdown of the Bulls' dominant 45-14 win, analysing why Bok-laden depth made Munster irrelevant, and why Hanekom is now in the frame to replace Kwagga Smith in the Bomb Squad.
Record-breaking Papier back on Springbok radar as Bulls close in on Van der Westhuizen milestone
Embrose Papier is back on the Springbok radar after Rassie Erasmus's management contacted the Bulls scrumhalf following injuries to Grant Williams and Cobus Reinach, with Bulls coach Johan Ackermann confirming the development ahead of Papier's record-breaking 170th appearance for the franchise, which moves him past Joost van der Westhuizen.
Matfield tips Van der Mescht as Bok wildcard — and backs Papier's long-overdue call
Matfield backs Van der Mescht — a resurgent Northampton lock he likens to Snyman — as Erasmus's big 2025 wildcard, while welcoming Papier's call-up and downplaying the absence of veterans like Le Roux as tactical rotation rather than the end.