Watch VideoGAME DAY I Bulls tipped to beat Stormers but anything can happen in North-South derby

The Bulls are bracing themselves for a desperate Stormers side to pitch up at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon in the final North-South derby of the United Rugby Championship round-robin stage. The final SA derby of theUnited Rugby Championshipround-robin season could bethe toughest of them all as two desperate teamsclash at Loftus Versfeld with the top eight playoffs looming on the horizon. TheBullsgo into the game with the confidence built from a four-game winning streak, while if theStormerslose, it will be their fourth consecutive defeat.

The outcome of the match between the eighth-placed Bulls and the sixth-placed Stormers is vital for both, albeit for slightly different reasons, as Bulls coach Johan Ackermann describes it. “Any time you start losing games, you come under pressure, and you become desperate. We were in that position ourselves,” the coach said, alluding to the seven-game losing run the Bulls endured earlier in the URC.

“We’re still desperate because we’re not in a good position on the table yet, so we need to keep performing. But they will definitely be up for the challenge.” Since the beginning of the URC, the Stormers have won nine of the north-south derbies, with the Bulls winning just twice. Among those Stormers wins are victories in the 2022 final and the 2023 quarterfinal, so the visitors today will not be intimidated.

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History tells us that the North-South derbies can ignore current form, but if the Stormers do win, it will be one of the great upsets in the long-standing rivalry. On paper, the Bulls have the superior pack, and their Springbok-laden bomb squad threatens to take the game away from the Stormers late in the game. Assistant referees:Morne Ferreira (South Africa), Griffin Colby (South Africa)

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