Inside vigilant Bulls camp ahead of Glasgow Warriors URC final - and the 50,000 reasons for backing

Glasgow Warriors and the Bulls shared eight tries and 74 points when they met at Loftus Versfeld last month in a regular season league match in which the visitors fought back to score three converted tries in an eight-minute spell in the final quarter.

The Bulls, who had led 37-10, eventually won 40-34, but their lock forward Ruan Vermaak has warned that they can’t afford to “fall asleep” again when the sides meet on Saturday in the United Rugby Championship’s Grand Final.

Glasgow’s stirring comeback yielded two bonus points, but the hosts still prevailed and will go into this weekend’s match as warm favourites. They have home advantage and the match is heading for a 50,000-plus sell-out at Loftus where travelling fans are likely to be few and far between. It’s 6,000 miles from home and getting the money and time off to make it to South Africa at less than a week’s notice is likely to challenge all but the most resolute Warriors supporters.

The Bulls, who lost in the inaugural URC final to the Stormers in 2022, feel this is their moment but Vermaak is wary of complacency creeping in. He thinks that was what happened in the second half against Glasgow in May and also in their quarter-final victory over Benetton when the Bulls tailed off. The lock forward has been impressed with the way Glasgow have overcome the Stormers and Munster to reach the final but his own team’s victory over Leinster in the semi-final on Saturday was no less impressive and Vermaak is braced for the Warriors.

“If you look back against Munster and Stormers, they want to ‘out-physical’ the teams they play against,” he said. “That is one factor we are going to make sure we're up for. They are a good running side as well – they have good backs, so that's something we have to be sharp on, and special plays, just to make sure they don't catch us sleeping. We expect a well-rounded team on Saturday. We'll be prepared for whatever they throw at us.

“Our mindset has changed over the last couple of weeks to make sure we don't fall asleep after 60 minutes of play. If you take that Glasgow game, and Benetton as well, we got into a quite comfortable lead but in the last 20 minutes we got a bit complacent. That's something we've worked on the last couple of weeks to make sure if we are in that position again, we take it all the way and don't let our foot off the gas. We'll make sure we don't get caught in that same trap again.”

Vermaak, a mainstay in the Bulls second row on their run to the final, insists the way they have faded against Glasgow should not be interpreted as an endurance issue.

Vodacom Bulls' Ruan Vermaak celebrates the win over Leinster, which booked his side's place in the BKT United Rugby Championship Grand Final where they will face Glasgow Warriors at their own Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/INPHO/Shutterstock)

“[It’s] definitely not a fitness thing, just a mental thing,” he said. “If you look back at that game, we did well for 60 minutes and in the last 20 we let our foot off the gas a bit and they put us under pressure in the set-piece. We didn’t get the reward we wanted, or hoped for, so that’s definitely one thing we should be aware of this weekend.

“It’s going to be massive. We’re looking at a sold-out stadium but that just fuels everyone on the field to perform better. It’s going to be exciting and everyone is looking forward to it. We know we have to focus on the job and not let the outside stuff influence our game. We’ll make sure our focus is right on Saturday.”

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