Bulls fans may not agree, but from a South African perspective, perhaps the best result at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday would be for their team to go down to the All Blacks after a brave fight.
That would allow New Zealand to retain whatever comfort zone they might be occupying a week before their first Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park.
A Bulls victory, on the other hand, could set off alarm bells in the All Blacks camp and leave the tourists heading into the first Test with their backs against the wall.
The New Zealand side named to face the Bulls indeed has something of a dirt-tracker look to it. The team that beat the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday was essentially the shadow Test side, but a Bulls win would still have the tourists in a flap ahead of the crucial first of four Tests against the Springboks.
One area in which the All Blacks have not overly impressed in their matches against the Stormers and Sharks has been the set scrum.
The Bulls’ first-choice front-rowers are with the Springboks, but starting props Alu Tshakweni and Francois Klopper impressed during the United Rugby Championship. Towards the end of the tournament, Bulls coach Johan Ackermann was even selecting Klopper ahead of experienced prop Wilco Louw.
For All Blacks coach Dave Rennie, Saturday’s match provides one final opportunity to gather intelligence on his wider squad before the Test series begins.
“We’ve already got a group of guys in mind, but there are several spots where performances this weekend could tilt our thinking,” Rennie said.
“The side we’re playing against the Bulls will be quite different to the first Test team.
“I think there are several guys against the Bulls who will back up again. It will be nice to have a full seven days in preparation.
“We’re getting closer (to knowing who our Test team is); it’s just that there’s a lot of competition for places.
“You look at our wingers; there are some tough decisions there as well, but that’s what you want. The job of the players playing this week is to apply pressure on us by performance.”
Rennie believes a Bulls team significantly stronger than the Sharks will ask his players stern questions.
“The Bulls have consistently been South Africa’s best franchise side, making the URC finals in four of the last five years. Loftus Versfeld is one of the most formidable rugby grounds in the world, so we are aware of the challenge in front of us and excited at what lies ahead,” he said.
“This is also our final hit-out before the first Test match against the Springboks, so it is an important game for us. There is healthy competition for Test spots, so this is another opportunity for players to put their hands up for selection.”
Teams for Loftus:
Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Thaakir Abrahams, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Juann Else, 1 Alu Tshakweni.
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Khuta Mchunu, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Katlego Letebele, 23 Hakeem Kunene.
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Leroy Carter, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Peter Lakai, 7 Anton Segner, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu, 4 Fabian Holland, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor (captain), 1 Xavier Numia.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 George Bower, 18 Siale Lauaki, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Timoci Tavatavanawai, 23 Emoni Narawa.
Kick-off: 7pm on Saturday.
