Matfield, Botha, Spies, Du Preez... Bulls all-time XV is an elite club
The Bulls will be hoping it will be third time lucky at Croke Park on Saturday.
Since their arrived onto the URC scene in 2021 – along with the other South African heavyweights – Jake White's side have made a huge impact on this tournament, losing the 2022 and 2024 finals.
On both occasions, it was Leinster who suffered defeat against the Pretorians at the semi-final stage. Vodacom Bulls captain Ruan Norté and Leinster captain Jack Conan at Croke Park. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady
So, something has to give at GAA headquarters this weekend. The hosts will encounter an immense challenge against a giant of the global game. The Bulls are a club steeped in history and they have winning pedigree, securing three Super Rugby titles in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
There has been no shortage of megastars in the club ranks through the years, too…
FULL- BACK: Zane Kirchner Zane Kirchner. Pic:Not the flashest of fullbacks and the former Springbok, who made 31 appearances for his country, didn't set pulses racing during his four-year stint at Leinster. In fairness, replacing Isa Nacewa was always going to be a thankless task.
But Kirchner was as solid as they come and he was a vital cog in the Bulls side which dominated Super Rugby for a time.
RIGHT-WING: Bryan Habana Bryan Habana. Pic: Lee Warren/A try machine and one of the greats. Habana had devastating acceleration and finishing ability. The flying Bulls wing will forever be remembered for his stunning, last-gasp finish in all-South African Super Rugby final against the Sharks in 2007, Habana crossing the line in the dying seconds to secure the first of many titles for the Pretorian giants. He was equally deadly at Test level, scoring 67 tries in the 124 Test appearances.
MIDFIELD: Jan Serfontein and Wynand Olivier Wynand Olivier. Pic: Lee Warren/A real clash of styles, but a pair of hugely influential centres. Olivier was the ever-reliable glue player between a mighty Bulls pack and speed merchants such as Habana. The classy midfielder spent almost a decade with the Bulls before embarking on a nomadic late career with Ricoh Black Rams in Japan, Montpellier and Worcester.
Serfontein, meanwhile, was a naturally instinctive player with the highest of ceilings. Racked up 60 appearances for the Bulls and a further 35 Test caps for the Springboks. Injury was an unfortunate footnote but Serfontein, on his day, was top class.
LEFT WING: Akona Ndgungane Akona Ndungane. Pic: Lee Warren/A regular for the Bulls between 2005 and 2015, Ndgungane terrorised opposition defences with his lighting-quick pace. A member of the 2007 World Cup-winning South Africa squad, Ndgungane won 11 caps for his country. Now an accomplished golfer.
OUT-HALF: Morne Steyn Morné Steyn. Pic:A club legend, Steyn was still lining out for the Bulls at age 38 only few seasons ago. The ultra-reliable No10 was a regular fixture in the sky blue jersey for the best part of two decades. A nerveless goalkicker and an unflappable customer on the pitch, Steyn played to the Bulls' strengths throughout a glittering career, keeping a giant pack on the front foot. Handre Pollard is in the conversation but Steyn is synonymous with Loftus Versfeld, especially after his match-winning long-range penalty to win the 2009 Lions series.
SCRUM-HALF: Fourie du Preez Fourie du Preez. Pic: Anesh Debiky/The late Joost van der Westhuizen was a trailblazer in his position and revered by Bulls and Springboks fans. But Fourie du Preez gets the nod. The Bulls scrum-half was the complete package. Du Preez was a world class kicker and a brilliant passer with a deadly turn of pace.
LOOSEHEAD PROP: Gurthro Steenkamp Gurthro Steenkamp. Pic: Lee Warren/A fearsome frontrower who struck fear into opposition packs for many years. Steenkamp was a Bulls stalwart and then carved out a brilliant career in France, anchoring the Toulouse pack for six seasons. Now working alongside Ronan O'Gara as La Rochelle scrum coach.
HOOKER: Gary Botha Gary Botha (left). Pic: Duif du Toit/A stalwart in the Bulls frontrow, Botha begin lining out for the Bulls as a 13-year-old in the junior ranks and quickly become a mainstay in the senior team. A tough, uncompromising figure, Botha was unlucky to ply his trade in the same eras as John Smit and Bismarck du Plessis and his talents deserved more than 16 caps at international level.
TIGHTHEAD PROP: Wilco Louw Wilco Louw. Pic: Gordon Arons/The Bulls have never been short of hard-nosed props. Wilco Louw has taken the scenic route to the top but the 30-year-old is already en route to becoming a hall of famer.
A former youth player with the club, Louw has stints with the Stormers, Toulon and Harlequins before returning home in 2023. The powerful tighthead has been a smash hit and his destructive scrummaging is a big reason why the Bulls are quietly confident of derailing Leinster's URC title bid. Widely tipped to become the cornerstone of the Springboks scrum ahead of their treble World Cup bid in 2027.
SECOND ROW: Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha. Pic:When you think of the Bulls at their peak, this iconic second row pairing immediately springs to mind. Matfield and Botha pretty much did it all. From Super Rugby titles to World Cups to tearing it up in the Top14 with Toulon.
The legendary locks were the perfect combination of skill and ferocity.
Botha was very much the Mr Muscle in this partnership. The hard-nosed second row loved the jobs that his teammates hated. Botha lived on the edge and had a disciplinary rap-sheet longer than his giant 6ft, 7in frame.
He was the perfect foil to the athletic Matfield, widely regarded as one of the greatest lineout forwards to ever play the game. A born leader, too. A duo who were central to many great days at Loftus Versfeld.
BLINDSIDE FLANKER: Danie Rossouw Danie Rossouw. Pic: Duif du Toit/Equally at home at lock, flanker or No8, Rossouw was a potent presence in the Bulls backrow for 10 years. The perfect roil for the free-running Spies, Rossouw relished the physical stuff and had a bordeline disregard for his own wellbeing. A key member of the Springboks side which claimed World Cup glory in 2007 and followed up with a series victory against the Lions two years later.
OPENSIDE FLANKER: Ruben Kruger Ruben Kruger. Pic:They didn't come any tougher than the hard-as-nails former Bulls flanker. Long before the heady Super Rugby victories of the late 2000s, Kruger led from the front. A member of the 1995 World Cup-winning Springbok team, Kruger passed away in February after a 10-year battle with cancer.
NO8: Pierre Spies Pierre Spies. Pic: Lee Warren/A Rolls Royce of a backrow forward, Spies was a force of nature at the back of the scrum. The Bulls No8 had a freakish blend of size, speed and power. Spies was box office when he hit top gear. There's plenty of highlights reels available on YouTube of this Bulls powerhouse in full flow.
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