Cape Town - With one rip of banter, the Stormers and Bulls have made sure that their United Rugby Championship bout is undisputedly the most anticipated game this weekend.
To be fair, though, Saturday’s fixture between the old rivals would have bagged that tag even had the two teams not had a proper go at one another Sunday afternoon.
That’s because Jake White and John Dobson’s units have been in superb form in the United Rugby Championship, with the Stormers (sixth) leading the Bulls (seventh) by one point on the standings.
Ahead of their meeting at Loftus in January, the Bulls shared a video about “recovering Stormers fans”, with Dobson afterwards saying the clip had a motivating effect on his charges as they prepared for the game.
The video didn’t age well for the team from Pretoria, with the Stormers running in a late try to claim a 30-26 victory.
Sunday, it was the Stormers who threw the first punch, tweeting: “Hi @BlueBullsRugby, are you guys planning any more motivational videos this week? Would be great if you could put something together for us again.”
The Bulls clapped back with a sharp retort: “Sorry for not responding sooner, we were still recovering from our unassisted win over Ulster. But, yes, you can count on us for a video”
That exchange of words was an absolute winner, and I believe it’s the Stormers that will walk away with the bragging rights this Saturday.
While the Bulls have been playing an exciting and expansive style, with their backs especially proving a thorn for many a team in recent weeks, the Stormers’ have been no less delightful to watch.
Hi @BlueBullsRugby, are you guys planning any more motivational videos this week? Would be great if you could put something together for us again. 😉 pic.twitter.com/DVRgyjGF4x
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) April 3, 2022
They have scored scintillating tries, and what’s made them even more impressive on attack is how the backs and forwards have intertwined to create those scores.
After their win over the Ospreys, Dobson said he believes it’s going to be “a great game of rugby” and that it’s hopefully “going to be a classic”.
And given the form both sides are in, chances are good that it will turn out just that way. After their positive result against Ulster at the weekend, White gushed over his backline after his team scored four tries in the second half to come from behind.
“People asked me in the week whether Kurt-Lee’s (Arendse) style will suit this game. He was outstanding. He made a try. People talk about our defence, but flip, our attack was good, too. We opened them up with some of the plays we ran,” White said.
Sorry for not responding sooner, we were still recovering from our unassisted win over Ulster. But, yes you can count on us for a video 😉 https://t.co/KXxHPLtWz5
“The other one when Kurt-Lee came in the line and gave it to Madosh (Tambwe), I think we scored then. That was our attack again, understanding how they defend. We’ve got a good backline now.”
Nobody can argue with White there and say that their backline hasn’t been a threat, but given how potent the Stormers have been - and not just with their backs, but also their interplaying forwards - I don’t see the Stormers’ jibe backfiring like it did for the Bulls back in January.