The Vodacom Bulls pack their bags and head for the coast this weekend as they look to turn the tide against the reigning champion DHL Stormers at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

In club rugby terms, it doesn’t get any bigger than the traditional north vs south derby between two of provincial rugby’s most successful unions. 

Clearly in the ascendancy, having won the past five meetings between the two sides, including last season’s final, John Dobson’s Stormers come into the clash as favourites. 

Yet, this run does not necessarily tell the full tale of the two side’s respective seasons over the past few months. 

Finishing two wins clear of their rivals in the South African shield, the Stormers' 3^rd place on the combined log on face value looks like a tremendous return from what has been a long season. 

However, given their utter capitulation against Munster at home in round 17, the loss of second place on the log has not only seen them lose out on a potential home semi-final. But also sees them pitted against a sterner challenge in the Bulls rather than having Connacht travel from Ireland. 

The Bulls, on the other hand, closed out the season with two romping victories against Zebre and a third-string Leinster side. Whilst neither clash tested Jake White’s side, they did province valuable confidence a match minutes for players who rotated back into the squad. 

Losing both their prior clashes this season to the Stormers by a combined 14 highlights just how close the two sides are. With a raucous crowd expected to turn out at the DHL Stadium, this clash has all of the makings of a classic fixture between two sides who have a genuine dislike for one another. 

Team News  

Having endured a run of injuries to key contributors over the past few months, Dobson and his coaching staff will be ecstatic to welcome back several of these players for this weekend's fixtures. 

Headlining the list of returnees is Springbok Flanker Deon Fourie, who has been passed fit following a month on the sidelines. His combination with fellow Bok Evan Roos and the dynamic Hacjivah Dayimani offers the Stormers sublime balance in the backrow. 

Adding further strength to the pack is the continuation of the All Springbok front row of Frans Malherbe, Joseph Dweba and Steven Kitshoff. Arguably one of the top three front rows in World Rugby at the present moment, this combination could prove to be the biggest advantage the Stormers possess in the fixture. 

In the secondrow, Marvin Orie and Ruben van Heerden provide significant bulk to the pack, something the Stormers were missing the last time the two sides met.

Behind the pack, the Stormers Harlem Globe Trotter-like backline has the ability to explode into action at a moment’s notice. Damian Willemse once again starts at Fullback and will enter the line as a second distributor and lethal strike runner as he looks to take the pressure of Manie Libbok. 

Speaking of Libbok, Dobson has kept his faith in the 25-year-old despite his torrid run from the kicking tee of late. It will, however, be interesting to see just how long this patience lasts should he miss a few early. 

For the Bulls, the return of Johan Goosen as a bonified talent at flyhalf is a major boost as the now 30-year-old looks to be rediscovering the heights that he briefly touched early in his career. 

Outside him, the back three of Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie and David Kriel are, at the very least, the equal of their Stormers compatriots. 

As ever with the Bulls, the question will be, can they bring their dangerous men out wide into the game? Based on recent evidence, this has been a key point of focus as the season has progressed. 

In the pack, Elrigh Louw will look to establish dominance over his opposite man Roos as they reignite their rivalry. Both men are just 23-years-old and appear to be on a collision course for a place in the Boks World Cup squad later this year. 

Secondrow Ruan Nortje will once again captain the side and is joined by the explosive powerhouse that is Ruan Vermaark. 

One area of concern for the Bulls is the injury to Marcell Coetzee, who has been ruled out of the fixture, leaving a ball-carrying gap in the backrow. Whilst his replacement Cyle Brink is no slouch, he doesn’t quite provide the same impetus in close quarters. 

Prediction 

At some point, every win streak comes to an end, had this game been played two weeks ago, then this would certainly have felt like more of a possibility. 

Getting their key players back at just the right time is a major boost for the Stormers, who simply have more firepower than their northern rivals at the moment. 

The one key area that could let the Cape Townians down is the kicking game of Libbok, who all but cost them the crucial game against Munster. On the flip side of this, one can be certain that both Goosen and his replacement Chris Smith will not be so forgiving from the tee. 

Should the Bulls manage to hang around and avoid conceding tries in a flurry, then they have more than enough ability to pinch the win. 

In saying this, stopping the Stormers from scoring tries in quick succession is easier said than done. Playing in front of their home crowd, it is hard to bet against the Stormers, who have lost just once in Cape Town over the past 19 months. It’ll be tight at times, but the Stormers will have enough and will buck the trend of one-score games between the two. Stormers by 9. 

Line-Ups 

Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain) 

Substitutes: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Willie Engelbrecht, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 

Bulls: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 David Kriel, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp 

Substitutes: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Lionel Mapoe