Africa-Press – South-Africa. It seems like the inaugural United Rugby Championship (URC) final between the Stormers and Bulls this Saturday is difficult to call for neutrals, laymen and rugby legends and pundits alike.
Springbok legend Bakkies Botha couldn’t pick a winner between the two teams that will do battle at what’s now expected to be a wet and windy Cape Town Stadium (19:30 kick-off).
Botha knows a thing or two about winning trophies – after collecting the 2007 Rugby World Cup, three Super Rugby titles and three European Champions Cups – although he missed the 2010 Super 14 final between the Bulls and Stormers through suspension.
“You can’t get any better than a North versus South derby, Stormers-Bulls, with the history as well. It’s amazing for a first year in the URC competition,” said Botha.
“It’s good for South African rugby and for the country to have a final held here and it’s going to be a wonderful occasion.
“At the end of the day, there are no favourites in a final. Even I got it wrong in the studio last weekend with Victor [Matfield] and Gcobani [Bobo] when I said it would take something special to beat Leinster in Ireland.”
Botha continued: “Jake White and his squad did their best to pull that result through, especially when you consider that before the national team was announced, there wasn’t a single player that was actually in the current Springboks.
“To take that squad to Leinster and do what they did was phenomenal. As long as the Bulls can take all the positives from that game into the Cape Town one this weekend [they have a chance].”
The Stormers scraped past Ulster in their semi-final last Saturday in Cape Town, while the Bulls stunned Leinster in Dublin last Friday to record an all-South African URC final.
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