Lack of scoreboard pressure cost Bulls
The Stormers were able to profit more regularly from their incursions into the Bulls’ 22, and it showed on the scoreboard.
Why did the Bulls fall short in the United Rugby Championship Final?
It was a stunning season for the South African sides in the United Rugby Championship as their teams dominated the competition. Two of the top four sides came from South Africa, with the Stormers and the Bulls finishing in second and fourth respectively.
Outside of the top four, the Sharks (fifth) and the Lions (12th) also proved to be tough nuts to crack across the campaign.
For the Bulls, this was a very impressive season, with the side showing all of their exceptional ability with and without the ball. Going to a league in which Irish sides Leinster, Munster and Ulster usually dominate was never going to be easy, but the Bulls proved they can tangle with the best as they beat Leinster 27-26 in a pulsating semi-final as they made it to the final.
However, their fairy-tale season had a heart-breaking end, with the Stormers running out 18-13 winners in the game in which bookmaker Stake, which offers the promo code NEWBONUS, getting the odds right with the Bulls having been outsiders.
But what happened to the Bulls in the final?
Leaving emptyhanded
It is the epitome of northern-hemisphere rugby with commentators and critics always talking about how many points a team is able to get each time they visit the opposition’s 22. Teams from the north will usually look to play the percentages and take three points, while the more expansive southern-hemisphere sides will usually look to attack and score tries.
This is a large part of where the Bulls struggled. The Bulls had a number of chances to keep the scoreboard ticking over, but they failed to do so. Conceding penalties, poor decisions and unforced errors cost the side when they should have been putting points between themselves and their opponents. Meanwhile, the Stormers were able to profit more regularly from their incursions into the opposition’s 22, and it showed on the scoreboard.
It is a lesson to the Bulls for next season, with a lesson on converting chances into points not one they would have wanted in a final.
Scoreboard pressure
Another factor that is hugely important in rugby is scoreboard pressure. The Bulls will lament the fact they were unable to go in at half-time with a bigger lead. An early try from centre Harold Vorster should have been the perfect way to score continuous points, but the Bulls failed to do so.
The number of chances the Bulls had in the first-half should have seen them building a far more commanding lead. In a final, the small victories matter, and the fact they could not build upon dominating the opening encounters ultimately told.
Travel demands
This was something that was out of the control of the Bulls, but it would likely have had an impact on how they were able to play. The Bulls were forced to travel to and from Ireland for their semi-final against Leinster the week before the final, with this trip resulting in fatigue and an inability to train due to travelling demands.
Meanwhile, the Stormers played their semi-final game at the Cape Town Stadium, meaning travel was less of a problem. Of course, some will cite that if they had finished higher up the table, then they could have had a home semi-final, eliminating the need to travel far. However, a side cannot always control where they will play and how far they will have to travel, with this a big factor in the build-up to the match.
