With their 46-40 win against top French club Bordeaux Bègles at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, the Bulls qualified for the play-off stage of the Investec Champions Cup, which will begin on April 6 with the “Round of 16”.

After this victory in a match that produced six tries each by both teams – and which was ultimately decided by two late penalties by substitute flyhalf Jaco van der Walt – Jake White’s side still had to hope for a favour from the English club Saracens to secure home ground advantage in their first play-off clash.

Fortunately for the Bulls, the English Premiership champions themselves were in a pressure situation where they had to win against the French club, Lyon, to also qualify for the play-off phase.

Owen Farrel and his teammates sealed their own fate with a bonus-point win over Lyon, ultimately enabling the Bulls to finish second in their group behind Bordeaux Bègles. Lyon finished third and Saracens fourth.

This scenario means that the Bulls will be involved in the first play-off battle against Lyon on 6 April at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. It’s a rematch of the battle between the two teams in December last year in France, which was narrowly won by the French 28-27 with the winning try scored in the final seconds of the battle.

* Meanwhile, the United Rugby Championship (URC) resumes this coming weekend and the Bulls will be properly tested by their neighbours from across the Jukskei River, after the Lions have shown dramatic improvement so far this season compared to their performances of the previous season.

Marcel Coetzee and his men are currently in sixth place on the log – the best position of all the South African teams.

Your @Vodacom Bulls Man of The Match 🐂🏆 #BackTheBulls@Investec @ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/092HoD7KmD

— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) January 20, 2024

However, the Lions have played very good rugby so far and caused an upset or two, especially in their last URC match when they beat the Sharks in Durban.

Although the Joburgers are currently 11th on the log, there is only three league points difference between them (23) and the Bulls (26). This means that, with a win in Pretoria, they can temporarily become the top South African team on the log, given that this duel is the only URC fixture of the weekend, while the other teams will enjoy a rest. The two Gauteng teams are the only ones who have not yet completed nine league games and will therefore also reach the halfway mark with their duel.

For the Bulls, this battle is equally important, as a bonus point win will mean that they will lie third on the log halfway through the league stage.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram