The standout fixture of Round 1 is when PRO14 champions Leinster host the Vodacom Bulls, the Rainbow Cup SA winners on Saturday evening @ 18h15 at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
Leinster have only lost one of their 23 matches at the Aviva Stadium, against Munster in 2014 and have come out on top in six of their seven encounters against South African opposition.
Leinster is the standard-bearer of the PRO14 season and one of the top sides in Europe, Leinster is the side to watch and the Bulls’ form against them will be scrutinised as it will give a key marker for the SA teams’ entry into Europe.
Leo Cullen, Stuart Lancaster and Felipe Contepomi have built a fortress in Dublin that few teams are able to crack. They are PRO14 champions four years in a row and are the most successful Irish side in both European and PRO Rugby.
Last season’s European Champions Cup semi-finalists have a rich history and certainly have the pedigree, they are one of the few sides that don’t have South African representation in them.
That doesn’t mean they don’t have a wealth of talent, with South African fans likely to know the four British and Irish Lions tourists that were recently on South African shores, Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw and Andrew Porter.
Add to this the tactical nuance of Johnny Sexton, who needs no introduction worldwide and former New Zealanders Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe, the side has more than enough talent to challenge the best worldwide and will pose a significant test to the South African sides.
The Vodacom Bulls will be out to avenge their Rainbow Cup defeat to Benetton as they begin life in the URC.
As well as topping the Rainbow Cup SA standings, the Bulls, the three-time Super Rugby champions, were winners of last year's Super Rugby Unlocked tournament and thumped the Cell C Sharks 44-10 in the Currie Cup final on Saturday. The Vodacom Bulls suffered their last defeat to the Cell C Sharks during the 2021 Carling Currie Cup in early August.
The Vodacom Bulls will be beginning a four-week tour against Leinster, continue to Wales and end in Scotland for their opening fixtures of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
Springbok hooker, Bismarck du Plessis, who joined the team earlier last week, is a noticeable inclusion to the squad that will also see the return of Johan Goosen, who missed the final of the domestic Carling Currie Cup. Also in the travelling party, following full recovery from injury, is scrumhalf Embrose Papier and Sintu Manjezi.
“We have a long and tough URC season ahead, and it will be important how we manage our squad going forward. Equally, it is important that we continue building on the winning culture we are creating at the Vodacom Bulls, so it is imperative that we utilize our experienced workhorses and our exciting youngsters,” said White.
“We are looking forward to a highly competitive opening three fixtures against Leinster, Connacht, Cardiff and Edinburgh – all quality opposition. All participating teams will be looking to start the season on a high note, and it is no different for us.”