It says something of the rude health of South African rugby that the Bulls beat a Saracens team that is not far off an England side, while an under-strength Stormers side almost upset a Leicester team packed with internationals from a variety of countries.
One of those was a Springbok, and Handre Pollard’s 20 points in Leicester’s flattering 35-26 win inspired the English commentator to say: “Our South Africans played better than theirs.”
That was not altogether true.
Poor Jasper Wiese played one of his worst games in Leicester colours and his high elementary error count was because he was trying too hard against his countrymen.
Of course, a Stormers squad shorn of 16 first-choice players should have had no right to even come close, and before kick-off John Dobson admitted in an interview that he “felt bad” about bringing a depleted team.
He was singing a different tune after his spirited second-stringers not only came close to winning, but were desperately unlucky to miss out on a losing bonus point. The watershed moment late in the game was when the Stormers were 30-26 down and received a penalty in Leicester’s 22m area.
They opted for a scrum, which had been reliable for them until then, but Leicester forced a scrum penalty, and that was pretty much the game won and lost because the home team proceeded upfield and worked their way into position to score a try a minute from time.
Dobson said going for the scrum was the right call because the line-out had been increasingly wonky and young lock Dylan Sjoblom was battling to make the line-out calls in front of a baying crowd.
“At half-time we started to believe that we could win the game and the decision to go for that scrum was us going all out to clinch the win,” the coach explained.
“For it to go wrong and then for us to get nothing out of the result is disappointing. It will take a while to process the disappointment of losing that point.”
Dobson admitted that his team had pitched up in the East Midlands city hoping at best to get a bonus point.
“The first goal was to play with pride and show that we could compete at this level with that team,” he said. “We ticked that box wholeheartedly, but we were disappointed not to get the log point.
“How the game ended was very disappointing. We thought we had done enough to certainly get that point or even burgle a win. At this moment it still feels like a kick in the guts,” Dobson added, as he turns his attention to this week’s visit by champions La Rochelle.
The Bulls are on their way to France to play Lyon and Jake White says his team is brimming with confidence after beating Owen Farrell’s team 27-16.
“I always knew it was going to go to the wire, and that’s because they’re such a championship team,” the coach said.
“We learnt a lot from that game, too – the way they defended their tryline at the end to not give us a bonus point just shows the quality of the group they have.
“So, a lot of learnings for us as well. If you want to be the champions and you want to play at this level, even on your bad days you have to be as ruthless as they were at the end. This group that played has beaten Connacht, have beaten the Sharks convincingly, and now beaten Saracens.
“Like anything, when you’re winning and there’s confidence and people are enjoying their rugby, that has a domino effect.
“I’ve no doubt this will hold us in good stead for big games.”
IOL Sport