Set-piece strength could carry Bulls through Challenge Cup last 16

Bulls players have said they expect a tough set-piece battle when they take on Bayonne in France in their Challenge Cup round of 16 match on Saturday (kick-off 1.30pm).

Yet if set-pieces prove the determining factor in the match’s outcome, the Bulls would be tipped to dominate.

Bulls and Bayonne in similar form

Bayonne boast no current French Test players in their ranks, instead relying on a long list of international talent to carry their results.

They lie fourth in France’s  Top 14 with three wins from their last six games there.

Bayonne also finished second in their Challenge Cup pool of six teams, winning three of four games before progressing to the knockouts.

They beat Scarlets, Black Lion and Gloucester. Their only loss came from a 52–12 drubbing by Edinburgh in Scotland.

Their erratic form mirrors that of the Bulls, who have won five out of seven United Rugby Championship (URC) matches since they crashed out of the Champions Cup with just one win from four games there.

But the Bulls are perhaps on an upward trajectory. Two weeks ago they earned a 21–20 victory over URC table-toppers Leinster who although missing several Irish internationals, still fielded a handful of them, plus international stars RG Snyman, Jordie Barrett and Rabah Slimani.

The Bulls followed that up with a sensational nine-try win over Zebre in the URC last weekend.

Bulls hone in on set-piece battle

In both matches, the Bulls proved the better in scrums, lineouts and mauls. They used this advantage to take hold of momentum and win penalties that were turned into points.

This was especially evident in the Bulls’ extra-time scrum turnover against Leinster that secured them the winning penalty kick.

“I don’t know too much about Bayonne, but by the look of things it’s going to be a big set-piece battle,” Bulls flank Jannes Kirsten said.

“French sides usually have a big pack of forwards come scrum time and they like to maul a lot.”

He said neither team has won a trophy in years (the Bulls last won the Currie Cup in 2021, and Bayonne won the Pro D2 Championship in 2022). So it will be a “fight until the death” to progress.

“It’s a playoff, and we’ll be fighting to move on to next week. We are seeing the next few weeks as a kind of a playoff mentality, and we need to do anything to win.”

Devon Williams agreed it was about doing whatever needed to progress.

“If it has to come down to a three-pointer, then it comes down to that. But we are not going to be scared to play rugby as well.

“If we have to go to our set-pieces and line-outs for a five-pointer, then we will do that.”