Jake White’s decision to overhaul his squad and coaching staff has paid off with the Vodacom Bulls leading the SA Shield halfway through the season, writes DYLAN JACK.

Where they stand:
URC: 4th, 30 points
Champions Cup: 2nd in Pool 1, round of 16

The Vodacom Bulls have responded to the disappointment of last season’s Vodacom URC quarter-final exit by going on a run that has seen them finish the first half of the season in the top four.

Having launched the season with a nine-try demolition of Scarlets in Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls enjoyed the most successful tour of the four South African teams, beating Zebre (54-29) and Cardiff (18-12) in between losses to Ulster (26-19) and Edinburgh (31-23).

Returning to Loftus Versveld, the Bulls went on a three-game run at home, capped by the 27-16 Champions Cup victory against three-time winners Saracens. A slight wobble saw a second-string side narrowly beaten in Lyon, while, back to full strength, the Bulls suffered a seventh-straight loss to the DHL Stormers in Cape Town.

However, after a two-week bye, the Bulls bounced back impressively, beating Bristol Bears and Bordeaux to earn a home last-16 playoff in the Champions Cup, before holding off the Lions in the Jukskei derby to climb into fourth place in the URC.

Best signing: Wilco Louw
One of 12 new signings in a busy transfer window for the Bulls, Wilco Louw has transformed White’s set-piece into a steamrolling machine.

The Springbok tighthead prop enjoyed a successful stint in London with Harlequins, where he won the Premiership in 2021 and has utilised that experience to help the Bulls become a feared scrumming unit.

Louw, 29, is advancing into the peak stage of his career as a prop. He was huge in wins against the Sharks and Saracens, as well as the win at Bristol, where he suffered a shoulder injury that limited him to 30 minutes.

There are plenty of other contenders, including veteran fullback Willie le Roux, on-loan outside back Devon Williams and up-and-coming loose forward Mpilo Gumede, but Louw’s impact has been immense in turning the Bulls into realistic URC title contenders.

Best result:
Few results have emphasised the Bulls’ transformation more than the 44-10 demolition of the Sharks last December.

It is easy to forget that the Sharks started that game with all the momentum and appeared to be cutting the home side’s defence to shreds, but were only able to take three points from their effort.

Once Stedman Gans scored his second try in the 22nd minute, the Bulls went on a rampage, crossing the whitewash six times, including a brace for former Sharks hooker Akker van der Merwe.

Remaining fixtures:
17 Feb: Lions (a)
2 March: Stormers (h)
23 March Dragons (a)
30 March: Leinster (a)
6 April: Lyon, Champions Cup playoff (h)
20 April: Munster (h)
27 April: Ospreys (h)
11 May: Glasgow (h)
18 May: Benetton (h)
1 June: Sharks (a)

Mid-season prediction:
The Bulls are very well placed to finish among the URC’s top four and clinch the SA Shield for the first time.

However, plenty will depend on how they handle the balance between their run in the Champions Cup playoffs and mini-tour in the URC. If they do beat Lyon, after returning from an away game against Leinster, the Bulls will likely have to travel for their quarter-final, but then face Munster at home in the URC. That means plenty of flights between Europe and South Africa, and how they deal with the travel factor will make or break their season.

The Bulls do play five of their remaining nine URC games at Loftus Versfeld, where they have yet to be beaten by a northern hemisphere team, which could give them the edge in the race against the Stormers to claim the SA crown.

Photo: @BlueBullsRugby/Twitter