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3w ago

Leinster Favoured as Bulls Travel to Croke Park for URC Final

Ackermann says his squad is fully focused on the June 19 final, with discipline and defence expected to decide the outcome.

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 28: Harold Vorster of the Bulls during the United Rugby Championship match between Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Anton Geyser/Gallo Images)
The Bulls and Leinster will face off in a URC final once again at Croke Park next Friday. Picture: Seb Daly/Gallo Images
The numbers that say the Bulls are a real threat to Leinster
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann. Picture: Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images

Overview

  • The United Rugby Championship final will be played at Croke Park on Friday, June 19, with Leinster as bookmakers' clear favourites by about nine to 12 points.
  • Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has told the media his players are not distracted by Springbok selection and are concentrating solely on winning the final.
  • Statistically the Bulls pose a genuine attacking threat this season, leading the competition in tries (91) and points (633) and featuring top performers such as Embrose Papier and Jeandre Rudolph.
  • Leinster arrive as the competition benchmark after last season’s 32-7 win over the Bulls and a run of strong form, but both teams rank outside the URC’s top 10 for defence, making discipline and card avoidance crucial.
  • The Bulls go to Dublin on an eight-match URC winning run and their fourth final in five years, a run that Ackermann credits to a culture shift and changes to coaching staff that reversed an early-season slump.