Super Rugby / James Cleary / 29 May 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

James Cleary sees the reigning champions, the Bulls, as clear favourites to defeat the Stormers in only the second all-South African Super 14 final at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

This is the eighth successive year that the top two teams have competed for the main prize.

Despite not being in their usual home ground due to the impending football World Cup, such did not hinder Frans Ludeke's side in their 39-24 semi-final victory over the Crusaders last week.

Now unbeaten in 19 at home, they have Morne Steyn in supreme kicking form - the fly-half scoring 24 points last week to make him the top individual points scorer (243) in a Super 14 season.

Also winners in 2007, the Bulls were 61-17 victors over the Chiefs in last year's showpiece - they are bidding to become the third side to win back-to-back Super Rugby competitions.

It is the Stormers' first final, having lost at the semi-final stage in 1999 and 2004. They beat the Waratahs 25-6 with fly-half Peter Grant kicking 20 points, while centre Juan de Jongh crossed, his first in the competition. They would become only the fifth side in the 15-year history of Super Rugby to land the title.

The Stormers' success this year has been based on a best-ever home run of seven wins in eight. They won 10 out of 14 in the competition, and boast the meanest defence in Super 14, conceding only 17 tries. They are also the most disciplined side in the competition, having only been issued one yellow card all year.

Meanwhile, the Bulls have scored more tries than anyone else - 50 in 15 games, including last week's semi-final, while eight-try Gerhard van den Heever returns after a two-week ban.

The sides met earlier this month, with a Bulls second string outfit well beaten by 29 points at Newlands. In winning, the Stormers became the first South African side to beat them in 10 games. Before then, their recent record had been dire, with all Bulls' wins since 2004, including a 75-14 victory at Pretoria 5 years ago. In recent years, the Bulls have prevailed 16-9 (2008) and 14-10 last year, and won five of the last six between the teams.

Side issues include the return of Bryan Habana to his old club for the first time, the winger having crossed twice in the recent victory over the Bulls at Stormers' home stadium. Home skipper Victor Matfield meanwhile could join a select group to have led a side to three Super Rugby titles.

Nine Bulls players, including Morne Steyn, are playing in their third final, while the only Stormers to have appeared in a major final are Habana, twice with the Bulls in Super 14, and Schalk Burger and Jaque Fourie - the duo having played in a Rugby World Cup final.



In a battle between the best attack against the best defence, I take the former attribute, in the form of the Bulls, to repeat last year's success by 6.