Handré Pollard says the Vodacom Bulls must not let the occasion get to them when they face Leinster in next Friday night’s URC final at Croke Park. SIMON BORCHARDT reports.
The Bulls will contest a fourth final in five seasons of the competition and are still searching for their first title.
They lost the inaugural URC final 18-13 to the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium in 2022 before suffering a heartbreaking 21-16 defeat to the Glasgow Warriors at Loftus Versfeld in 2024. Last season, Leinster hammered the Bulls 32-7 at Croke Park.
Pollard did not feature in any of those finals, but few players understand the pressures of rugby’s biggest occasions better than the Springbok flyhalf. He scored 22 points in the 32-12 victory against England in the 2019 World Cup final and all 12 of the Boks’ points in the 2023 decider against the All Blacks.
While the 32-year-old expects emotions to run high in Dublin, he believes the Bulls must channel them correctly.
“We’re desperate to get over the line. They’re desperate to defend their title and they’ll be playing in front of their people,” he said.
“There are quality players on both sides and emotion is a big part of the game. It should be that way. It’s a final and that brings a different intensity.
“But you’ve also got to control that emotion. If it gets out of hand, you’re going to make decisions that might bite you later in the game.
“It’s important to use the energy but control your mind.”
ACKERS: Discipline paramount to Bulls’ final success
Pollard said past disappointment should be used as fuel.
“I wasn’t here for all those finals,” he said. “There’s a lot of hurt for a lot of the guys, but the way they’ve spoken about it has been very positive. It’s motivation.
“We’re not dwelling on the past. We’re excited about another opportunity to get over the line.”
The double World Cup winner stressed that the key to success is sticking with what got the Bulls to the final.
“It’s all about going out there and not having any regrets,” he said.
“When you get into finals, the pressure becomes big. It’s about still expressing yourself and still playing your game. You’ve played that way all season to get to this point, so it’s about not letting the occasion get to you and just playing freely.
“If destiny is meant to be for us as a team, it will be. But we must make sure we go out there and play as hard and as tough as we can.”
MORE: Polly resets after ‘terrible’ kicking
Pollard also urged his teammates to enjoy the moment.
“You work so hard all season to get to that point. You’re going to feel nervous and that’s normal. But you’ve got to enjoy it because that’s why we play the game. There’s nothing bigger than a final.
“Everybody handles pressure differently. I just try to stay as calm as possible.”
The Vodacom Bulls seek redemption on Grand Final Friday!
Tickets on sale now: https://t.co/vaoYc0ZItM pic.twitter.com/0o5CGfYUZf
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) June 10, 2026
Photo: Seb Daly/Gallo Images
The post Handré: Bulls must control emotion appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Handré Pollard says the Vodacom Bulls must not let the occasion get to them when they face Leinster in next Friday night’s URC final at Croke Park.
The post Handré: Bulls must control emotion appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
