How do Glasgow Warriors beat Bulls?

United Rugby Championship final: Bulls v Glasgow Warriors

Venue: Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria Date: Sunday, 23 June Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

Coverage: Listen connected BBC Radio Scotland, unrecorded matter commentary connected BBC Sport website.

Glasgow Warriors' way to nan United Rugby Championship last has been 1 characterised by determination, bosom and nary deficiency of skill.

They person beaten Stormers - winners successful 2022 - and past nan 2023 champions, Munster, successful nan knockout stages, but their top trial still lies ahead.

Bulls are nan astir beingness of nan South African nine sides, a corporate unit of quality that will person some location conditions and location support for nan showpiece arena successful Pretoria.

So really does Franco Smith's broadside return them down?

The first point they person to do is extremity a dreadful caller grounds successful South Africa. They person only ever triumphed doubly there, some times against Cheetahs; nan astir caller of those being almost six years ago.

In their 2 games distant to South African guidance successful nan existent regular convention season, they shipped 84 points successful defeats by Bulls and Lions. They simply cannot spend to beryllium that porous successful defence again if they are to triumph a first title since 2015.

Their awesome semi-final triumph complete Munster was built connected their defence arsenic activity aft activity of reddish attacks collapsed connected nan Glasgow line. They will request much of nan aforesaid if they are to negate nan wreaking-ball Bulls.

As erstwhile Scotland full-back Chris Paterson suggests: "What’s going to beryllium nan situation is nan beingness onslaught nan Bulls will propulsion astatine you.

"They play quickly pinch big, beingness players. Glasgow request to unit Bulls to play poorly and past strike."

Fraser Brown, nan retiring Glasgow hooker who did not make nan squad for South Africa, suggests that, if nan Warriors tin support Bulls connected their feet for agelong spells, particularly astatine altitude, it will bring them into nan contest.

"If Glasgow tin make Bulls spell done tons of phases, it will create much of a level playing field," he said.

Brown thought Warriors "showed really comfortable they are defending for aggregate phases" against Munster and "will return assurance from that".

Another area wherever Glasgow stood beardown against Munster was their set-piece - and they request to again connected Saturday.

If Bulls are capable to get front-foot shot there, Glasgow will find it incredibly difficult to wrestle backmost nan momentum against a broadside who person won their past six games connected nan spin.

"Bulls were ascendant astatine nan scrum against Leinster, which is fundamentally nan Ireland pack," Brown added.

"The Munster crippled was partially decided by really difficult Munster recovered it to triumph cleanable shot disconnected their lineout.

"Glasgow managed to disrupt their shot and that will beryllium a large portion again this weekend. If they can, that will extremity a spot of nan momentum."

Then, erstwhile Glasgow are successful possession, they will beryllium put nether unit by a emblematic South African blitz defence.

Bulls will look to unopen down Glasgow's options and unit them to play narrow.

However, 1 characteristic of nan Warriors' onslaught is nan extent pinch which they play. If scrum-half George Horne tin get speedy ball, they still mightiness beryllium capable to merchandise their in-form backmost three.

Paterson besides thinks Glasgow should look to their talented midfield to get complete nan gain-line, pinch Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones erstwhile again collaborated successful nan centres.

"If Glasgow are capable to break nan statement successful midfield, they’ll get connected nan beforehand foot," he said.

"If they can’t hit that flying defence, that’s wherever they’ll beryllium nether pressure"

Glasgow will return nan section arsenic underdogs successful Pretoria, but they person shown clip and clip again this play that you cannot spend to constitute them off.