Key stats and head-to-heads ahead of Bulls vs Edinburgh

Kevin Millar previews the game.

• The best part of a decade has passed since Matt Scott and Mark Bennett first started a match together in the centres, Scotland’s Six Nations encounter with England in March 2015. The most recent of their 20 outings as a midfield partnership was 1,296 days ago when Edinburgh travelled to Connacht in the 2020/21 PRO14.
• Edinburgh’s starting lineup has an average age of 30.1 years, with Marshall Sykes the only player under 25.
• The van der Merwe brothers have only met in one previous top level match with wee bro Duhan finishing on the winning side for Edinburgh against elder sibling Akker’s Sale Sharks on that occasion.
• There are five survivors in the starting lineup from the Bulls last URC fixture, their Grand Final loss to Glasgow. In total there are 15 changes to the 23 that played at Loftus Versfeld three months ago.

Teams

Bulls vs Edinburgh teams (Image: Kevin Millar) (players in CAPITALS are full capped internationals)

Head to Head

Bulls vs Edinburgh head-to-heads (Image: Kevin Millar)

Edinburgh Introductions

Tom Dodd hasn’t played in the URC since another match in South Africa, versus the Stormers back in March, while Ross McCann has had to wait even longer for some action, exactly 11 months on from his last run out for Edinburgh against the Lions at Hive Stadium

Matchday Milestones

When he is sprung from the bench, Ben Healy will play in his 25th consecutive URC fixture. He hasn’t missed a league match since Munster’s Round 16 clash with Glasgow two and a half years ago:

Focal Point

This is the fifth time in their last six matches that Edinburgh have named an all international starting pack and it’s that experienced unit’s contest up front that will most likely dictate whether this game is won or lost.

The Bulls’ forwards may not have the Test caps of their opponents but, especially on their home ground, they will still go in with the game plan of physically dominating Edinburgh.

The visitors will look to the abrasive edge of players like Jamie Ritchie and Marshall Sykes to front up to their hosts.

The most crucial man in the pack may well be Pierre Schoeman though, who will be extremely familiar with this venue having played there 17 times for the Bulls in Super Rugby.

Pierre Schoeman could be key for Edinburgh (Image: SNS)

The loosehead’s head-to=head battle with Wilco Louw will go a long way to deciding the contest at the scrum. His carrying is also a focal point for Edinburgh – both his rumbles in midfield and also close to the line where his ability to power through bodies has brought him four tries in his last seven games for his club.

Current form

Bulls vs Edinburgh form (Image: Kevin Millar)

Edinburgh away to South African sides in the regular season during the PRO14/URC era:

• Two wins
• Seven losses
• Two Try BPs
• Three Losing BPs
• 13 points out of a possible 45 (29%
• Edinburgh also lost a URC play-off match away to Stormers during the 2021/22 season and a Challenge Cup quarter-final hosted by the Sharks in 2023/24.

Previous match-up vs Bulls in South Africa

Officials

Referee: Ben Breakspear (WRU, 4th league game); Assistants: Griffon Colby and Dylan November (both SARU); TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Mr Breakspear’s regular season record for 2023/24:

• Matches:  Two
• Average penalty count – 22.0 per game
• Home side penalties conceded percentage – 27.3%
• Average card count – 1.0 per game
• Penalties per card – 22.0

Mr Breakspear only has a very small number of URC games behind him but that does include one previous encounter with Edinburgh – the capital club’s thumping win over Zebre at home last season.

This will be the first time the Welsh whistler has taken charge of a game in South Africa. In fact, it will his first ever game involving one of the South African teams. The match may end up being a bit of a learning experience for all parties.