Former Stormers, Bulls loosie Anton Leonard encourages rivals to take in glorious URC final

Former Springbok number eight Anton Leonard said the Stormers and the Bulls must enjoy the occasion of the United Rugby Championship final on Saturday.

The storied South and North rugby rivals meet in another instalment of their fierce derby at the Cape Town Stadium, with the Stormers having beaten the Bulls twice this season in the round-robin phase.

The Bulls suffered the same fate against the Sharks but found the play-off gear to see off Sean Everitt's side.

Leonard said the sides did the hard work by getting past the semi-finals, which he felt were the worst games to play in any tournament.

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He also credited how the sides turned their seasons around after their poor starts.

"You need luck, but if you look after round four, the Stormers and the Bulls were bottom of the log, so it’s been a remarkable improvement from both teams," Leonard said.

"However, one of the ugliest games you can play is a semi-final because there's nothing to win. The margins in their wins proved that.

"Semis aren't nice because if you lose, that's that, but at least you can enjoy the occasion of a final regardless of a result, and there's some reward.

Leonard had the unique distinction of appearing in the first Super Rugby play-off hosted in South Africa when he played for the Stormers.

He was part of the 1999 'Men in Black' that took Super Rugby by the scruff of the neck, only for them to falter in a home semi-final against the Highlanders.

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That particular game was overshadowed by the infamous pre-game strike that saw them rock up at Newlands in body but not by mind.

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