Stormers v Bulls rivalry back to its bruising best: 'It's brilliant for SA rugby'

South Africa's most iconic, hard-fought rugby rivalry is back to its captivating best as the Stormers and Bulls prepare for their blockbuster United Rugby Championship (URC) showdown at DHL Stadium on Friday night. 

The last time the side's met, back on 18 June 2022, a stunning second-half showing from Stormers saw them emerge 18-13 winners in the first-ever URC tournament final to land their maiden piece of major international silverware. 

In the pool stages of that season, the Stormers also beat the Bulls twice (30-26 at Loftus and 19-17 in Cape Town) to leave coach John Dobson with a 3-0 record over Jake White in all URC competition.

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Dobson downplayed that statistic at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, but there is no doubt that this fixture comes with a dollop of added spice that makes for a hugely intriguing affair. 

White's selection policy in recent weeks - he has strategically rested his bigger names in the most recent Champions Cup fixture block - also suggests that he is eyeing this clash as hugely important.

Indications out of the Stormers camp on Thursday were that ticket sales were also moving at an encouraging pace - good news given the unique scheduling of the match - and the stage is now set for these two sides to do battle one more time.  

"I think it's brilliant for South African rugby," said Dobson.

"I feel it (the rivalry), and I think we all do. 

"It came up again when Jake came in and did such a good job of rebuilding the Bulls and they won two Currie Cups in one year. Then we got a couple of narrow wins (including the 2021/22 URC final) and it's been building up over a while.

"It's clear what this game