URC Final - Stormers v Bulls: All you need to know

If you didn't know much about the Stormers and the Bulls last August, you certainly do by now.

Names like Evan Roos, Warrick Gelant or Elrigh Louw would only have been on the radar of those die-hard rugby fans keeping a close eye on the Currie Cup, and for the first couple of months of the season neither team looked like being title contenders.

The caveat for the Stormers in those early rounds of the United Rugby Championship was that they were missing their Springbok contingent, with the likes of Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe and Damian Willemse among those who were on Test duty with South Africa.

Remarkably, the Bulls squad that is preparing for the final is largely the same as the one which started the season in dismal fashion against Leinster and Connacht, with hooker Johan Grobbelaar their only player who was away with South Africa for the Rugby Championship at the time.

Both teams have been on remarkable runs in the second half of the season; including the play-offs, the Stormers have won 14 of their last 15 games, the only defeat coming away to Connacht at the Sportsground in February.

Likewise, the Bulls have been in devastating form, winning ten out of their last 11, including play-off victories against the Sharks and Leinster. However their only defeat in that period came against their final opponents, going down 19-17 to the Stormers in Cape Town in April.

While Covid-19 restrictions mean the Cape Town Stadium attendance will be capped at 31,000, it was confirmed on Friday that the game was sold out.

It's destination Cape Town this evening as Bulls and Stormers clash in the #URC final Tune in for live coverage from 6pm on @RTE2 & @RTEplayer #rterugby pic.twitter.com/v3QZUycmdN

TV Stormers v Bulls is live on RTÉ2 and