Image source, SNSImage caption, Glasgow Warriors captain Kyle Steyn is expecting another tough battle with Bulls
ByAndy BurkeBBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter- Published48 minutes ago
In a campaign where Glasgow Warriors have at times looked like redefining what is possible for a Scottish side, it seems unthinkable they could end the season empty handed.
Trophies have to be earned, however, and Warriors know from previous experience this season that for all the hard work and fantastic wins that lay a path to glory, one off-day can bring your challenge to an abrupt halt.
After a perfect four bonus-point wins from four Champions Cup pool stage matches - including thrilling victories over Toulouse and Saracens - and a gritty win over the Bulls in the last 16, Warriors were fancied to take care of Toulon at home to secure a first European semi-final in the club's history.
The French giants had other ideas and edged a tight, attritional affair to end Glasgow's European adventure.
It was a loss that seemed to knock Franco Smith's side off course. In the aftermath, two chastening United Rugby Championship defeats in South Africa by the Lions and the Stormers left Warriors in a slump that threatened to consume their season.
"Up until then, it had been a really strong season for us. We probably hadn't run into too much trouble," Glasgow wing Kyle Steyn told the BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast.
"Rugby is pretty good at that, it brings you back down to earth pretty quickly. Those three weeks definitely did.
"I was really proud of the fact that the group didn't really overreact. We knew that it's that old cliche saying, you're never as good as you are when you win and you're never as bad as you are when you lose.
"Having been through that before in seasons and understanding that it is a long season and things like this happen, it's about how do you refocus as quickly as possible?"
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'Glasgow are not number one for nothing'
Excellent wins over Cardiff and Ulster steadied the ship and secured top spot in the URC table. Last weekend's quarter-final win against a gritty Connacht side was excellent preparation for a semi-final against the Bulls at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Once again thoughts are drifting towards what victory would bring - a final back at the national stadium on 20 June.
Anyone who has seen the Bulls in action lately will not be taking that for granted.
Their impressive 45-14 dismantling of Munster in the quarter-final was their seventh URC win on the spin.
They are the league leaders for tries and points scored. Back-row Jeandre Rudolph tops the turnover charts with 20, while scrum-half Embrose Papier, second in the try-scoring charts with 11, has been named the best South African player in the league this season.
Something of a rivalry has built up between these sides in recent times, but the mutual respect is clear.
"Glasgow is so clinical," Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann said after his side's win over Munster.
"They defend very well and don't make it easy for you. They are an all-round, highly skilled attacking team. That's why we have to be better.
"Glasgow are not the number one side for nothing. They are one of the best attacking teams, one of the best set-piece teams and one of the best defensive teams.
"We just have to find a way to win."
Will Murrayfield switch suit the Bulls?
Putting one over on Glasgow on Scottish soil would be sweet for the Bulls given their previous knockout defeats at the hands of the Warriors, not least that famous night in Pretoria that sealed the URC title in June 2024.
The South Africans will surely relish the switch to Murrayfield. The Glasgow commercial team will move heaven and earth to shift as many tickets as possible, but the stadium will be far from full and less intimidating than the atmosphere generated at a packed Scotstoun.
Moving away from the plastic pitch to a more natural surface will surely be welcomed by a side whose scrum power is central to their game. The Bulls may just feel the change of stadium could strip Glasgow of some of their aura.
"I'm not really too bothered about how they see it," said Warriors captain Steyn, who scored two tries in a player of the match performance against Connacht.
"The challenge is going to be there anyway and it's a semi-final. We've obviously come up against them twice this season and they've both been really physical, really tight games and we're expecting nothing less.
"We love Scotstoun. If you gave us an opportunity to play there, we'd take it every time. We also really thrive on the opportunity for rugby in Glasgow to grow and to get more fans into a stadium and to have opportunities like that. We've really loved the opportunity to be at Hampden in the past couple of years for the 1872 game.
"Now we've got Murrayfield, we're just really excited about that. We're really hoping that we can do whatever we can to pump the ticket sales and hopefully get Glasgow, Edinburgh, Scottish rugby fans, everybody in there.
"To have more of these big games in Scotland, we hope can only be a good thing for any aspiring young Scottish kid that wants to play rugby, boy or girl. The more games of this kind of scale that we can get in the country, the better."
Kyle Steyn previews Warriors-Bulls URC showdown
3/6/26
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