THE switch to Murrayfield is set to suit the Bulls strongmen like Gerhard Steenekamp when they meet the Warriors in the URC semi-final on Saturday.
The Bulls have been talking up the significance of their URC semi-final being shifted from Scotstoun in Glasgow to Murrayfield in Edinburgh about as much as the Warriors have been downplaying it, but I reckon it is the Bulls’ rhetoric that has more conviction.
The bottom line is that it unquestionably helps the visitors. If the Warriors had a choice, there would be zero chance of them surrendering the advantage of the unique atmosphere generated by their 7000-seater, artificial-surfaced ground, where they have not lost a match this season.
Those small stadiums, with the stands almost on top of the pitch, confine the noise of the fans, and the intimidation is real. For example, referees get influenced by the jeers and cheers of the home fans.
So if the Commonwealth Games had not booked Scotstoun, the Warriors would never swap their beloved home patch for the vastness of Murrayfield — and a grass pitch so loved by South African players because they can properly scrum on it.
