The Bulls can join a small elite group of Super Rugby achievers if they win their second title by beating the Chiefs in the Final in Pretoria on Saturday, but captain Victor Matfield feels they have already started to build a special legacy.

Just as they have in domestic rugby, with a record 30 Currie Cup Final appearances and 22 titles by the Blue Bulls/Northern Transvaal, the Super Rugby version (the Bulls) are beginning to set new standards for South African teams.

While their one title (in 2007) pales in significance to the seven championship victories of the Crusaders, a second title this week will move the Bulls into the top three on the all-time Super Rugby achievers list.

Top of that list, no doubt, are the Crusaders with seven titles, twice runners-up and beaten semifinalists twice.

Next best would be the Blues with three championships, runners up once and another semifinal appearance.

Then follow the two-time champion Brumbies, who also have three times runners-up and another semifinal to their credit.

The Bulls, with their 2007 title, is the only other team to have won the competition - while they have made the semifinals four times in the last five years.

The Sharks - runners-up three times and three other semifinal appearances - would be best of the non-title holders, along with the Hurricanes (runners up once and five other semifinal appearances - four in the last five years).

The Chiefs, the Bulls' opponents on Saturday, will appear in their first Final and have made the semifinals on just one other occasion.

Matfield was loathe to look too far ahead into the future, but said the Bulls can certainly be proud of what they have achieved in the last five years.

"If you just look down the years, there aren't that many teams that have reached so many semifinals and finals, so we are certainly happy with where we are," Matfield told iafrica.com, while taking a break from training ahead of Saturday's big Loftus Versfeld showdown.

"It will certainly be a dream come true for Frans [Ludeke, head coach] and those [management members] above him to take this ship and improve year-after-year," Matfield said, adding that there is enough "young" talent coming through to ensure the Bulls franchise is on a sound footing.

"Just to get close to what the Crusaders have achieved would be unbelievable," he said, adding: "To win seven titles in the 13 years of the toughest competition in the world is unbelievable."

The Bulls captain also pointed to the experience in his team - with more than 10 members of the victorious 2007 team back for Saturday's Final - as a key to success.

"In any situation where the pressure is on, experience is vital," he told rugby365.

"It certainly makes my job easier, and the coaches' job easier, if the players have been in that situation before and know exactly how to handle the situation and what to expect.

"We are in the fortunate situation that we have a host of seasoned players and hopefully it will again benefit us on Saturday."

The world class second row forward, despite nearing a 100 Super Rugby caps, admits that the nervous flutters are still very much a part of the build-up to the game on Saturday.

"If there aren't any nervousness, I would be worried," he said, adding: "But there are only two teams left who can win this competition and we are one of the two.

"So it is an unbelievable situation to be in.

"It doesn't matter how much pressure there is, I would much rather have this pressure, than sit at home without any chance of winning the competition."

Having been through his share of highs and lows with the Bulls over the years, Matfield took time out to reflect on how the team reached their second Final.

"We had a look at a video, of how we started working in George in November, and we saw how tired the guys were back then and how much work have gone into getting us here.

"You could see how hard the players pushed themselves.

"I think it is fantastic to reap the rewards of that work now.

"This is a group that has come together for the last five/six years, a group that really care about each other and are prepared to walk that extra mile for each other.

"So it would be great to bring that trophy back home again on Saturday."

365

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