Cape Town - Bulls are likely to increase their winning streak to four against the Dragons tomorrow, but there is a bigger picture in the United Rugby Championship that coach Jake White should be looking at.
Following defeats to the Stormers and Sharks at Loftus earlier this year, the Pretoria-based team have now beaten Zebre, Munster and the Scarlets in successive weeks.
They have moved up the standings to eighth position, which is the last quarter-final spot, but ideally they would want to host a playoff match in South Africa.
To achieve that goal, they will have to win against teams above them on the log, and those European sides who will have their Test players back from the Six Nations.
They were fortunate to get past a Munster side that were missing several Irish internationals. They will face far tougher opposition from Ulster next Saturday (home), Benetton on 23 April (home), Glasgow on 29 April (home) and the Ospreys on 20 May (away).
In between, they also have to travel to Cape Town to take on an in-form Stormers on 9 April.
So, White needs to build an even stronger team to be ready for those challenges, and that is why the return of Mornay Smith this week was crucial in that regard.
The tighthead prop has been sidelined for a few months with an ankle injury, but was back on the pitch in Wednesday’s 40-10 Currie Cup victory over the Lions at Ellis Park.
Smith came on in the 50th minute as a substitute for Robert Hunt, and put himself about all around the field. He was powerful in the scrum as usual, and won a few penalties, although the young Lions pack was outclassed.
But the energy that the 24-year-old front-rower brought to the game would have been highly encouraging for White.
“With Mornay, we tried to create enough time for him so that he might be ready if Jake wants to use him for the URC game. I think it worked out well,” Blue Bulls Currie Cup coach Gert Smal said.
“Mornay has only played 10 minutes in a long time, so we tried to create a little bit more time for him so that he will be ready for the URC.”
Veteran prop Jacques van Rooyen has done an admirable job at tighthead in recent weeks in the United Rugby Championship team, and has even put in a number of carries and tackles.
But that was against weaker packs without their Test players, and the heat will be turned up on the Bulls scrum in the weeks to come.
So, Smith will be a vital cog in that regard, while White will be hoping that the likes of locks Sintu Manjezi and Jacques du Plessis will be able to shake off their injuries soon too, as the Bulls are relying too heavily on Walt Steenkamp and Ruan Nortje.
Flyhalf Morne Steyn also produced a solid display in the second half against the Lions, and his form will be important as well to assist Chris Smith in the United Rugby Championship.
The Dragons will have Welsh squad members Ben Carter, Leon Brown and Rhodri Williams back from the Six Nations for tomorrow’s match, but have recorded just a single victory this season and are languishing in second-last place on the log, and lost their last match 64-3 against Munster on 5 March.