Forget the fancy stuff. That will be an unexpected bonus when the Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Free State Cheetahs meet in the Currie Cup final at Loftus that promises a tight-five battle of rare quality this afternoon.
Much has been said about the battle for the loose ball where Heinrich Brussow and his good friend and great adversary, Deon Stegmann, will fight it out on the ground; and about the two flyhalves whose kicking won their sides their semi-finals; about the greater experience of the Blue Bulls; and about the possible feat of winning the Super 14 and Currie Cup titles in one year.
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There has also been much talk about the vulnerability of the Blue Bulls scrum, and the performance a fortnight ago when the Cheetahs front three annihilated the Sharks' Springbok front row.
The Blue Bulls believe they have overcome their weaknesses at scrum time. They feel they did enough against Western Province in the semi-final squeaker. That is arguable.
There are also those who say the Sharks front row simply didn't pitch up for their match against the Cheetahs.
The fact is that the Free State scrum has been impressive since being taken in hand by Os du Randt. If Werner Kruger is buckled or budges on the tighthead side, the Blue Bulls will be in trouble.
Just as the Cheetahs probably feel the scrum is where they can really stamp their mark, the Bulls will feel the lineout will be their forte.
But they dare not underestimate the tall David de Villiers and hard worker Nico Breedt who will pose some problems.
However, with Dewald Potgieter and Pierre Spies as tall alternatives, the Bulls should, nevertheless, control the ball.
Driving from the lineouts will also be an important attacking weapon for both. The execution thereof, and especially the defence against the maul, could be paramount in the chase for gold.
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