Johannesburg - With one foot in the Currie Cup semi-finals, the Blue Bulls will have to dispose of a Griquas side fighting for a place in the top six when they clash at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday (7.10pm).
Both teams are experiencing a revival and with much at stake, the match promises to be a nailbiter.
Victory would guarantee the Bulls a spot in the play-offs for the first time since 2012 and could see them challenge for a title that had eluded them for four years.
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said the Peacock Blues would be anything but a pushover and would be buoyed by their 45-25 victory over the EP Kings last weekend.
“Looking at them and how they played throughout the season, they are a very competitive side. They had a very good win over the Kings last weekend,” Ludeke said.
“From broken field they were very strong last week. They have a strong maul and a competitive pack of forwards. It will be a physical battle on the weekend but we know it will be more than that.”
The Bulls have experienced a rather indifferent season, starting their campaign with two major defeats.
They have since improved, turning in possibly their best performance against the Pumas last weekend.
Ludeke believed the performance against the Mpumalanga side was a sign his charges were peaking at the right time.
Nevertheless, he said it would require accuracy and another clinical performance to book their place in the play-offs.
“You need a smart plan for 80 minutes to work that momentum and get that go-forward ball,” he said.
“We are prepared for a huge battle on the gainline and also at set-pieces.”
Griquas need victory to enhance their chances of moving away from the bottom of the log and avoid the Currie Cup qualifying play-offs next season.
However, they have suffered crucial injury setbacks, forcing coach Hawies Fourie to select players out of position.
Fourie remained steadfast despite the injuries and hoped his charges could pull off a victory.
“We still want to finish in the top six and we need to put in a winning performance against the Blue Bulls if we want to achieve that,” he said.
“It is going to be difficult, but now even more so in light of the many injuries. Hopefully we can produce some magic come Saturday.”
The Bulls welcome back Springbok prop Marcel van der Merwe into the starting line-up. South Africa flyhalf Handrè Pollard will feature off the bench.
Sapa