Pivotal battle for Gauteng derby pivots

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 04: Elton Jantjies of the Lions gets his pass away during the Super Rugby match between Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls at Emirates Airline Park on April 04, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 04: Elton Jantjies of the Lions gets his pass away during the Super Rugby match between Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls at Emirates Airline Park on April 04, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)

Published May 2, 2015

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Pretoria - The high road or the low road.

That is at stake for both the Bulls and Lions when they clash in yet another highly anticipated South African derby as both sides make a concerted effort at bringing themselves closer to securing a Super Rugby play-off berth.

The high road is the one fancied by the Bulls - familiar terrain for the three-time Super Rugby champions as they seek to fly South Africa’s flag in this year’s competition, especially it being a World Cup year.

But before casting their mind to rugby’s global showpiece in September in England, the Bulls will need to negotiate their way past a feisty Lions team Saturday and ensure they board the flight to New Zealand in eight days’ time with the confidence needed to enjoy a successful four-match tour.

If the Bulls do indeed make it past the Lions and go on to win their tour matches then the high road to Super Rugby glory is theirs for the taking.

The exit to the high road is a tricky one, to say the least, and will require the Bulls to distance themselves from the emotions that come with such a local derby. Furthermore, there is the reality of the Lions having beaten the Bulls four weeks ago in Joburg, a psychological edge that the Lions will certainly use coming into this encounter.

Revenge should stray far from the minds of the Bulls players as it will only derail them from getting back on course after their narrow defeat at the hands of the Stormers last weekend.

The Bulls need to focus on ensuring they play to their strengths, nullify their glaring weaknesses and shut down the Lions from gaining any sort of meaningful momentum.

While the Bulls started off the season with two home defeats, Loftus Versfeld still remains a daunting place to come play rugby for any opposing team and the Bulls have shown in recent times they are at their best at home.

In their arsenal, the Bulls now possess what is widely considered to be the Springboks’ second-string front row with Trevor Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss and Marcel van der Merwe and that should be enough to see them bounce back from the shambles of last weekend’s failed scrums against the Stormers.

At their best, the Bulls second row of veteran Victor Matfield and the abrasive Flip van der Merwe should be no match for the Lions second row of Franco Mostert and Andries Ferreira who have successfully punched above their weight for most of the season.

The deciding battle will be among the loose forwards where the Lions hold a slight edge with the presence of marauding captain Warren Whiteley and the tenacity of flank Warwick Tecklenburg as they face up to the untested Bulls loose trio of Arno Botha, Jacques du Plessis and Lappies Labuschagne.

While Whiteley and Tecklenburg have shown in aiding the Lions to six wins from their last seven matches, they face the talented Botha and Labuschagne who are one game away from being arguably the best loose forwards in the land.

Without the dominance and platform laid by the respective packs of forwards, there can be no fireworks from the elusive backs of both sides who have displayed a thirst for tries and a lust for champagne rugby.

But then again, there is the low road.

Defeat for the Bulls will leave them mired in doubt about their ability to win away from home - if they can’t do so in their own backyard, what chance on tour?

More than anything, it will leave daylight between themselves and the leading pack for play-off spots and sink them further down the South African conference to third place behind the Lions.

At the moment, the Bulls have a three-point lead over the Lions in the South African conference with the Lions lying in third place on 26 points.

The Lions, too, fear the low road and know that the success of the remainder of their campaign could hinge on Saturday’s result.

Johan Ackermann’s men are on a high after their winning streak and they’ve been doing so with aplomb in recent weeks but they will need to elevate their game to another level if they are to become true play-off contenders.

A victory at Loftus against their rivals will not only catapult them to second spot in the local conference but it will bring them to the brink of a play-off berth which, once attained, will be difficult to let go off as the Lions have the luxury of playing three of their remaining games at home.

In the end, there can only be one road and that is the high road, for it keeps the hopes and aspirations of making the knockout stages of the competition alive.

On the other hand, the low road beckons for the defeated, a road that is riddled with pitfalls of self-doubt, constantly chasing the leading pack and having much of your fate in the hands of others.

Saturday Star

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