Border are braced for solid fight

Rugby girls confident for Province game with a home final as incentive

It is all set to be a clash of the Titans as the Border women's rugby team welcomes Western Province to the BCM Stadium for their massive interprovincial clash on Saturday afternoon.

The two pre-season favourites and early frontrunners will be going head-to-head in a match that should decide who will host this year’s final.

If last year’s results are anything to go by it should be a thrilling encounter, with Border beating Province 15-10 in Cape Town during the group stages, before the eventual champs turned the tables in the final, beating Border 17-15 in East London to snatch the trophy.

“It is going to be a close game, both teams have a good chance to win, so it will be very exciting,” said the Border team manager Zoleka Bandla.

“Western Province are definitely favourites and I think the girls are happy to play as underdogs as it takes the pressure off of them and they will also be hungry to put in a big performance.”

Last year’s victory was the first for Province since 2012, with Border thereafter dominating, taking the title for the period 2013-2016.

Border will thus be extremely eager to reclaim the cup and a home final will give them a huge boost, so they will give it their all against Province.

“We need to get our cup back, because it belongs to us and it starts with this weekend’s game,” said Bandla.

Border started this season with an unconvincing 22-12 win over Eastern Province, but seemed to hit their stride in the second match against the Blue Bulls, winning 65-0 away from home.

They will want to take that momentum into the Province match.

“In the Blue Bulls game the girls showed that they are back to their best,” claimed Bandla.

“Preparations have gone very well over the last two weeks and the girls are ready for the challenge.

“We have been working on defence and attack – those are the key focus areas and we have to be at our best in them against Province. But we are happy with this team; we have full faith in them to do the job and

It is going to be a close game, both teams have a good chance to win Zoleka Bandla, manager