Sharks a big test for Bulls

Blue Bulls coach Nollis Marais is wary of the size of the challenge his mistake-ridden side face this weekend in the Currie Cup when they visit the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.

“We have the Sharks now and they have three hauls of five points from their matches so that’s going to be a real challenge. I hope my players lift because they weren’t very good against the EP Kings. To go 14-0 behind very quickly and to concede five tries at home is just not good enough.

“The problem is we’re just not accurate, especially under pressure. It’s something we need to fix. I’m very worried about the whole performance, we were lucky to get five points against the Kings. We still have a fighting chance in the Currie Cup, but we have to fix it if we want to be real contenders,” Marais said.

Centre Dan Kriel injuring his shoulder again inside the first quarter obviously disrupted the Bulls, with fullback Duncan Matthews having to move into midfield, and Kriel is probably out of action for the next three to four weeks.

The good news for Marais on the injury front is the return of first-choice centre Dries Swanepoel to training this week, along with wing Travis Ismaiel (above).

Loose forwards Roelof Smit and Nic de Jager are also back in action, although Marais has made a point of praising openside flank Ruan Steenkamp for the quality of his performances.

“I am very proud of Ruan, playing at No 6 he’s been brilliant in each and every game,” Marais said.