THE BATTLES OF
WP AND THE BULLS
AS THE last round of Currie Cup action approaches, it’s not hard to guess who the favourites will be in the match of the weekend between the Blue Bulls and Western Province. The Capetonians have been in hot form and top the log after five bonus-point wins, while the Bulls have bagged three Ws. But regardless of the champions’ favourites tag, the north-south derby can always be expected to be a good one. We look at five battles that can tip the scales in Pretoria.
DOING THE FIXING IN BROKEN PLAY
There’s no introduction needed when it comes to WP’s potency in broken play and on the counter-attack. With weapons like Dillyn Leyds, Sergeal Petersen, Damian Willemse and Ruhan Nel, to name but a few, at their disposal, how the Bulls scramble to stop them will be crucial. The same goes for the visitors, of course, but if WP’s productions in this regard are anything to go by, it’s safe to say that it’s the Bulls who will have to be extra cautious.
SUPREMACY IN THE SHOVE
Gaining ascendancy in the scrums and line-outs will always be big factors. Add in its role in when it comes to launching attacks, especially considering that these are two sides who like to let the ball do the work, and that importance gets bumped up. And in the areas where the ball won’t be doing most of the work, particularly when it comes to the breakdown and maul defence, those are battles you almost always have to win anyway if you don’t want to have to work too much harder otherwise.
GOING THE DISTANCE
Performing for the full 80 minutes is always important and this fixture will be no different. Following their 38-12 win over Griquas earlier this season, WP coach John Dobson said the win felt like a loss after a first-half attacking masterclass turned into an ill-disciplined second period. On the other hand, the Bulls will also know how tough it is to throw a spanner in WP’s works once they shift into a higher gear and hit momentum, so a strong start will be just as vital as a sustained effort for both sides.
THE BALL MUST GO TO HAND
Passes going to hand will certainly aid both teams, but keeping the errors to a minimum on attack and defence is going to be right up there when it comes to match-day priorities. Retrieve those kickoffs. Don’t slip off tackles. Find your man on attack. Lamenting all of those points
DEDICATED DEFENCE
The highlight of Province’s 2018 Currie Cup season has certainly been their attack and the superb tries they’ve been able to run in, sometimes seemingly effortlessly. And although defence probably becomes an afterthought if you think back to some of the Cape side’s visit to the try line, neither one of the rivals can afford to not step up in that department this weekend.