Loftus Versfeld will host its first Absa Currie Cup semi-final since 2008 when the Vodacom Blue Bulls face off with DHL Western Province on October 16 for a berth in the final of the hotly-contested local tournament. Under the innovative leadership of newly appointed Coach Nollis Marais‚ or ‘Chuck Nollis’ as he has more affectionately become known by fans‚ a rather young and inexperienced Blue Bulls team have managed to ignite the imaginations of their fans. Winning eight out of the ten pool matches‚ the men in blue cemented their second place spot on the log with a close final round win over the Steval Pumas in a hot and humid Nelspruit on Friday. “Coming into the tournament‚ people didn’t give us a lot of hope‚” Marais said. We decided at the outset to create our own culture in the team‚ one that the saw these young men enjoying their rugby and having a bit of fun. Make no mistake‚it’s been far from perfect‚ but it’s a great way to start moving forward.” The team‚ management and staff at Loftus are all keen and extremely excited about this semi‚ and have started the behind the scenes prep work. Captain Lappies Labuschagne‚ is a soft spoken man of few words‚ and even though he believes in doing his talking on the field‚ his excitement is obvious when he chats about next weeks game.“Every team wants to have the luxury of a home semi-final‚ so we are really grateful to be in this position. There’s very little that compares to the home ground advantage when getting into this stage of the tournament. The influence and power of a packed Loftus should never be undermined. Our fans have shown amazing support and belief in us‚ and I truly believe that we owe them this semi.”..