Locked, loaded

20 May 2016 - 08:49 By CHUMANI BAMBANI

"They have Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit, we have RG Snyman and Jason Jenkins," said Bulls coach Nollis Marais, pinpointing where the battle between his side and the Stormers would be won. The Stormers will again have their first-choice lock pair starting the match at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow night, after Etzebeth was included in the team alongside Springbok partner Du Toit.The Bulls also have a right to boast about their second row.Despite Snyman and Jenkins both only playing in their first Super rugby season, the pair have been a menace for opposition teams and masters in the line-out."RG and Jason have bright futures. It will be a great challenge for them this weekend, playing against certainly the best two locks in South Africa," said Marais."The more they compete against the best, the better it is for them. This will be great for South Africa, seeing four of the best locks on display."Eleven weeks ago, Snyman made his Super rugby debut, and Jenkins was on the bench, when the Bulls took on the Stormers at Newlands Stadium. On that occasion, Etzebeth and Du Toit bossed the pair around. But things have changed nine games down the line, said Marais."I think we have shown that we are now competitive in all departments."While the North versus South derby is always a heated encounter that is often closely contested, it is Robbie Fleck's Stormers that have enjoyed the upper hand in recent times.But, said Bulls captain Adriaan Strauss, the stats do not matter on the day, adding: " That is why you play rugby - you want to measure yourself against the big guns, the good sides."The Stormers will want to improve from their 17-all stalemate against Sunwolves last weekend, while the Bulls remain unbeaten at their home ground...

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