Tough assignment awaits Bulls as they leave their citadel

25 August 2016 - 10:08 By KHANYISO TSHWAKU
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The Currie Cup is taking a distinct back seat to other mainstream sport currently on the go but its unpredictability makes it a very watchable tournament.

That applies to most teams unless you are a Western Province or an Eastern Province Kings supporter. Those sides have yet to win a game in the Premier Division.

While Nollis Marais' Bulls side are a difficult proposition at home, they are discomfited by the thought of leaving their beloved Loftus Versfeld.

This was the case when they travelled to Bloemfontein two weeks ago and were beaten 43-20 by the Free State Cheetahs.

The Sharks have gone about their business quietly, racking up three consecutive wins, while watching the Cheetahs take an early lead.

The Sharks easily dispatched the dangerous minnows in the first three rounds, and face their first "big team" test when they meet the Bulls at Kings Park on Saturday .

Marais knows going to Durban and coming back with four points is going to be a tough assignment.

"In Super rugby, we only won one out of three matches on the road and we've played against the big teams in South Africa away from home countless times and that's always been a difficult task. If we want to win cups, we need to win our away games. Just winning home games is not going to be good enough," Marais said.

"A good start in Durban is going to be very important for us because they're a side that's high on confidence and a good start means we won't be playing catch-up rugby. "We showed we could play well against Western Province when we start well."

Marais made three changes to the side that was nearly shocked by the Kings at Loftus before recovering to a 49-35 win on Friday.

Dries Swanepoel, Travis Ismaiel and Jacobie Adriaanse come in for Dan Kriel, Bjorn Basson and Etienne Swanepoel.

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