Bulls out to break Eden Park hoodoo

Defending champions Northern Bulls put their unbeaten 12-match run on the line when they search for their first-ever win over the Blues in Auckland in this weekend’s Super 14 rugby.

The Pretoria-based Bulls were last beaten 31-32 by the ACT Brumbies in Canberra last April and they have only dropped two points out of a possible 30 from their six outings this campaign.

But while the South African heavyweights carried all before them last season and almost halfway through this year’s tournament, they have still to conquer the Blues at Eden Park in eight visits.

Auckland, three-time Super rugby champions, are also one of the most unpredictable teams in the competition and although they lie ninth and 12 points adrift of the Bulls, they represent a threat to the front-runners on Saturday.

If the Bulls can topple Auckland they will equal the Canterbury Crusaders’ winning streak of 13 consecutive Super rugby matches.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has named an unchanged team and skipper Victor Matfield said the consistency in team selection was one of the reasons for their success.

“We have a great group of players and it is very nice that the coach can select the same group of guys every week. It helps us in our games because everyone knows the plan and what to do,” Matfield said.

The Blues have been finding ways to dominate the Bulls’ maul in order to spring an upset win.

“We’ve been working on it, and it’s not unstoppable,” Blues coach Pat Lam said. “Like any move, everybody’s got to play their role, and be very clear about what it is.” All Blacks back Luke McAlister will make his long-awaited comeback for the Blues off the bench against the Bulls.

Coach Allister Coetzee has made some changes to his Western Stormers’ team for the first match of their Australasian tour against the Western Force in Perth on Friday.

The Stormers are second on points differential from the Crusaders and NSW Waratahs, while the Force are last and have yet to win any of their six games this season.

“The guys have come off a break, so I don’t want to force unnecessary changes as yet,” Coetzee said.

“There are forced changes with Wicus Blaauw and Joe Pietersen but we’ll go with the strongest possible side again.” Wallaby backrowers David Pocock and Richard Brown will return from injuries for the first time for the Force since week one for the match.

The Wellington Hurricanes are facing the prospect of losing five matches in a row when host the seven-time Super rugby champion Crusaders on Friday.

In 18 meetings with the Crusaders, the Hurricanes have only won four times.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder is cautious about the eighth-placed Hurricanes, despite the odds stacked in his team’s favour.

“They are the sort of team that can be really dangerous when they are desperate. They have had a tough few weeks and always take it to the Crusaders,” he said.

Young flanker Chris Alcock will make his NSW debut to replace injured skipper Phil Waugh for the Waratahs’ home match against South Africa’s Central Cheetahs on Saturday.

Waugh has failed to recover from a quad strain and the Waratahs will miss his drive and leadership as they come off two bonus-point victories at home, while the Cheetahs have not won in Australasia in their four years of Super 14.

In the weekend’s other matches, the Waikato Chiefs host the Otago Highlanders and the Coastal Sharks play the Queensland Reds in Durban.

The Brumbies and Golden Lions have the weekend off.