In-form Bulls wary of ‘settled’ Pumas ahead of Currie Cup battle

The Bulls are expecting a challenging battle when they take on a settled Pumas side in their Currie Cup encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night.

The side from Tshwane are on the back of a satisfactory win over a strong Lions team a fortnight ago when they fought hard for a 43-37 victory over their provincial rivals.

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But the Pumas, like every other season, have proven to be a thorn in the flesh of a number of teams throughout the campaign, which has included wins over top sides like the Sharks.

Bulls assistant coach Hayden Groepes indicated there was little difference between the contest they expected from the Pumas and the battle they had with the Lions last week.

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“I thought we did pretty well against the Lions where we had to manage the game and had to match up in that final 40,” Groepes said.

“There will be no difference against the Pumas. That will be our most important aspect – we will have to match-up physically and we will have to build pressure with and without the ball in hand.

“What the Pumas have as a strength is that they are a settled side. There might also be some challenges that we experience against the Pumas which we did not have against the Lions, and I believe we have got to look after ourselves and make sure that our processes are in place coming into Friday’s game.”

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This season’s Currie Cup has proven to be a two-horse race for the top spot on the log between the Bulls and the Cheetahs.

The two sides will square up against each other in the final round of matches before the semifinals, and there is increasing interest whether the team from Tshwane already has one eye on that top-of-the-table clash scheduled for June 11.

“We still have about three weeks to prepare for the Cheetahs and when we get there, hopefully, we will be very well prepared,” Groepes said.