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The rescheduled United Rugby Championship (URC) clash between the Vodacom Bulls and Stormers this weekend will have big implications on the rest of the season for the two teams.
Both outfits will be eager to get maximum points in what has been described as a crucial North-South Derby ahead of some season-defining matches in the coming months.
The Bulls will head into the meeting as favourites after turning their fortunes in recent weeks, while the Stormers are hunting their first win in three outings.
ATR takes a look at some of the talking points ahead of the match.
Can the Bulls keep the momentum going?
Johan Ackermann has certainly re-birthed the Bulls over the past couple of weeks, and they look like a different outfit.
You have to remember that at some stage, the Bulls had lost a staggering seven matches on the trot, and it took a gritty performance against Pau in France to break that embarrassing record.
Since that win, the men from Pretoria have been on a high, playing some entertaining rugby and doing the basics extremely well.
In their previous two outings, they defeated the Lions 52-17 and the Sharks 41-12 to mainly signal their return as a dangerous team in the South African context.
The next challenge for Ackermann and Co will be to keep the momentum going in the final stretch of the season. The Bulls have not been in this position this season, so it will be interesting to see how they approach this game.
Will they crack under pressure, or will they do just enough to claim yet another monumental win at Loftus?
The last meeting between the sides resulted in a 13-8 win for the Stormers, but past results and form count for almost nothing in big derbies. While the Stormers will be desperate to bounce back, the Bulls will be equally eager to make a statement.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu vs Handre Pollard:
The battle between the two Springbok playmakers could make or break the game for either team.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, and his form has been criticised following the three derby losses.
Pollard, on the other hand, has conducted himself in a classy manner and has led the Bulls’ resurgence in some fashion.
There was very little to separate the two fly-halves when the sides met in December. In what was a close game, both playmakers had very little contribution to the game, but things could be different this time around.
North-South derbies are always fierce, sometimes high-scoring, but a reliable boot to kick over penalties and conversions is always an advantage.
Accuracy in front of poles could well be the difference, and Bulls fans will be confident that Pollard can get the job done while the Stormers faithful will hold their breath each time Feinberg-Mngomezulu lines it up.
No matter which way it goes, the two maestros will need to be at the forefront of it all if their respective teams are to come out victors.
The race to the playoffs:
It seems we are always talking about the playoffs, the top eight, and how the log is shaping up. That’s because time is ticking, and the race is definitely on.
The Stormers, after a great start to the season, find themselves in fifth spot, tied on 36 points with Ulster, with the Lions in seventh with 33.
The Bulls are in eighth position with 30 points, and a win on Saturday could see them leapfrog the Lions into seventh and put the Stormers in further trouble.
After Saturday’s match, both teams will only have six matches remaining, and room for error will be minimal.
