Having already beaten the Vodacom Blue Bulls away, the Steval Pumas will aim to do the double over the Pretoria side, welcoming them to Mbombela Stadium in the next round of the SuperSport Rugby Challenge this Saturday. 

Marko Janse van Rensburg and Tazz Fuzani will come into the starting line-up for this weekend’s clash against Vodacom Blue Bulls at Mbombela Stadium. Photo: Johan Rynners.

Having travelled extensively over the last few weeks, the Nelspruiters are looking forward to playing at their home ground, especially after their scintillating 41-41 draw over the Hino Falcons in Kempton Park this past weekend. The men in pink will be playing at Mbombela Stadium for the first time this year, having hosted their previous home match in Kanyamazane.  
Reflecting on the Hino Falcons clash, Steval Pumas coach Brent Janse van Rensburg said that the team needed to be more patient with ball in hand.  

"If you look at the match it's clear that we dominated. We again created plenty of opportunities to put points on the board, but sometimes made the wrong decisions by kicking the ball away or losing it at the attacking breakdown. There were also one-on-one tackles missed, so we need to cut down on those soft moments in the game. It's small things, not big things, so we'll be focusing on executing our plans correctly this time," said Janse van Rensburg. 

This weekend, Tazz Fuzani, Marko Janse van Rensburg and Khwezi Mona will come into the starting line-up. Jacques Kotze will also get some game time coming off the bench.
"This is an opportunity to see what they can do again. Certain players are right for certain types of games so we've thought tactically about the changes we've made this week," Janse van Rensburg said of the alterations. 
Janse van Rensburg is confident that the Steval Pumas can counter the Bulls' abrasive style of play, just as they did in the 31-23 victory at Loftus Versveld in the first round of the competition. 

"I'm sure the players will be really up for it this week. The set piece is always a big challenge against the Bulls. Their team thrive off momentum and are very good at moving the ball to the edges and then stretching you in the wider channels. Our width, defence and line speed are key. But we're confident we can put them under pressure if we execute accurately and everyone plays to their full potential," the coach said. 

A win over the Bulls will see the Steval Pumas leapfrogging their opponents into second place on the North Conference log, behind the Xerox Golden Lions. 

The match against the Vodacom Blue Bulls kicks off at 15:00. Be sure to get your tickets today for the match taking place at the Mbombela Stadium. 

Submitted by: Kathleen Bailie / Mpumalanga Rugby (Pty) Ltd