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The Vodacom Bulls and Sharks will try to advance to the Champions Cup and EPCR Problem Cup semi-finals, respectively, for the primary time this weekend.
The Sharks will take the sector first towards Edinburgh at Kings Park within the Problem Cup quarter-finals on Saturday after thumping Zebre Parma final week, whereas the Bulls tackle Northampton Saints in England, following their complete win towards Lyon.
The Bulls will face a formidable pressure within the Saints, who’re unbeaten within the competitors this season and at the moment prime the Premiership desk with 10 victories of their 14 matches. In addition they boast a superb monitor report at residence, with just one defeat at Franklin’s Gardens this season.
The Pretoria outfit, nevertheless, will take confidence from the truth that they suffered just one defeat within the competitors, whereas their attacking statistics are marginally higher with 25 tries to 22 by the Saints, and they’ll enter match effectively conscious of the truth that it is a do-or-die conflict and that they’ve all the things to realize.
MORE: ‘Humble’ Bulls to man up after travel hiccups
Fueling their motivation, they suffered a slender 29-28 defeat towards Lyon in France in the one outing by which they got here second-best within the Champions Cup this season, whereas their 9 tries final week will undoubtedly increase their confidence additional going into the conflict.
The Sharks will again themselves towards Edinburgh in what is going to mark the second time the edges meet in Durban in three weeks after the Durbanites beat the Scottish outfit 23-13 within the Vodacom URC on the finish of March.
John Plumtree’s fees are additionally on a three-match successful streak within the Problem Cup – the place they’ve solely suffered one defeat to 2 by Edinburgh – and in Durban respectively, the place they registered victories towards Ulster and Edinburgh within the URC earlier than outplaying Zebre within the European showpiece final week.
The hosts may even take consolation from the truth that they boast a superior assault having scored 28 tries of their 5 matches to Edinburgh’s 20, whereas they may draw enormous inspiration from their passionate crowd as they proceed to sway their fortunes after a bitterly disappointing begin to the season.
Champions Cup quarter-finals:
Saturday, 13 April
Bordeaux vs Harlequins, Bordeaux, 4pm
Leinster vs La Rochelle, Dublin, 5.30pm
Northampton vs Bulls, Franklin’s Gardens, 8pm
Sunday, 14 April
Toulouse vs Exeter, Toulouse, 4pm
Problem Cup quarter-finals:
Friday, 12 April
Gloucester vs Ospreys, Gloucester, 8pm
Saturday, 13 April
Sharks vs Edinburgh, Durban, 1.30pm
Clermont v Ulster, Clermont, 1.30pm
Sunday, 14 April
Benetton vs Connacht, Treviso, 1.30pm
Picture: @Springboks/Twitter
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