“We can do it,” This was the simple answer that the coach of the Steval Pumas, Jimmy Stonehouse gave when asked if the team will qualify for an Absa Currie Cup semi-final place.

It all comes down to the Pumas playing 80 minutes of total rugby against the Vodacom Blue Bulls and 80 minutes of total rugby against the EP Kings.

The Blue Bulls match is basically a quarter-final. The Pumas cannot afford any lapses in concentration. The right decisions must be made on the field. Errors must not be made.

It is a tall order but Stonehouse, and assistant coach MJ Mentz, were confident it was one that can be delivered, at the announcement of the team late yesterday afternoon.

“We must be accurate from the beginning (against the Blue Bulls) and not let them get in front of us. If we get our line outs, our scrums, put the points on the board, we will win this one,” said Stonehouse.

Mentz agreed. “We must hit the ground running and minimize mistakes. We must be up there for 80 minutes,” he said.

Captain Corné Steenkamp knows the team owes the fans big. “We have only ourselves to blame the past three games. We need to fix that,” said a very serious Steenkamp.

It seems the team knows they have dug a hole for themselves and are determined to fight their way out of it.

Stonehouse was matter-of-fact in explaining the only change in the run-on team. Justin van Staden will start at flyhalf. JC Roos is dropped from the 22-man squad.

“JC (Roos) was off (against Western Province) and had a poor first half. We will play Justin van Staden who had an excellent second half,“ he stated.

Coenie van Wyk will warm the bench. Although he has usually plays full back, he is a capable fly half. In May he came off the bench in the Vodacom Cup quarter-final against Western Province, in the number-ten position, and kicked a late, vital penalty.

Either the Steval Pumas or the Vodacom Blue Bulls will be knocked out of the Currie Cup on Friday night. The seriousness of the situation was clearly evident at Tuesday evening’s practice.

After a superb start to the campaign the Pumas have let themselves and their supporters down.

They are obsessed to prove a point. Be at Mbombela Stadium on Friday night to watch them do so.

Tickets on sale at Computicket, at the stadium and at the Pumas offices at Sonpark. The match starts at 19:00.

Steval Pumas.

1. Corné Fourie
2. Frank Herne
3. Vincent Koch
4. Lubabalo Mtyanda
5. Marius Coetzer
6. Corné Steenkamp (captain)
7. Jaco Bouwer
8. Renaldo Bothma
9. Reynier van Rooyen
10. Justin van Staden
11. Rosko Specman
12. Stefan Watermeyer
13. JW Jonker
14. Ruwellyn Isbell
15. JW Bell
16. Francois du Toit
17. DeJay Terblanche
18. Uzair Cassiem
19. RW kember
20. Dylon Frylinck
21. Coenie van Wyk
22.  Jerome Pretorius