Both the Phakisa Pumas and the Vodacom Blue Bulls are in trouble, as neither of them have won a game in their 2019 Currie Cup campaign thus far.

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The stakes are high. As a result, a clash of titans is to be expected when the two teams meet at Mbombela Stadium at 19:15, tonight. It is now or never. The odds are, however, in the Pumas’s favour, not only because of their home-ground advantage, but because their last two clashes against the Xerox Golden Lions and the Tafel Lager Griquas ended in a fight to the finish.

The Lions beat the Pumas 38-37 in their first game of the season at Emirates Airline Park, and they narrowly lost 37-29 to the Griquas in Kimberley last weekend. The Bulls have, however, suffered successive losses of a 43-27 against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, and 20-5 against DHL Western Province.
Another defeat for either teams could be their final blow, as chances of reaching a semi-final hang in the balance. The last time these two teams met was in Mbombela, where the Pumas outscored the Blue Bulls by four tries to two and dominated for much of the game in the SuperSport Challenge. But the Currie Cup is a different ball game.

Springbok fly-half Marnitz Boshoff will be in the starting lineup as fly-half, joined by fellow Springbok Marco van Staden in the loose trio for the Bulls. Coach Jimmy Stonehouse made five changes to the starting line-up. Jeandre Rudolph will start in the number eight jersey, and Willie Engelbrecht in the number seven jersey after Carel du Preez sustained an injury during practice earlier this week.

Francois Kleynhans will play in the number six jersey. Ashlon Davids will be in the starting line-up, with Reynier van Rooyen dropping down to the bench. Jacobus Marais will start at fly-half, and Chris Smith will start on the bench. Ryan Nell will once again captain the team.
The Pumas cannot afford any lapses in concentration. The right decisions must be made on the field. Errors must not be made. It all comes down to the Pumas playing 80 minutes of total rugby against the Vodacom Blue Bulls.
Tickets are available at the ticket office or Computicket at R50 for adults and R10 for children.

Here is the team: Pumas announce squad for Blue Bulls encounter