The Vodacom Bulls and Sharks will attempt to advance to the Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup semi-finals, respectively, for the first time this weekend.

The Sharks will take the field first against Edinburgh at Kings Park in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals on Saturday after thumping Zebre Parma last week, while the Bulls take on Northampton Saints in England, following their comprehensive win against Lyon.

The Bulls will face a formidable force in the Saints, who are unbeaten in the competition this season and currently top the Premiership table with 10 victories in their 14 matches. They also boast a good track record at home, with only one defeat at Franklin’s Gardens this season.

The Pretoria outfit, however, will take confidence from the fact they suffered only one defeat in the competition, while their attacking statistics are marginally better with 25 tries to 22 by the Saints, and they will enter match well aware of the fact that this is a do-or-die clash and that they have everything to gain.

Fueling their motivation, they suffered a narrow 29-28 defeat against Lyon in France in the only outing in which they came second-best in the Champions Cup this season, while their nine tries last week will undoubtedly boost their confidence further going into the clash.

The Sharks will back themselves against Edinburgh in what will mark the second time the sides meet in Durban in three weeks after the Durbanites beat the Scottish outfit 23-13 in the Vodacom URC at the end of March.

John Plumtree’s charges are also on a three-match winning streak in the Challenge Cup – where they have only suffered one defeat to two by Edinburgh – and in Durban respectively, where they registered victories against Ulster and Edinburgh in the URC before outplaying Zebre in the European showpiece last week.

The hosts will also take comfort from the fact they boast a superior attack having scored 28 tries in their five matches to Edinburgh’s 20, while they will draw huge inspiration from their passionate crowd as they continue to sway their fortunes after a bitterly disappointing start to the season.

Champions Cup quarter-finals:

Saturday

• Bordeaux vs Harlequins, Bordeaux, 16:00
• Leinster vs La Rochelle, Dublin, 18:30
• Northampton vs Bulls, Franklin’s Gardens, 21:00

Sunday

• Toulouse vs Exeter, Toulouse, 16:00

Challenge Cup quarter-finals:

Friday

• Gloucester vs Ospreys, Gloucester, 21:00

Saturday

• Sharks vs Edinburgh, Durban, 13:30
• Clermont v Ulster, Clermont, 13:30

Sunday

• Benetton vs Connacht, Treviso, 13:30