WP brace themselves for Bloem danger

CURRIE CUP SPOTLIGHT: Western Province hooker Bongi Mbonambi believes the Cheetahs will try and run his team ragged in their crucial Round Six encounter in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The Cheetahs are coming off an impressive 37-10 win over the Sharks and they will be looking for another big scalp this coming weekend.

With WP being a team that largely relies on physical and forward-orientated rugby, the Cheetahs could use their pace out wide to get the better of their opponents and that is what Mbonambi is expecting.

“I think that will be the plan, especially with the back three that they have,” said Mbonambi.

“We will definitely have to work on that and work hard on setting our defence and make sure that when we do get opportunities, we capitalise on them.”

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WP forwards coach Rito Hlungwani said his team will be prepared for whatever game plan the Cheetahs will adopt.

“We train for the worst-case scenarios, so we believe we are always prepared,” said the coach.

“We always prepare well for whatever the team is going to throw at us. Whether they come with a fast-paced game or a power game we believe we prepare really well and we analyse teams really well enough for us to try and handle what they are going to bring to the table.”

Meanwhile, Mbonambi believes desperation in the Cheetahs camp will also be a big factor some Saturday.

“They are obviously under pressure. Maybe they haven’t been given a fair chance to play in most of the competitions and they are a very desperate team and that makes them dangerous, especially when they play at home.

“I think they got their tails up, so I think it’s going to be a difficult challenge for us, but we will definitely be up for it,” the Bok hooker added.

With two rounds left to play before the play-offs, the Bulls top the table with 35 points, leaving Western Province (31), Lions (29), Sharks (28) and Cheetahs (26) fighting for three play-off places.