AFTER picking up just one point in more than 400 minutes of rugby, fans of the Border Bulldogs will no doubt expect their battling heroes to come out guns blazing as they look to register their first Vodacom Cup win of the season.
This as the JP Immelman- coached Bulldogs host fellow strugglers the Regent Boland Cavaliers at the Buffalo City Stadium at 5pm today.
But, despite their poor run, the Bulldogs should draw confidence after picking up their first point of the competition when narrowly going down in Alice last weekend.
In a bid to stem the tide, the Bulldogs have made eight personnel changes with three positional switches to the team that did duty at the University of Fort Hare in Alice.
Team captain Gareth Krause said he hoped his charges would be able to go one better than last time out.
“This is one of those games that is a must- win for us. We go out to play like that every weekend but things just haven’t gone our way thus far this season.
“Hopefully we won’t make as many mistakes as we did in the previous games.
“We’ve also decided to tweak a couple of combinations here and there ahead of the Currie Cup.
“We know we won’t be competing for any playoffs so we’ve shifted the goalposts a little.”
Most of the changes have been made to the forward pack.
The loose-trio of Juan Bester, Siya Mdaka and Juan Pretorius makes way for fit again Brian Shabangu, Rynardt van Wyk and Shane Spring.
In the tight-five lock Alister Keet makes way for the fierce Nomani Tonga while Blake Kyd drops to the bench, making way for Dean Muir who comes in at hooker with Kwezi Mkhafu moving to loosehead prop.
In the backline, Karlo Aspeling makes way for Dale Sabbagh at flyhalf and moves to fullback with Ruan Jacobs replacing Lolo Waka at wing.
Meanwhile, Boland coach AB Davids, who has three former Bulldogs in his playing 22, said they were expecting a great deal of running rugby to be played tonight.
“Knowing and understanding Border and the attractive brand of running rugby they play, which is also our style, we are expecting a trilling game.
“Last weekend we had a good game against the Sharks XV and we are looking to run things around here in East London,” said Davids.
Boland have been rocked by injuries to key players from their opening games .
Bulldogs team is: Karlo Aspeling; Ruan Jacobs, Quinton Crocker (v-capt), Neill Jacobs, Jo Seerane; Dale Sabbagh, Sinovuyo Nyoka; Shane Spring, Rynardt van Wyk, Brian Shabangu, Nomani Tonga, Gareth Krause (capt), Wesley Cloete, Dean Muir, Kwezi Mkhafu.
Bulldogs set to bare their teeth
This as the JP Immelman- coached Bulldogs host fellow strugglers the Regent Boland Cavaliers at the Buffalo City Stadium at 5pm today.
But, despite their poor run, the Bulldogs should draw confidence after picking up their first point of the competition when narrowly going down in Alice last weekend.
In a bid to stem the tide, the Bulldogs have made eight personnel changes with three positional switches to the team that did duty at the University of Fort Hare in Alice.
Team captain Gareth Krause said he hoped his charges would be able to go one better than last time out.
“This is one of those games that is a must- win for us. We go out to play like that every weekend but things just haven’t gone our way thus far this season.
“Hopefully we won’t make as many mistakes as we did in the previous games.
“We’ve also decided to tweak a couple of combinations here and there ahead of the Currie Cup.
“We know we won’t be competing for any playoffs so we’ve shifted the goalposts a little.”
Most of the changes have been made to the forward pack.
The loose-trio of Juan Bester, Siya Mdaka and Juan Pretorius makes way for fit again Brian Shabangu, Rynardt van Wyk and Shane Spring.
In the tight-five lock Alister Keet makes way for the fierce Nomani Tonga while Blake Kyd drops to the bench, making way for Dean Muir who comes in at hooker with Kwezi Mkhafu moving to loosehead prop.
In the backline, Karlo Aspeling makes way for Dale Sabbagh at flyhalf and moves to fullback with Ruan Jacobs replacing Lolo Waka at wing.
Meanwhile, Boland coach AB Davids, who has three former Bulldogs in his playing 22, said they were expecting a great deal of running rugby to be played tonight.
“Knowing and understanding Border and the attractive brand of running rugby they play, which is also our style, we are expecting a trilling game.
“Last weekend we had a good game against the Sharks XV and we are looking to run things around here in East London,” said Davids.
Boland have been rocked by injuries to key players from their opening games .
Bulldogs team is: Karlo Aspeling; Ruan Jacobs, Quinton Crocker (v-capt), Neill Jacobs, Jo Seerane; Dale Sabbagh, Sinovuyo Nyoka; Shane Spring, Rynardt van Wyk, Brian Shabangu, Nomani Tonga, Gareth Krause (capt), Wesley Cloete, Dean Muir, Kwezi Mkhafu.
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