It has been a superb start to the season for the Border Bulldogs as they opened their Absa Currie Cup qualifying campaign with two big wins against the Lions and Sharks.
After their surprise win in Johannesburg over a week ago, they followed it up on Friday night with a bonus point win over the Sharks at a packed BCM Stadium.
However, Border coach Elliot Fana is staying grounded and wants this to be the start of a new era for the team.
“It is early days to say that I am happy with how things are going. Yes, I am pleased with the good start and hopefully going forward we can keep the momentum, but happy is not the right phrase because we are a work in progress and still have much to do,” said Fana.
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to the Eastern Province Kings, who they will be taking on at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday afternoon.
The Kings head into the match without a win in two games so far – and with a strong and confident Border outfit ready to attack, the home team should be wary of their neighbours.
“It is an Eastern Cape derby which always brings some excitement,” said Fana.
“The Kings come into this game with a good history over us and we are hoping to change that around.
“To do that we have to be humble, we have to be focused and we have to keep doing the right things that have given us this good start.”
It has been a while since Border have got one over their neighbours and they will be eager to take advantage of their current form.
The form of certain players such as Border wing Makazole Mapimpi, who received special praise from the coach after his four-try effort against the Sharks, will also be relied upon to gain a positive result.
“I need to make note of the performance of Makazole Mapimpi,” said Fana.
“I am full of praise for him because as much as it was a team effort, in this scenario it is of paramount importance to recognise a superb performance as it is not often that you score four tries in a match and we want the other guys to learn from him and give us a performance that is close or even better than that.”
Also of interest to the Border team will be that their match is a curtain-raiser to the Super Rugby clash between the Kings and Lions.
Two former Border players, scrumhalf Ntando Kebe and centre Lukhanyo Am, who both featured for the Bulldogs last year, could be in action for the Kings against the Lions and they will inspire the current crop of Border players by showing them what they can achieve if they perform well.
“All of us have ambitions, which I am sure goes down to the players as well, and that they have ambitions to play rugby at a higher level than they are now, which would be Super Rugby level,” said Fana.
“So it is a great motivating factor for them to see players such as Ntando Kebe and Lukhanyo Am, who they used to brush shoulders with, playing at a higher level.
“Even the game between the Lions and Kings will motivate as both teams are playing an exciting brand of rugby and the players will look to learn a thing or two.”
Bulldogs to push Kings all the way
After their surprise win in Johannesburg over a week ago, they followed it up on Friday night with a bonus point win over the Sharks at a packed BCM Stadium.
However, Border coach Elliot Fana is staying grounded and wants this to be the start of a new era for the team.
“It is early days to say that I am happy with how things are going. Yes, I am pleased with the good start and hopefully going forward we can keep the momentum, but happy is not the right phrase because we are a work in progress and still have much to do,” said Fana.
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to the Eastern Province Kings, who they will be taking on at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday afternoon.
The Kings head into the match without a win in two games so far – and with a strong and confident Border outfit ready to attack, the home team should be wary of their neighbours.
“It is an Eastern Cape derby which always brings some excitement,” said Fana.
“The Kings come into this game with a good history over us and we are hoping to change that around.
“To do that we have to be humble, we have to be focused and we have to keep doing the right things that have given us this good start.”
It has been a while since Border have got one over their neighbours and they will be eager to take advantage of their current form.
The form of certain players such as Border wing Makazole Mapimpi, who received special praise from the coach after his four-try effort against the Sharks, will also be relied upon to gain a positive result.
“I need to make note of the performance of Makazole Mapimpi,” said Fana.
“I am full of praise for him because as much as it was a team effort, in this scenario it is of paramount importance to recognise a superb performance as it is not often that you score four tries in a match and we want the other guys to learn from him and give us a performance that is close or even better than that.”
Also of interest to the Border team will be that their match is a curtain-raiser to the Super Rugby clash between the Kings and Lions.
Two former Border players, scrumhalf Ntando Kebe and centre Lukhanyo Am, who both featured for the Bulldogs last year, could be in action for the Kings against the Lions and they will inspire the current crop of Border players by showing them what they can achieve if they perform well.
“All of us have ambitions, which I am sure goes down to the players as well, and that they have ambitions to play rugby at a higher level than they are now, which would be Super Rugby level,” said Fana.
“So it is a great motivating factor for them to see players such as Ntando Kebe and Lukhanyo Am, who they used to brush shoulders with, playing at a higher level.
“Even the game between the Lions and Kings will motivate as both teams are playing an exciting brand of rugby and the players will look to learn a thing or two.”
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