It is a vital two-week period for the Border Bulldogs now as they get ready for their final two matches of the 2018 SuperSport Rugby Challenge pool stages.
The Bulldogs head into the testing period off a heavy 52-24 loss against the unbeaten defending champs Western Province in Cape Town this past weekend. They will have to pick themselves up ahead of their matches against the SWD Eagles and EP Elephants over the next two weekends.
“It was a difficult match against Western Province, we struggled upfront with the forwards and our defence was not good in the second half,” explained Bulldogs coach Tiger Mangweni.
“We actually had a good first half, we put them under a lot of pressure, but we then lost concentration in the second half.”The Bulldogs now have two more matches left in the pool stage of the competition, against the SWD Eagles on Friday night and next week Sunday against the EP Elephants.
Having only managed a bonus point for tries scored against WP, the Bulldogs sit well off the pace for a qualifying spot, trailing the Boland Cavaliers by six points and Eagles by five, with both those teams having a game in hand on them, meaning qualification is out of their hands.
“We aren’t really thinking about qualification for the playoffs,” admitted Mangweni.
“Yes it is still a possibility, but we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.
“It is an important two-week period, as a team we need to get as much game time in as possible and we want to end the competition on a high, whether it is at the end of the pool stage or if we get into the playoffs.
“But all we want is to keep improving and growing as a team in every match we play and to build up towards the next competition which will be the Currie Cup First Division later in the season.”
Against the Eagles, the Bulldogs will have to be up for a battle, having gone down to them 38-20 in George and will have to overturn that result on Friday.
They have already done it this season, turning their heavy first loss against the Cavaliers into a comfortable win and they will now look to do the same against the Eagles.
“The guys are looking forward to the game, SWD are a strong side and they beat us well last time, but I think we have improved since then and it will be a totally different game on Friday night,” said Mangweni.
Following Friday’s match, the Bulldogs will then host a SuperSport Rugby Challenge Festival at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane on June 17 to end off their pool stage campaign.
The Bulldogs will be taking on the Elephants, the Sharks will be up against the Griquas and a club match will also be played on a full day of rugby action.
“The people of Mdantsane always turn out in their numbers when we play there, it is a wonderful atmosphere and lifts the players,” claimed Mangweni.
“So we are really looking forward to the occasion.”..