Border Bulldogs assistant coach Lungisa Kama says they have put what happened in the SA Cup earlier in the season behind them and are now focused on taking the team as far as the knockout stages in the Currie Cup First Division.
The short-term goal would be to start with a positive result over the Leopards in the competition’s opener at Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Saturday.
The First Division will be played in a single-round of matches and the top-four sides will clash in the semifinals on the weekend of July 19.
The final is scheduled for the weekend after, when the Currie Cup Premier Division kicks off.
The Leopards, together with the Griffons, Eastern Province, Valke and SWD Eagles, are the other teams in the competition and are, on paper, considered to be on the same level as Border.
Border will take some heart from their last two clashes against the Leopards, which were decided by margins of three and two points, respectively.
Even the Leopards’ camp indicated during the week that they were wary of underestimating the Bulldogs.
“It was all because of missed opportunities that we lost those games against the Leopards,” Kama said.
“We will have to be clinical at the weekend and get a win and start the competition on the right track, because like any team, we want to be there at the end. And that all starts on Saturday,” he said.
Kama said they had no new acquisitions, with the same faces who lost all their games in the SA Cup turning out.
They will, however, add some players from the union’s clubs to bulk up certain positions as the tournament continues.
“We are trying to build continuation from the SA Cup, which needs patience, of course, with what we are trying to do with the team,” he said.
With heavy rains having lashed the East London region on Monday and Tuesday, Kama said the team was unable to train to full stretch in their preparations.
And on top of that, they were unable to play friendlies since the SA Cup concluded due to the mandatory resting protocol.
This is an arrangement between players and their union to schedule rest periods at different times during the season.
Former Springboks Women’s mentor Kama also said they were waiting for a report from their medical team relating to some players who would take late fitness assessments, so the team’s starting line-up was delayed.
“We had a squad all ready, but due to injuries, I think we will be forced to make some changes. But we are still waiting to hear from the doctors,” Kama said on Thursday afternoon.
Daily Dispatch
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