Border travel to Outeniqua Park in George to face the SWD Eagles on Friday afternoon in the SA Rugby Shield with a mission to come back with maximum points and register their second victory of the campaign.
This will put them in the driver’s seat on the log standings and will make things easier in their last two matches in East London.
After three rounds, Border have nine points and are trailing table-topping Boland (12 points) and SWD on 10 points.
The coaching brains at Border have made three changes to the starting 15 that beat Eastern Province away in Despatch last week.
Sibabalwe Matshini replaces Alizwa Majila in the number six jersey, Lakheni Majali comes in for Amzisile Bukani at inside centre and Siphenathi April will be on the right wing in place of Xhobani Sithetho, who has been moved to the bench.
Discipline is the word that has probably been in the coaches’ vocabulary all week ahead of the tussle with the SWD.
It is what let them down in the reverse fixture at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium a fortnight ago. In that encounter, Border received three yellow cards.
Those sin bins proved crucial as the SWD accelerated the scoreboard every time the Baby Bulldogs had a player off the field for 10 minutes.
In the EP game, Border had better discipline in penalties conceded but they still had a player yellow-carded.
But positives were their flying start against EP, chalking up 20-plus points in the first 40 minutes.
They will want to replicate that in the SWD game.
But if they let the Eagles into the game with their flamboyant backline and relentless forwards, they will be in trouble.
That proved the case last week when the Eagles shocked Boland who were deemed the favourites before the game.
Boland will play Border’s provincial neighbours EP in the other fixture of the southern team’s log.
EP head coach Shaun “Trok” Oliver rates Boland highly and knows his team will have to be firing on all cylinders to upset the champions in their backyard.
“Boland rely a lot on their back three, and they lay solid foundations at the set piece,” he said.
“They are a good team who are the defending champions and they are a balanced outfit.”
The top two teams in the table will proceed to the semifinal.
The winner will face the top-seeded team from the north-based unions, Griffons, Griquas, Limpopo Blue Bulls and Valke.
Daily Dispatch
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