After pulling off a giant-killing act against champions Gardens in their opening match, Park will be hunting for another EPRU Grand Challenge Top 12 club rugby scalp when they face the Brumbies on Saturday.
Park showed their fighting spirit when they fought back to upset Gardens, after the champions had opened what appeared to be a match-winning 17-0 lead early on.
Brumbies, who reached the EC Super 14 semifinals earlier this season, emerged with a narrow 42-36 win over Joubertina United in their last outing.
With the Top 12 set to be split into top six and bottom six sections after the opening round of 11 matches, Saturday’s clash at Londt Park is a high-stakes affair for both teams (kickoff 3.30pm).
Playing at home in front of their passionate fans at Londt Park could swing the odds in the favour of Park in what is expected to be a close contest.
“Because of the decision to divide the league into two groups after the first round, it is important to end in the top six,” Park coach Marius van der Walt said.
“We don’t know what to expect, but it will be tough to come up from the bottom six. So if you are on a good run of form, you have to keep it going.
“You will have to beat one of the top four at least once just to qualify, so it will be very tough.”
Van der Walt says Park will play an exciting brand of rugby in the Top 12 and try to keep the ball in hand.
“We have some young and exciting backs, and we will keep the ball in hand a little bit more, as one could see from some of the tries we scored against Gardens.”
Brumbies also favour a ball-in-hand approach, so fans at Londt Park could be treated to a spectacle of running rugby.
Asked about his team’s philosophy to the game, Brumbies coach Unathi Kongwana said: “Running rugby is in our DNA, and that is what Brumbies are all about. That is how we plan to play the whole time, and we cannot run away from that style because it is in us.”
In another key clash, Gardens will be looking to bounce back with a win when they travel to Humansdorp to face Kruisfontein United at the Sports Complex.
Kruisfontein, who kicked off their Grand Challenge campaign with a 26-13 win over Jeffreys Bay, will be a tough nut for Gardens to crack on home turf.
After starting with an impressive 46-10 win over Hankey Villagers, Harlequins face Trying Stars in their second match at the Adcock Stadium.
Beaten Super 14 finalists Progress are favoured to emerge with the points when they host Jeffreys Bay at the Central Field in Kariega.
Fixtures (all 3.30pm kickoffs):
Top 12:
- Harlequins v Trying Stars,
- Park v Brumbies,
- Progress v Jeffreys Bay,
- Joubertina United v Hankey Villagers,
- Kruisfontein United v Gardens
Middle 12:
- United Barbarians v Kwaru,
- Motherwell v Central,
- Kirkwood v Despatch Oostelikes,
- Evergreens v Missionvale,
- African Bombers v Spring Rose,
- Suburban v Born Fighters
Bottom 12:
- Despatch v Helenvale,
- Orlando Eagles v Kareedouw Tigers,
- Lily White v Windvogel,
- Adelaide Rangers v St Marks,
- Klipfontein v Police-Crusaders,
- Middelburg Excelsior v Middelburg
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