Border coach expects nothing but victory over Leopards

The Border Bulldogs will face the Leopards in Potchefstroom in their final match of the Currie Cup First Division and coach Lumumba Currie says they are physically ready, while emphasising there are areas to improve on.

Currie’s side showed how well conditioned they are in their win against the Falcons last week, playing until the last minute and having stronger legs in the latter stages compared to their opponents.

They were also able to go toeto-toe with the bigger Falcons players.

The side from Kempton Park is known for imposing themselves physically and prefer running into contact with the ball in hand.

The Bulldogs took the hits from the powerful Falcons forwards, and also dished out some bone-crunching tackles.

Heading into the weekend’s encounter, their coach trusts they will be ready for the physical contest that will be brought by the North West union.

The Leopards are the log leaders in the First Division and will be confident when they square off with the Bulldogs, who have been below par on the road in 2021.

They lost by huge margins to Boland and SWD.

The Leopards’ downfall on the road has been due their decision-making and ill-discipline and the visit to Potchefstroom won’t be a smooth one.

The last time the Bulldogs played the Leopards at Olen Park, they suffered a narrow 3829 loss.

With this at the back of his mind, Currie is backing his side to get a victory this time around.

“Going to Potch, is not going to be an easy ride,” said Currie.

“It’s always tough away, and we have battled playing away games.

“But then we need to be prepared mentally and physically.

“I believe we are there but there are a number of areas we need to fix so that when we go to the Leopards we are in good shape.

“If we double on the effort, surely we’ll come out with a positive.

“What we need to do is double up on our efforts and be more consistent.

“With the Leopards, all I’m expecting is another win; we are going out not to participate but to compete and look for another win,” Currie said.

A bonus-point win can see the Bulldogs finish in fourth place this season, which will be a huge improvement on 2019, when they were placed last.