You will have to go a long way to find a rugby match, in fact any sporting event in South Africa, that can claim such a disproportionate share of the spotlight.

Not many Test matches were sold out this year and that included those against the Springboks' arch rivals, the All Blacks.

The Currie Cup Final was sold out within an hour of tickets going up for public sale.

It remains one of the biggest events on the calendar and Loftus Versfeld on Saturday will be awash with fervent blue-clad, flag-waving fans ... with only splatterings of the Free State Cheetahs' orange to be seen.

Add to that a host of Springboks from the all-conquering South African national team - 10 of those in the Blue Bulls matchday 22 - and it is easy to see why this game has been billed as a 'test' match.

It will be a true test of the players' ability to cope under the most intense pressure.

As Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said: "Finals are about pressure."

Ludeke, who already tasted success by winning the Super 14 with the Bulls earlier this year, will be hoping to become only the second South African coach to win a Super Rugby title and Currie Cup crown in one year.

The first was Kitch Christie, who saw his Transvaal (now Golden Lions) team make a clean sweep in 1993 - Super 10, Currie Cup, Night Series and Lion Cup.

Ludeke's task is perhaps a lot more complicated, as the game has moved on considerably in the 16 years since. For starters, it is now a professional sport, a full-time occupation.

The Bulls mentor spoke of the need for the players to continue to back their teammates, and "keep it up for 80 minutes."

Most pundits this week also spoke of the importance of the set pieces.

And that is certainly one aspect of the Cheetahs' game that will give the Bulls a few sleepless nights.

"The whole season their set pieces were good - they have a very good, solid pack of forwards," Ludeke told this website.

But the Cheetahs are by no means a one-dimensional team.

"From broken play they are also very dangerous, they are good at getting the ball into space and put the opposition under pressure, while they are obviously also very good at the breakdown," Ludeke said.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské was also in a complimentary mood this week when quizzed about the Bulls.

Even though most pundits believe the Cheetahs' front row could be their trump card, Drotské is not convince the scrums are a safe bet for the Cheetahs to win.

"The Bulls showed in the semifinal against Western Province they can scrum," Drotské told iafrica.com.

"However, the last five years we have targeted other teams' set pieces - their scrums and line-outs.

"We will certainly continue doing that - even if they have Victor Matfield, we will still target their line-out.

"That is something that is part of our game plan every week."

Other experts also agree that the game could develop into a brutal forward battle.

Springbok forwards Juan Smith (Free State Cheetahs) and Chiliboy Ralepelle (Blue Bulls), who will both miss the Final due to injury, told a media gathering on Thursday that the two packs will decide the outcome.

"If we [Free State Cheetahs] are not physical enough up front we could have serious problems," Smith told the media gathering in Johannesburg.

"We have to match them in set pieces and have to make sure we don't concede unnecessary penalties. The team that makes the most mistakes will come up short.

"In a Final, teams are very closely matched and the game is not actually flashy. It's about playing winning rugby, because the scoreboard is all that counts."

Ralepelle agreed with Smith and added: "We really worked hard on our scrums this week as this battle will be won up front," he said.

"We know we have to set a good platform up front for the backs to get some good attacking ball and guys like Pierre Spies to shine from the back. Finals are always very close games.

"The Cheetahs have Jaques Potgieter and we have Morné Steyn, so I believe it will be a big battle between the two, especially if the teams give away easy penalties."

One page two, we look at the players to watch, our prediction as well as the respective line-ups.

Page: 1 of 2 - next

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