It could be their last match of the season or maybe not, depending on the result in Cape Town on Saturday, but it will be worth the while for the Vodacom Blue Bulls to play as if it their last Currie Cup game anyway when they take on the Leopards at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
Their fans deserve it, the coaches deserve it and the team needs it.
They have to finish the season that promised so much a couple of months ago, on a high to justify the time, resources and energy that was spent on them.
In a way, it is payback time for the Vodacom Blue Bulls players to acknowledge their fans and the Loftus faithful who sat through what turned out to be a very disappointing season.
Even more so for Gary Botha, who will play at Loftus Versfeld for the last time in his distinguished Blue Bulls career. The Toulouse bound rake had been a real servant to the game to the Light Blues and would love nothing more than to finish his career on a winning note.
There is not much to play for either for the Leopards, but pride. The Leon Boshoff coached side has shown themselves to be a competitive unit, who played hard and fair and never gave up. They will also be playing their last Currie Cup match in a while, as the new format will see the Leopards drop down to the First Division in 2012. What better way to finish your season by beating the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld?
The teams are:
Vodacom Blue Bulls: Zane Kirchner, Akona Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Francois Venter, Bjorn Basson, Louis Fouché, Jano Vermaak, CJ Stander, Jacques Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Juandré Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha (c) , Dean Greyling. Replacements: Willie Wepener, Frik Kirsten, Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Arno Botha, Justin Dinka, Francois Brummer, Jurgen Visser.
Leopards: Hofmann Maritz, Danie Dames, Charl Weideman, Joubert Engelbrecht ©, Vainon Willis, Wesley Dunlop, Johann Laker; Robert Kruger, MB Lusaseni, Philip de Wet, Brendon Snyman, Brad Mockford, Dewald Coetzee, Gavin Williamson, Jean-Jacques Rossouw. Replacements: Marius Fourie, Bush Mxunyelwa, Bêrend Botha, Spanner Pretorius, George Tossel, Clayton Durand, Jovan Bowles.
Referee: Stuart Berry
Kick-off: 19h10