From the Official Blue Buls site. Spies and Stegmann declared fit.

Vodacom Bllue Bulls Players Pierre Spies and Deon Stegmann passed fitness tests on Tuesday and will be availible for selection to play the Sharks in Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup Semi-final clash. The team will ve announced on Wednesday.

Beware of Bulls super locks

Free State have their powerful props, Western Province their sizzling centres and the Sharks a tough loose forward combination, but it’s debatable whether any of them will have as big an impact on Saturday’s Currie Cup semifinals as the Blue Bulls’ super locks.

The Blue Bulls travel to Durban with the most experienced lock pairing to date in Test rugby, another lock that has represented his country more than 50 times and a young lock that played his way into the Springboks’ starting line-up.

On top of that it was clear from Tuesday’s lineout session at Loftus B that the Blue Bulls will travel to Durban with a number of tricks up their sleeve.

The Sharks will have to concentrate on where the Bulls throw and how the possession will be put to use after that.

Front, back, middle, short, full lineouts, driving play, quick possession in the scrumhalf’s hands, tearaway moves – everything was practised.

Lineout possession offered the Bulls the ideal platform to get their backline into the game quickly against Griquas on Saturday and the try by wing Jaco van der Westhuyzen was an example of how simple a try can be made to look if the execution is clinical.

The real value and success of the plans against the Sharks will only be visible on Saturday, but judging by the satisfaction of Bulls captain and lineout supremo Victor Matfield, there is a huge tick behind this aspect of the defending champions’ game.

A lot of time was also devoted to Matfield’s other favourite pastime – to make opponents’ ball unplayable, to turn it over or just be a nuisance at the lineouts.

Whoever mans the Sharks’ engine room can brace themselves for serious competition at lineout time.

Other teams, like the All Blacks (when Matfield and Bakkies Botha wear the Green and Gold) have found ways of breaking their grip.

Quick lineouts and throw-ins between the hooker and front prop were used just as much as taking on the two legends.

The Sharks would also have studied those tactics, but whether it will be possible to constantly take quick lineouts in the searing heat and try and run their way out of trouble, is another question. Such a tactic can easily backfire.

The Sharks will have to look for the touchline at times, but this may have the same effect of feeding a hungry Lion little bits of meat.

Some serious thought will have to be devoted to this in Durban.

The Bulls, by contrast, already know what they will do.

Matfield summed it up as follows: “It’s about coming up with something new every year, and at the same time ensuring that you retain the basic principles of the game. The team has been together for almost 10 years, so we know what works for us and where it works. There is no uncertainty in what we want to do. We just look for improvement every week.”