For the first time ever, the semi-finals will feature a South African derby, a historic occasion that adds extra significance to the clash.

The Sharks, who have reached the semi-finals for the first time, will also travel to the capital city with confidence, having completed the double over the Bulls during the round-robin stage. In December, the Sharks beat the Bulls 20-17 at Kings’ Park in Durban, while in February they claimed a 29-19 victory in Pretoria.

The Bulls, however, have the advantage of experience in URC semi-finals, having reached this stage twice before, and on both occasions, they progressed to the final.

The Sharks, on the other hand, claimed the EPCR Challenge Cup last year and will certainly draw on that experience heading into Saturday’s match. The Bulls are particularly motivated for this knockout encounter following their defeat in last year’s final.

Versatile Bulls back Keagan Johannes says the team is focusing on building from their strong second-half showing against Edinburgh.

“It’s playoffs – semi-finals – so everyone has a role to play, and the mood in the camp is really good,” said Johannes, who scored a try and added ten points with the boot in last weekend’s quarter-final.

“Everyone’s focused on their job, and we know we just need to win these games – then everything will fall into place. I think if everyone understands their role and executes it properly, things will go even better.

“That second-half performance against Edinburgh has really lifted the vibe in the squad.”

Saturday’s semi-final at Loftus Versfeld kicks off at 18:15.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg