The Vodacom Bulls desire to fight a war on two fronts has left them in a bit of a quandary ahead of a massive Carling Currie Cup game in Bloemfontein.
The weekend’s loss by the Toyota Cheetahs to the Airlink Pumas means that the home side will host the Bulls in a top-of-the-table clash needing five points and to deny the Bulls a bonus point if they want to finish top of the log.
The Bulls have already made it abundantly clear that they want to win a third consecutive Currie Cup and part of that is ensuring they get a home semifinal and possibly final if they make it that far.
The first part has already been done, but their success in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship meant the side left for Dublin with 28 players on Sunday, and will have to send a very inexperienced side to Bloemfontein to face the Cheetahs.
In a way the Bulls have gambled on this and come up trumps. For one they are backing a mixture of junior, club and professional players to go do a job for them in Bloemfontein where they will be firm underdogs.
But the manner of the game means the Cheetahs will need to play expansive rugby and that creates opportunities for counter-attack.
The Bulls would have strategised that if, in an open game, they can score four tries, that’s all they need to finish top of the log.
The idea that those who miss out on the Dublin trip have a job to do will be drummed into their heads and there is no doubt the Bulls have some talented youngsters on whom they can rely.
Just a few weeks ago they put out a second string side against what was basically the Sigma Lions’ full-strength side and won a highly entertaining game with a bonus point.
So Gert Smal - who will oversee the side’s trip to Bloemfontein - will know that backing the youngsters can provide great reward if things go right.
And if they don’t, well then the Bulls will be back at full strength when it comes to the final of the competition.
But for now, it means that talent like WJ Steenkamp, Richard Kriel, Marco Janse van Rensburg, Juan Mostert and Jaco Labuschagne will have a chance to shine and to prove themselves against one of the form teams in the competition.
Whether the Bulls continue to back their youth at URC level could be a determining factor whether Bismarck du Plessis leads the team or not into battle, or whether he heads to Dublin.
Either way the Cheetahs are likely to start as firm favourites. But the Bulls will be targeting that solitary point, which makes for a fascinating match.