Vodacom Bulls will be hoping to end Union Bordeaux-Begles' eight-match winning run when the sides meet at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday at 15:00 (SA Time) in Round 4 of the Investec Champions Cup.
The TOP14 club’s winning streak includes bonus-point victories in all three of their Pool 1 matches so far, positioning them atop the pool and already in the knockout stage ahead of Round 4.
While they will no doubt want to secure top billing with a win in South Africa, they need only one point to secure home advantage in the next phase of the competition.
Vodacom Bulls also need a point, but that is to qualify for the next round, currently, they sit third in the pool on 10 points and need Lyon to lose while winning themselves if they want a home advantage in the Round of 16.
The game in South Africa will be a big test of Union Bordeaux-Begles' title credentials - they have been one of the standout teams in the tournament so far but will face a difficult challenge in new surroundings.
The United Rugby Championship club will also have several big-hitters returning to the XV, having picked up a bonus-point win at Bristol Bears last week with some rotation.
“It is a catch-22 because when do you rest and when don’t you rest them?” Vodacom Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White said ahead of their Round 3 game.
“The reality is they need to be given an eight-week break. This doesn’t mean we prioritise the one competition over the other because we have big ambitions for both,
“I decided on giving the mass a rest, for Bristol Bears, because they play better as a combination, so I’d rather have them together than one and not the other.”