Loftus Versfeld is historically a graveyard for visiting teams, but none more so than for the northern hemisphere sides in the United Rugby Championship.
Having conquered Hollywoodbets Kings Park last week to earn their fifth win in South Africa, Connacht have now set their sights on becoming the first European challenger to beat the Vodacom Bulls at their Loftus Versfeld fortress.
Since the Vodacom Bulls beat Munster 29-14 in round 6 of the 2021-22 season, they have gone on a 13-game winning run at home against teams from the north.
Most recently, Jake White's side put nine tries past Scarlets to earn a 63-12 victory in the opening round of the season. That was the third game in a row that the Vodacom Bulls scored more than 60 points against a European team, having beaten Leinster (62-7) and Zebre (78-12) in the final two rounds of last season.
It is the first match back on the Highveld for the Bulls since defeating Scarlets in their season opener, a result that preceded a gruelling four-week tour to Europe that yielded two wins and two losses.
With temperatures expected to be hovering around 30 degrees when the match kicks off at 17:00 (SA Time). Connacht will have to find a way to keep cool heads if they are to extend their excellent record in South Africa and avoid being buried by the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
Connacht overcame the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban, fighting to claim a 13-12 victory and punishing an error-prone performance from the winless hosts.
The result marked Connacht's fifth URC victory in 10 matches in South Africa as they snapped a four-game slump in the Republic.
“I think it's a massive win,” said Connacht defence coach and former Wallabies forward Scott Fardy, who is well-acquainted with the challenges of playing in South Africa from his time with the Western Force and Brumbies.
“Durban is a difficult place to come to after a long week of travel, distractions and lots of things," said the Australian. "It was great to win our opening game in South Africa, but for us that doesn't ease any pressure heading into Saturday against the Vodacom Bulls.”
Their latest victory in Durban has put Connacht among the more successful European teams when it comes to playing in South Africa, but their next mission is unenviable.