Pretoria Bulls vs Cheetahs Prediction: Visitors to bounce back

After their surprise 40-10 defeat to the Griquas last weekend, the Cheetahs will be looking for a quick response when they take on the Pretoria Bulls in the Currie Cup on Saturday (18:05 BST).

The Cheetahs are still holding on to the final semi-final spot after collecting 21 points from their opening six matches, while the Bulls are playing only for pride after losing four matches in a row. Below are my Pretoria Bulls vs Cheetas predictions, as well as all the essential team news and match odds.

Team News

South Africa loose forward Marcell Coetzee will lead a new-look Bulls team in their final Currie Cup clash of the campaign.

Coach Johan Ackermann, who has stepped in to manage the transition between the Currie Cup and the United Rugby Championship, has named an experienced team with Johan Grobbelaar, Embrose Papier, David Kriel and Devon Williams all starting.

Jan Serfontein will also play for the Bulls for the first time in eight years after his departure from Montpellier. Keagan Johannes starts at fly-half, while Cheswill Jooste gets the nod at outside centre as he looks to make a big impression.

The Bulls are without a total of 24 players due to injury, but Nama Xaba, Cobus Wiese and Stedman Gans have all been named on the bench.

Cheetahs pair Prince Nkabinde and Marco Janse van Vuren penned new contracts in the week and will feature from the start this weekend.

Cameron Dawson comes into the front row in place of Hencus van Wyk, while John Kelly Okonkwo could make his debut from off the bench.

Pretoria Bulls vs Cheetahs Odds

The Bulls are strong favourites at 2/7 to end their campaign on a high, while the Cheetahs are available at 18/5 for an upset. With these two playing out a 34-34 thriller last August in Bloemfontein, another draw is on offer at 25/1.

Cheetahs to win @ 18/5

Ackermann has already confirmed he is using Saturday's game as a yardstick for future battles, and his team's recent form suggests they will struggle.

The Bulls are without so many of their first-team stars, and their results tell the tale. They have conceded 40 points or more in three of their last four games, and they failed to score more than 10 in two of those defeats.

The Cheetahs had won four matches in a row before their 40-10 defeat to the Griquas and that may serve as a stark reminder at this crucial stage.

They need to win to book a top-four spot, and they should have too much class for the Bulls, who are going to lack cohesion and rhythm with so many players on the sidelines.

Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn will expect his team to showcase their class from the outset, and they can register their fourth win in the last six meetings at a great price at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

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