Force not scared of Bulls in Pretoria

The Western Force will be aiming to snap a four-match losing streak when they take on the Bulls in Pretoria this weekend.

The Western Force are adamant they have nothing to fear when they travel to Pretoria to take on the Bulls on Saturday.

The Bulls have built Loftus Versfeld into a fortress over the years, with visiting teams often struggling to win at the high-altitude venue.

But one team they haven't been able to scare is the Force, who have been highly competitive in their three visits to Pretoria.

In 2007, the Force notched a shock 30-27 win over the Bulls.

In 2009, they pushed the Bulls all the way before falling 32-29, while in 2013 (36-26 loss) they were by no means blown away.

The Bulls will start as the hottest of favourites on Saturday night, especially with the Force riding a four-match losing run that has already put a major dent in their finals hopes.

But Force scrumhalf Alby Mathewson said his team was quietly confident of causing an upset.

"It's not like we're worried about playing in Pretoria or anything like that," Mathewson said.

"We are confident we can go there and do the job.

"Confidence in the group is still high. We still believe in what we're doing and how we do it.

"It's just about getting rid of those little inaccuracies."

The Force opened their season on the best possible note with a bonus-point win over NSW in Sydney.

But four straight losses have seen the Force slump to 12th heading into tough games against the Bulls and Sharks (Durban).

Mathewson said although the players haven't been talking much about their precarious finals hopes, it still remained in the back of their minds.

"Obviously we would have liked to be in a better position than we are now," he said.

"But the back end of the season is heavily loaded with home games, and there's no reason why we can't push for it (finals)."

The Bulls sit seventh on the table with a 2-2 record.

The Force welcome back Luke Morahan from a hamstring injury, while Sias Ebersohn has won back his spot at flyhalf ahead of Zack Holmes.

With Morahan named at fullback, Luke Burton has been shifted to inside centre, forcing Solomoni Rasolea to the bench.

Prop Pek Cowan has recovered from a shoulder injury to retain his spot in the front row, while 21-year-old flanker Kane Koteka has been named for his starting debut.

Angus Cottrell will start on the bench after recovering from an ankle injury.

Force: Luke Morahan, Marcel Brache, Kyle Godwin, Luke Burton, Nick Cummins, Sias Ebersohn, Alby Mathewson, Ben McCalman, Kane Koteka, Steve Mafi, Adam Coleman, Sam Wykes (capt), Tetera Faulkner, Nathan Charles, Pek Cowan. Res: Heath Tessmann, Chris Heiberg, Oliver Hoskins/Guy Millar, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Angus Cottrell, Ian Prior, Zack Holmes, Solomoni Jnr Rasolea


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Source: AAP


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