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Milestones beckon and winning streaks are on the line as Vodacom Super Rugby resumes after the June Test break.
Two South African derbies are on the cards - in Cape Town the DHL Stormers host the MTN Lions, while the Toyota Cheetahs travel to Pretoria to face the Vodacom Bulls as they chase their best ever Vodacom Super Rugby season.
The DHL Stormers and the Vodacom Bulls have not lost to their respective opponents for this weekend since the Cats disbanded to form the MTN Lions and the Toyota Cheetahs at the end of the 2005 competition.
Springbok midfielder Wynand Olivier will earn his 100th Vodacom Super Rugby cap, all in the blue of the Vodacom Bulls.
Furthermore, Morn� Steyn will be chasing 200 points for 2012 at Loftus Versfeld, while three players in action at DHL Newlands, Joe Pietersen, Peter Grant and Elton Jantjies, will have a century of Vodacom Super Rugby points in their sights on Saturday.
Note: For all the South African team announcements, fixtures, results, logs, live score updates, top points and try scorers as well as and match summaries, <a href="http://www.sarugby.co.za/default.aspx?category=sarugby/super14&leagueid=1041"> click here</a>.
DHL Stormers v MTN Lions
The DHL Stormers will be looking to build on their brilliant Vodacom Super Rugby victory in Pretoria before the break when they host the MTN Lions at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
But the MTN Lions will also be heading into this match on the back of a win, as they beat The Sharks for only their second victory of the 2012 season at Coca-Cola Park during Round 15 early in June.
However, the MTN Lions will have to turn around an unflattering record against the DHL Stormers - the men from Johannesburg have never beaten their Cape counterparts in Vodacom Super Rugby. The closest they got was last year at DHL Newlands when the DHL Stormers won 19-16 despite being outscored by two tries to one.
Peter Grant and Elton Jantjies featured on the score sheet that day and on Saturday the two respective flyhalves can make it to 100 Vodacom Super Rugby series points, along with DHL Stormers fullback Joe Pietersen.
Pietersen is the closest to the century mark on 97 points in 2012, while Grant needs six points (he is on 94) and Jantjies eight (on 92) to pass 100 points for the season.
And even though the MTN Lions are reeling after a turbulent season, DHL Stormers captain Jean de Villiers, who will also lead the Springboks for the remainder of the season, knows where his team's focus should be as the playoffs loom.
"The Lions have a lot to play for, but we are playing for something bigger," said De Villiers.
"As long as the hunger and desire is there to win the tournament, we'll do well. We are playing for something special and that will make Saturday a great challenge."
Former Springbok lock Johan Ackermann, now the MTN Lions' acting head coach, realises his team faces a tough trip to Cape Town.
"There is a feeling we need to keep things straight and simple, and that the players are comfortable with the game plan," said Ackermann.
"On Saturday, it will be more a question of how well we execute our game plan. We know it will take an 80 minute effort. We need to be mentally strong this weekend."
Head to head (since 2006).
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