Two Springbok-powered packs will collide when the Vodacom Bulls host the Sharks on Saturday, but Ox Nche is up for the battle with Wilco Louw.

The Sharks will travel up to Pretoria this weekend for their first Vodacom URC derby encounter of the season.

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John Plumtree’s side welcomed back their Springboks last week and the World Cup winners made an immediate impact, as the Sharks demolished Welsh side Dragons in Durban to earn their first win of the season.

However, another level of challenge awaits the Durbanites at Loftus Versfeld, where they will face an in-form Vodacom Bulls side boasting its own set of Springbok forwards, including tighthead prop Louw.

Incumbent Bok loosehead Nche twice faced Louw last season in the Champions Cup clash with Harlequins, so is well aware of what his opponent will bring on Saturday.

“It will be competitive. Wilco has a good education around his scrumming,” Nche said. “He is a very tough scrummager.

“The Bulls have a very good pack and they have been putting teams away when it comes to the set piece. They scrum well as a unit and know what their plan is.

“It’s going to be a massive challenge for us, but we just have to be up for it and bring that physicality.”

Nche said the 10-try 69-14 victory has given the Sharks a much-needed shot in the arm, after they suffered five successive defeats to start the season.

“I think that because of that win that we got on the weekend, guys will now think that what we’ve been doing, what we’ve been practicing can actually win us games. We can actually make it happen.

“That’s a handy thing in terms of the mindset, that what we are doing can work. It gives us that sense of belief, which seems to be there now.”

Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images