Lock Ruan Nortje says the Vodacom Bulls will need to step up a gear when they take on a quality Sharks side in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Bulls host the Sharks in what is set to be a gruelling contest, with the Durban side having claimed the bragging rights of a 30-16 win at Kings Park the last time the teams met.

According to Nortje, the Bulls are well aware of the daunting task that lies ahead when the Springbok-laden Sharks visits Loftus.

“In the previous game we struggled a little bit in the set pieces, especially at scrum time, and that gave the Sharks a lot of opportunities to get into our 22-metre area and convert their opportunities into points,” said Nortje.

The 23-year-old lock has been one of the most consistent performers in the blue jersey over the past year, earning the respect of both teammates and opposition.

Despite the Bulls having clinched back-to-back wins over the Lions in the past fortnight, Nortje believes they have work to do ahead of the clash with the Sharks.

“We have quite a few work-ons for ourselves from the past weekend. There are a few a few departments that will need us to step up,” said the workhorse lock.

“We now have another massive opportunity to play the Sharks again. They are a quality side, and it will be great to test ourselves against some of the best players in the country.

“A massive step up will be required from us at scrum time this weekend, and also at the breakdown. We will just need to work hard this weekend and we will need to step it up if we want to perform against the Sharks.”

The side from Durban suffered a 20-10 defeat by the Stormers at the weekend. Nortje is convinced that their opponents will come out stronger this weekend as they try to get back to winning ways.

“The Sharks are a quality side with lots of internationals, so I don’t think the past weekend’s result will affect them in any way. They will be ready to bounce back,” he said.

The match between the Bulls and Sharks will kick off at 5:05pm on Saturday and be televised on SuperSport.