04/05/2008 22:02

Stephen Nell

Cape Town - Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has thanked the Bulls for beating the Waratahs in the Super 14 rugby competition in Pretoria on Saturday.

"The Bulls remain a good team," Rassie Erasmus said after his team had beaten the Brumbies 20-10 at Newlands.

"Their confidence is growing. They beat the Waratahs in the rain at Loftus Versfeld. We thank them but our job is now to win our last two matches," Erasmus said.

The Stormers often make a point of saying they aim to control only what they are able to, but the Bulls have improved the Cape side's chances of qualifying for a home semi-final.

The Stormers play the Waratahs at Newlands on Saturday in a match that is of crucial importance to both teams.

After losing in Pretoria, the Waratahs are only two points ahead of the fourth-placed Stormers on the Super 14 table.

In their final match before a possible semi-final, the Stormers have to take on the Lions in Johannesburg.

They represent South Africa's best chance of having a team in the playoffs and will have their fingers crossed that the Western Force beat the Hurricanes on Friday.

The Wellington-based side can still come between the Stormers and a semi-final berth.

Derby matches unpredictable

The Sharks, after losing to the log-leading Crusaders at the weekend, now have a tough road ahead.

Dick Muir's side will be favoured to beat the Cheetahs in Durban on Saturday but derby matches of this nature can be unpredictable. "The Cheetahs, on their day, can beat any other team," Erasmus said at the weekend.

The Sharks have to face the Chiefs in their last league-phase match. The New Zealanders are still among the contenders and should be able to beat the Lions this week.

"The next two weeks will be interesting," Brumbies captain Stirling Mortlock said on Saturday night. "A number of teams are still in with a chance of reaching the semi-finals."

The Brumbies, after their first defeat at Newlands since 1998, are no longer in the running but their coach, Laurie Fisher, said they would do their best to beat the Bulls and the Force in their remaining matches.