Powell's Sharks set sights on Bulls after powering past Lions: 'We’ve already got a plan'

Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell said they "already had a plan in place" for the Bulls' visit to Kings Park next weekend after seeing off the Lions in emphatic fashion on Friday.

The Sharks scored five tries in their 37-10 victory, while the Bulls went down 37-27 to United Rugby Championship (URC) holders, the Stormers, in a thrilling clash in Cape Town.

Powell has a score to settle with his opposite number and former mentor Jake White, who welcomed him with a 40-27 defeat at Loftus in round seven of the competition at Loftus.

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It was early in Powell's tenure but the loss would have stung. Now, Powell has already knows the team he will pick after the Christmas break.

"We've already got a plan in place for them in terms of team selection and how we want to play them," he said.

"We will obviously have a good look at the game they played against the Stormers and we’ll get a lot out of that.

"We already know the team we’re going to select against the Bulls. We’ll enjoy this win, have a few days off, enjoy Christmas, which is a lot sweeter now after this victory, and come back next week and make sure we prepare well for the Bulls like we did the Lions."

While Powell didn’t make wholesale changes to his team for the Champions Cup and URC, like White did, powerful Springbok forwards Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche and Bongi Mbonambi are expected to return post haste.

Siya Kolisi, who came from the bench against the Lions, is also expected to be among the starters for the usually feisty Sharks-Bulls match-up.

Powell was blessed to call on Boks like Kolisi and scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, who put the foot on the accelerator during a game that hung in the balance