Western Province coach Gert Smal on Tuesday said his team are ready for any tactics the Natal Sharks might employ in their Currie Cup final clash at Fedsure Park Newlands on Saturday.

And although the long-range weather forecast predicts no rain on final day or the three leading up to it, his team would be prepared to handle any conditions they had to play in, he said after the two open practices at the Villager Rugby Club on Tuesday.

"We always want to play the ball. We are not interested in playing the man, but we have to be tactically prepared for anything they try to throw at us," Smal said.

Asked whether he was surprised that players such as Albert van den Berg, known for his ball skills, had elected to concentrate on playing the men to the detriment of their game, Smal said: "I don't really think about it. How he plays is his problem."

On the possibility of rain affecting Province's style of play and team selection come Saturday, he said: "Newlands drains fantastically. Only if the grass is wet does it affect the handling. The field underfoot is seldom affected by the rain."

But his team had a chance to get their handling of the wet ball right on Tuesday when light rain fell for most of the practice. It cleared in the afternoon, however, and if the long-range forecast is to be believed, a strong southeaster will blow for the rest of the week.

This will dry the field out and make for the type of brilliant running rugby that Province have been showing glimpses of lately.

Their Natal counterparts have also produced some brilliant running games during the course of the season. Will it be that game they bring to Newlands on Saturday, or will they resort to an attempted physical approach to try to distract their counterparts from their game plan? - Sapa