Tough Western Province flanker Hendrik Gerber says he has no scores to settle with any Natal Sharks player and he just wants to help his side win the Currie Cup on Saturday.

In their acrimonious Top Eight match two weeks ago Gerber was on the receiving end of a punch allegedly thrown by Sharks prop Ollie le Roux. WP tried to get the Springbok cited, but the independent match commissioner ruled that the video evidence was inconclusive.

Gerber, however, is unperturbed by the fuss being made about the Sharks and their so-called bullyboy tactics. "I never have scores to settle," he said on Thursday. "It would be nice to get in a big tackle on him, but I won't kick or punch anybody.

"I am going to concentrate on the game and will not let my team down just to get in a punch. That's not how I play the game."

Gerber and former SA Schools teammate Bob Skinstad both play their 50th game for WP on Saturday.

Gerber emphasised that he doesn't harbour any grudges against any player. On Saturday he will just play his normal type of game, which is to make tackles, take the ball up, slow down the opposition ball, win turnover ball and sometimes - like in the semifinal against Free State - score tries!

And whatever the Sharks do won't put the terrier-like flanker off his game. "I've never been afraid of them. I just don't know if they are going to get in another good shot as two weeks ago! If they want to waste their time on roughening me up, it's fine with me, because then it will be 15 on 14. They can come with whatever they want to, they are not going to intimidate me," came the tough talk from Gerber.

The 25-year-old said he wasn't too gutted when he was not selected for the South African teams for their end-of-year-tours. He admitted to a slow start to the season, but says now he is going at full speed.

"I didn't have a very good season and it's only during the last month and a half that the standard of my game picked up again. Harry (Viljoen, Springbok coach) is probably looking for guys who perform the whole year and for me it is now a good chance to prepare myself for next season.

"I can have a nice off-season and do a lot of gymnasium work. It is a disappointment, but I can use it to my advantage in the long term."

And the pragmatic youngster says he doesn't see the Currie Cup final as a chance to prove himself. "No, I don't worry about that type of thing. You should have proven yourself already by now. The team has been chosen and all I want to do on Saturday is play for my team and enjoy myself. I want to give my all for my team.

"I battled for a long time to motivate myself and the past six weeks or so I am unbelievably determined. It's nice to be with the team and we are playing a good brand of rugby."

Gerber scratched his head when asked about the reasons for the dip in form. "No, I don't have a clue. I really don't know. I want to know myself so that I can prevent if happening again in future!"

He played as a substitute in the later stages of last year's final in Durban, where Province beat the Sharks. And according to the blonde surfer it was a good feeling.

"It was an unbelievable feeling. I never realised how big the Currie Cup final really was during that week preceding the game. Only that Friday when we got into the car to go to the airport and turned on the radio did I realise what hype goes with it. The whole buildup to the game was amazing and to lift the Cup there in front of their supporters felt magic.

"But it will be 100 times better to do it in front of our own crowd at Newlands. We will be playing to thank our supporters. I believe we have the ammunition and that we will win the Currie Cup."

And he says the departure of mates Braam van Straaten and Charl Marais for England will motivate the Province team even more. "We want to give them a very good farewell gift."