Match News, Press Release, Team News, United Rugby Championship
7th Apr 2022
The Emirates Lions will look to make it five in a row when they face the Cell C Sharks in Durban this Saturday in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The Emirates Lions will look to make it five in a row when they face the Cell C Sharks in Durban this Saturday in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The Johannesburg-based side named a match-23 which features experienced scrummager Jannie du Plessis, who’ll face his former franchise for the return leg of the tournament.
Emirates Lions forwards and lineouts coach, Albert van den Berg, who himself appeared over a hundred times for the Sharks across all competitions, earlier this week outlined what his team can expect ahead of the URC derby.
“I think it will be a forward dominated battle, particularly when it comes to scrums and mauls,” predicts the lineout guru.
“Their kicking game is also quite a powerful weapon, so that’s an element we’ve prepared for in our sessions this week. If we can counter those aspects successfully, we feel we’re in with a shout come Saturday,” concluded Van den Berg.
Elsewhere, talented flank forward Jarod Cairns, who’s shown consistent performances in this year’s Carling Currie Cup for the Sigma Lions, could get his opportunity off the bench.
Kick-off is at 16:05.
Emirates Lions: 15. Quan Horn, 14. Rabz Maxwane, 13. Wandisile Simelane, 12. Manuel Rass, 11. Edwill van der Merwe, 10. Jordan Hendrikse, 9. Morne van den Berg, 8. Emmanuel Tshituka, 7. Vincent Tshituka, 6. Francke Horn, 5. Reinhard Nothnagel (c), 4. Ruben Schoeman, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. PJ Botha, 1. Sti Sithole. Replacements: 16. Morne Brandon, 17. JP Smith, 18. Ruan Dreyer, 19. Sibusiso Sangweni, 20. Jarod Cairns, 21. Andre Warner, 22. Henco van Wyk, 23. Tiaan Swanepoel.