The Emirates Lions travel to Durban this Friday to face the Cell C Sharks for Round 10 of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Kick-off is at 17:00. The men from Doornfontein head into this game on the back of a four-match unbeaten streak at home in all competition and will look to take that momentum into the local derby.

Speaking earlier this week, Albert van den Berg emphasized the need for his troops to start well ahead of the festive derby, which takes place two days before Christmas.

Emirates Lions Forwards and Line Out Coach Albert van den Berg:

“Friday will be a good opportunity for us to show what we prepared for all week. We know what they are going to bring; they have a good overall kicking game, an exciting backline and a decent pack of forwards.  It will be important for us to start well, stay in the fight as long as possible and hopefully get the win.”

Van den Berg cautioned that while a four-match unbeaten streak at home in both the Vodacom URC and EPCR Challenge Cup offers decent momentum, playing the Sharks in KZN is a different challenge.

“We don’t want to dwell too much on the unbeaten run. The feeling is that we can improve on certain aspects of our game from both an individual and team perspective.”

“It’s going to be a tough for us against a well-coached Sharks side and while we take the confidence of not having lost in recent weeks, we won’t take this occasion for granted,” he concluded.

Cell C Sharks (TBC)

Emirates Lions

1. JP Smith
2. PJ Botha
3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye
4. Willem Alberts
5. Reinhard Nothnagel (c)
6. Emmanuel Tshituka
7. Darrien Landsberg
8. Ruan Venter
9. Sanele Nohamba
10. Jordan Hendrikse
11. Quan Horn
12. Marius Louw
13. Rynhardt Jonker
14. Edwill van der Merwe
15. Andries Coetzee

Replacements

16. Jaco Visagie
17. Sti Sithole
18. Ruan Smith
19. Pieter Jansen van Vuren
20. Jaco Kriel
21. Andre Warner
22. Gianni Lombard
23. Stean Pienaar