For the second time this year, the Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls will contest South Africa’s most prestigious rugby competition, the Carling Currie Cup, when the sides meet in Pretoria on Saturday.
Looking to continue the momentum the team has built up over the last month, with wins over the Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions and Griquas, Cell C Sharks head coach Sean Everitt has largely stuck with the side that won last weekend’s semi-final at Jonsson Kings Park, the continuity and confidence the team are able to take into Saturday’s final is worth their weight in gold.
Khwezi Mona has been named in place of Ntuthuko Mchunu in the front row while the return of Thomas du Toit from the Springboks is a timely boost, particularly for the expected battle upfront.
A new face has been included in the match 23 where replacement scrumhalf Lucky Dlepu is set to make his debut for the Cell C Sharks. The 21-year-old featured at age group level for Western Province, captaining their Craven Week side in 2017, before making the move to Durban last year.
“It’s one-all in the Currie Cup, we’ve beaten them once and there’s no reason why we can’t do it again,” said Everitt.
“We know that the ball travels far at Loftus so we’re going to have to handle the aerial battle well, but we have three players – Curwin, Sanele and Lionel – who kick really well and will be up for the challenge.
“We know the Bulls have a massive pack of forwards, they are playing well and were sublime in their semi-final. It’s all about momentum, we know what’s coming our way with regards to how they play and the emphasis for us will be about stopping their momentum and stopping their big ball-carriers.”
Cell C Sharks
1. Khwezi Mona
2. Kerron van Vuuren
3. Thomas du Toit
4. Le Roux Roets
5. Gerbrandt Grobler
6. Dylan Richardson
7. Henco Venter
8. Phepsi Buthelezi (c)
9. Sanele Nohamba
10. Lionel Cronje
11. Thaakir Abrahams
12. Marius Louw
13. Werner Kok
14. Yaw Penxe
15. Curwin Bosch
Replacements
16. Dan Jooste
17. Ntuthuko Mchunu
18. Khutha Mchunu
19. Thembelani Bholi
20. Reniel Hugo
21. Lucky Dlepu* (debut)
22. Jeremy Ward
23. Anthony Volmink
The post Finals Showdown appeared first on The Sharks.
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE – CELL C SHARKS AND TOYOTA CHEETAHS COOPERATION:
Durban, 8th September 2021: The Cell C Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs have announced a cooperation agreement for the exchange of players and to support each other on a broader front. From the two franchises perspective, this step benefits both teams in terms of their game as well as financially and the move is in the broader interests of South African rugby.
In terms of the agreement, the Toyota Cheetahs and Cell C Sharks will make some of their players available to each other on request and when competitions do not overlap.
The Cell C Sharks will also provide players to the Toyota Cheetahs. Some of them could even be made available for the 2022 Currie Cup competition.
To this end, we confirm that Cheetahs scrumhalves Ruan Pienaar and Tian Meyer will be joining the Cell C Sharks on short-term deals. Meyer will be available for the URC outbound tour and will then return to the Toyota Cheetahs.
With Springbok selection and injuries ruling out three of the Cell C Sharks scrumhalves, Pienaar will be involved for a longer period in the competition and his invaluable experience and knowledge of the Irish playing conditions, will be hugely beneficial and a great boost to The Sharks prospects in Europe.
Pienaar says he is looking forward to a final tour of Ireland, but Bloemfontein and the Toyota Cheetahs will remain his home. This is where he wants to wind up his career over the next two seasons.
In return, the C Sharks will make some of their players available on loan to the Cheetahs for international and Currie Cup games that the Toyota Cheetahs are preparing for.
The cooperation agreement will be broader than just the exchange of players. Both teams will benefit financially. As they will not always be playing in the same competitions, they will be able to support each other in times of need and pressure.
This agreement is not something new. The Toyota Cheetahs have had such agreements with the neighbouring Griffons and Griquas as well as Toyota Verblitz in Japan. Cooperation’s of this kind is becoming more commonplace in professional rugby, especially when the competitions of the teams do not overlap.
It is essential for both the Toyota Cheetahs and the Cell C Sharks to perform optimally in forthcoming matches and to serve the interests of SA rugby. The agreement will support this objective.
“The international disruption of rugby by Covid-19 and its economic consequences necessitates the rebuilding and strengthening of this wonderful game. This requires innovative plans to retain good players and coaches, to maintain performance and to ultimately achieve. The cooperation agreement would help both teams and offer them flexibility”, said Harold Verster and Dr. Eduard Coetzee, the CEOs of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Cell C Sharks.
ENDS.
The post JOINT MEDIA RELEASE – CELL C SHARKS AND TOYOTA CHEETAHS COOPERATION appeared first on The Sharks.
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