The Cell C Sharks will take on the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Saturday afternoon’s Carling Currie Cup Final with continuity and momentum providing great confidence for the season’s climax.
Head coach Sean Everitt has the distinct pleasure of being able to name the same match day 23 that defeated DHL Western Province in last week’s semi-final in Cape Town, with just one rotational change – at scrumhalf – where Jaden Hendrikse will start and Sanele Nohamba playing off the bench.
The coach did speak about the disruptive nature of the Covid pandemic over the course of the season, most notably in terms of being able to consistently select the same players, and he would have been thrilled to be able to reward the same players for the chance to lift the coveted trophy.
For eighthman Sikhumbuzo Notshe, this marks a momentous achievement for the Cell C Sharks.
“We’re thrilled to have secured a place in the final but we accept that we have a massive assignment at Loftus on Saturday afternoon,” he explains. “But it’s an assignment we’re really excited about, especially as not a lot of players in our squad have been in finals, so this is a very special occasion.”
The most recent clash between the two sides was in Durban when the Cell C Sharks came away triumphant, but there were two losses in Pretoria last year which could potentially bear some scars for some sides. What about the Cell C Sharks?
“Not really, what happened in the past is in the past, although it is possible to learn from those games. What we took out of those games was that mistakes are punished. We made a lot of mistakes at Loftus we got punished for that.”
But there is a lot of confidence to take from recent past, most notably how the Cell C Sharks pack stood up to the highly-rated Province forwards in the semi-final, proving that they are not to be taken lightly themselves.
“I must compliment our pack for the resilience and energy they showed last week but we know we’re up against a very mean Bulls pack and we’ll need more of that effort this Saturday.”
Cell C Sharks
1. Ox Nche
2. Fezokuhle Mbatha
3. Thomas du Toit
4. JJ van der Mescht
5. Ruben van Heerden
6. Dylan Richardson
7. Henco Venter
8. Sikhumbuzo Notshe
9. Jaden Hendrikse
10. Curwin Bosch
11. Yaw Penxe
12. Marius Louw
13. Lukhanyo Am (C)
14. Sbu Nkosi
15. Aphelele Fassi
Replacements
16. Daniel Jooste
17. Mzamo Majola
18. Michael Kumbirai
19. Hyron Andrews
20. Thembelani Bholi
21. Sanele Nohamba
22. Jeremy Ward
23. Manie Libbok
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Quick Durban KwaZulu-Natal Fact: From the beautiful buildings of yesteryear, to Durban’s brand new architectural icon – Moses Mabhdia Stadium. Built for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the stadium was designed by German firm, GMP Architekten. Named for the former secretary general of the South African Communist Party, the stadium boasts state-of-the-art technology which maximizes light, protects spectators from wind, and still allows a free view outwards. Situated on a raised platform to enhance its visibility, the stadium can be seen from as far away as Ushaka Marine World. The iconic arch houses a skycar which gives unparalleled views of the city and coastline.
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