After a number of matches against foreign opposition in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, it’s time for local action when the Cell C Sharks host the Emirates Lions at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday afternoon.
Successful teams are those that enjoy continuity and consistency in team selection and head coach Sean Everitt has once more had the good fortune to retain pretty much the same side that defeated the Dragons 51-3 in Durban last weekend with a couple of rotational changes thrown in to keep everyone fresh and hungry.
Reniel Hugo returns to the starting line-up with Le Roux Roets shifting to the bench while Springbok captain Siya Kolisi also gets a start for James Venter who led the Currie Cup side to victory over Griquas on Wednesday evening. The final change to the pack sees Henco Venter coming in for Jeandre Labushagne who will feature off the bench later in the game.
With eight wins and 41 points from their 14 matches to date, the Cell C Sharks are firmly entrenched in the top 8 on the log, 11 ahead of the Lions who currently occupy 12th spot.
For the Cell C Sharks, the last few rounds – and this game in particular – are about continuity and performance, and the results that come from that.
“Last week’s win over the Dragons was a really good platform for us to build on and now it’s about us building momentum,” explained Everitt.
The South African sides all have a game in hand over the top five sides on the log, so a win on Saturday for the Cell C Sharks will give their campaign a major boost.
“The log is really important at the moment and a win this week will be big for us because the other two local franchises are also playing each other and we’re fighting in the SA Shield competition,”.
Saturday’s match kicks off at 4.05pm.
Cell C Sharks
1. Ox Nche
2. Bongi Mbonambi
3. Thomas du Toit (c)
4. Gerbrandt Grobler
5. Reniel Hugo
6. Siya Kolisi (v/c)
7. Henco Venter
8. Phepsi Buthelezi
9. Jaden Hendrikse
10. Curwin Bosch
11. Makazole Mapimpi
12. Marius Louw
13. Ben Tapuai
14. Werner Kok
15. Anthony Volmink
Replacements
16. Kerron van Vuuren
17. Ntuthuko Mchunu
18. Khutha Mchunu
19. Le Roux Roets
20. Jeandre Labushagne
21. Sikhumbuzo Notshe
22. Grant Williams
23. Boeta Chamberlain
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Quick Durban KwaZulu-Natal Fact: The Story of Huberta – Huberta was a hippopotamus and one of the most famous animals in South African history. In November 1928, Huberta left her waterhole in the St. Lucia Estuary, in Zululand and set off on the 1600km journey to the Eastern Cape, a journey which would take her three years. In that time Huberta became a minor celebrity in South Africa and attracted crowds wherever she went. She was initially thought to be a male and was nicknamed Hubert by the press. She stopped for a while at the mouth of the Mhlanga River in Natal and a failed attempt was made to capture her and put her in Johannesburg Zoo. After this, she headed south to Durban, where she visited a beach and a country club. Moving on to the Umgeni River, she became revered by Zulus and Xhosas alike. Finally she arrived in East London in March 1931. Despite her having been declared Royal Game (and thus protected) by the Natal Provincial Council, she was shot by hunters a month later. After a public outcry, the hunters were arrested and fined £25. Huberta’s body was recovered and sent to a taxidermist in London. Upon her return to South Africa in 1932, she was greeted by 20,000 people and can now be seen in the Amathole Museum, in King William’s Town.
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