Sigma Lions vs Cell C Sharks Match Preview:
The Cell C Sharks will travel to Emirates Airline Park for their third round Carling Currie Cup clash against the Sigma Lions in a good place as they look to continue their good form in the competition.
“Everybody is good, the team is relatively settled in terms of a number of guys now starting their third game, likewise on the bench and from a mental standpoint, everyone is in a good space and now it’s about bringing the performance,” explained Cell C Sharks head coach Etienne Fynn.
The way the tournament has been structured and with the Vodacom United Rugby Championship being played concurrently, the Cell C Sharks are only playing their third game in the five week period the Currie Cup has been going. Whichever way you look at it, there are positives and negatives that each team must negotiate as they plan and plot and execute.
“From a player welfare point of view, it’s good in terms of the guys having an opportunity to recover from their aches and pains. Ideally you’d like to be playing week in and week out, but we have had 10 day – even two week – breaks, so there are pros and cons to it.
“Personally, something I do like is if a guy would possibly be going to miss a Saturday game, he has time to recover to play a Wednesday game. Everything works out.”
The Lions have been bolstered with the inclusion of three players from the URC squad, naming prop JP Smith and the Tshituka brothers in their Currie Cup team to face the Cell C Sharks.
“They’ve picked some experienced and exciting campaigners, this is a good side,” Fynn said.
“From an expectation point of view, they have some exciting outside backs and I think they will move the ball around a lot. We all know that their identity over the last eight years or so is about moving the ball, so I don’t expect them to stray from that.”
While the primary aim of any competitive match is to win, that rarely happens without a commanding performance, and in the Currie Cup, like any other tournament, you can’t have one without the other.
“There’s no magic lamp, you try from a detail aspect to be on the money. You also want to tick boxes as far as mental and physical preparation go.
“And then Saturday has to take care of itself because if you stress about every little thing you won’t sleep for half the week. Ultimately, once the players run out onto the field, it’s up to them.”
Competition for places helped by depth in all positions has opened the window of opportunity for many players to assert themselves in a competition, or get the call-up to play in one of the two concurrent tournaments. This development can only produce positive outcomes.
“The entire coaching set-up could see that Marius Louw played two good games in the Currie Cup and was called up and he played well in the URC,” Fynn explained. “Curwin Bosch was excellent against Western Province and he was called up, as was Sikhumbuzo Notshe who had an amazing game after being out for so long.
“What it has done is to create a real understanding within the entire playing group that the opportunity is there if they perform. And likewise, if you don’t perform, there are guys who are hungry. So it really works: it works for the franchise and it works for the competitions.
“Ultimately sport is all about performance and guys know that if they perform, there will be opportunities and there’s no greater carrot than that.”
The post Sigma Lions vs Cell C Sharks Match Preview appeared first on The Sharks.
Working Hard, Building Success:
The Cell C Sharks will be taking on the Sigma Lions at Emirates Airline Park in their third match of the Carling Currie Cup this weekend, looking to build on their first two winning performances.
The Lions will have no shortage of motivation, playing at home and searching for that elusive win in their campaign. For the Cell C Sharks, this is all about building momentum and constantly growing as a competitive team.
“You can always expect an exciting game when you play the Lions, they’re a side that wants to play a good brand of rugby, a quick brand of rugby, which is something we at the Cell C Sharks are also trying to promote,” explains flank James Venter as he looks ahead to Saturday afternoon’s derby.
“We have a really quality squad so for us it’s about getting the basics right and focusing on ourselves and continue the success we’ve had already in the competition.
Despite lying bottom of the log still chasing their first win, Venter believes there is no underestimating this Lions’ side, but the team’s focus has to be on itself and executing accurately on the day.
“In terms of preparation, it’s about identifying their threats, they are a strong side, very unpredictable and our focus will be on controlling the game, controlling our game and as long as we execute our game plan, we’ll be more than fine on the day.”
Looking back over the first two games, a narrow 24-23 victory over Tafel Lager Griquas, followed by a comprehensive performance against DHL Western Province when they inflicted a 35-20 defeat on the Cape side, Venter admits that it is early days, but the team is showing great promise already.
“We showed really good performances in our first two games, but we were only just starting to work together as a team. But we’re pulling together, getting stronger and as the season continues, we’re going to become a strong force.”
It’s still early days in the competition, just two matches in for the Cell C Sharks who have a game in hand, and while the team will have serious title aspirations, Venter points out that they’re approaching this campaign with patience, like a marathon, not a sprint.
“We’re taking it game by game but our focus is to have a really good Currie Cup. We have quality players and a really good coaching set-up.”
The motivation for the players is not only about winning the tournament, but also the fact that outstanding performances will be rewarded. The URC, running concurrently, also offers opportunities for players to show their stuff on the international rugby landscape.
“URC is a very exciting tournament and every guy in the squad would love to be involved in it. But our primary job is to play the best rugby we can in the Currie Cup. Every player in the squad wants to display his talents and as a team we will do that.
“The fact that the two competitions are running together at the same time is amazing, especially because those who miss out on URC selection are still getting game time and the opportunity to grow as players.
“There’s an awesome vibe around Hollywoodbets Kings Park stadium with two teams having good performances, it’s really, really good.”
The post Working Hard, Building Success appeared first on The Sharks.
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