A hugely talented Cell C Sharks team will open the franchise’s account in the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked competition starting this weekend when the Emirates Lions come to Jonsson KINGS PARK for an exciting tournament opener.
Thirteen players who featured in Saturday’s Green and Gold match have been named by head coach Sean Everitt for the clash, including the entire front row.
Ox Nche, Dylan Richardson and Thomas du Toit will all front up against the might of the Lions, while lock Hyron Andrews together with loose forwards James Venter and Sikhumbuzo Notche complete the inclusion of starting forwards.
Five of the seven backline players named for Friday’s game also played in last weekend’s match.
The halfback pairing of Sanele Nohamba and Curwin Bosch are joined by Werner Kok, captain Lukhanyo Am and fullback Manie Libbok.
Playing off the bench, JJ van der Mescht and Jeremy Ward will no doubt want to show that their experience in Green and Gold only adds to what they bring to the table.
Cell C Sharks flank James Venter admits that the energy and excitement in the camp are driving the players towards delivering a big performance on Friday evening.
“Our pre-season has gone really well, we’ve trained hard and executed well. But we’ve learned our lessons from that Bulls game and now it’s about executing against the Lions.
“The camp is really excited. We knew going into the Bulls game that it was a warm-up match and we took that in our stride, although we learned a lot and will bounce back. This week has been about prepping for the Lions and we have trained hard, the vibe in the camp is great and we’re really excited to get stuck into Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked.”
The match kicks off at 7pm on Friday evening.
Cell C Sharks
- Ox Nche
- Dylan Richardson
- Thomas du Toit
- Ruben van Heerden
- Hyron Andrews
- James Venter
- Phepsi Buthelezi
- Sikhumbuzo Notshe
- Sanele Nohamba
- Curwin Bosch
- Werner Kok*
- Marius Louw
- Lukhanyo Am (c)
- JP Pietersen
- Manie Libbok*
Replacements
16. Dan Jooste*
17. Mzamo Majola
18. John-Hubert Meyer
19. JJ van der Mescht
20. Mpilo Gumede*
21. Grant Williams
22. Jeremy Ward
23. Thaakir Abrahams*
*Denotes debut for the Cell C Sharks
The post Strong Line-up for Opener appeared first on The Sharks.
The Cell C Sharks Under 21s get their SA Rugby Under 21 Championship campaign going against the Lions Under 21s when the two teams meet on Thursday in Johannesburg.
After enjoying a bye in the opening round that saw the Blue Bulls Under 21s defeating Western Province 36-25, the Cell C Sharks will host a Lions team that went down narrowly and dramatically to Free State 31-30, losing by five tries to three.
The Lions will look to bounce back from their opening loss, but face a formidable Cell C Sharks Under 21 side; head coach Phiwe Nomlomo has assembled a side that boasts plenty of experience.
The likes of captain and hooker Fez Mbatha, eighthman Evan Roos and flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain have all seen action for the senior side in the last year and will no doubt bring a sense of responsibility to their team’s efforts.
The match will be streamed live on the DSTV Now Channel 245.
Cell C Sharks U21
- Ntuthuko Mchunu
- Fez Mbatha (C)
- Francois Klopper
- Ockie Barnard
- Jeandre Labuschagne
- Adam Mountford
- Lunga Ncube
- Evan Roos
- Lucky Dlepu
- Boeta Chamberlain
- Asanda Kunene
- Le Roux Malan
- D.J Falconer
- Caleb Dingaan
- Jean Roux
Replacements
- Cullen van der Merwe
- Thabiso Mdletshe
- Hanru Jacobs
- Deon Slabbert
- Vian Fourie
- Daimon O’Connell
- Rynhardt Jonker
- Quan Eymann
The post Junior Action Resumes appeared first on The Sharks.
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