Lions to avenge their loss against the Sharks
The Lions will play the Sharks in a South African Vodacom Super Rugby derby on Saturday evening, which is the last match of Round 15 this weekend.
Though the Emirates Lions claim they are not out to avenge their big loss at home against Cell C Sharks, and have put the match behind them, all indications are that they are in Durban to win.
The Lions will play the Sharks in a South African Vodacom Super Rugby derby on Saturday evening, which is the last match of Round 15 this weekend.
On Friday morning, the Vodacom Bulls conclude the Australian leg of their tour with a tough encounter against the Brumbies in Canberra, and on Saturday afternoon, Pieter-Steph du Toit, the SA Rugby Player of the Year, will earn his 50th cap for the DHL Stormers when they host the Highlanders in Cape Town.
The Vodacom Bulls will aim to turn the clock back to 2007 – the first time they won Vodacom Super Rugby – when they face the top Australian side and two-time champions, the Brumbies, in Canberra on Friday.
The Cell C Sharks will be trying to reverse their recent disappointing form in Durban when they host the Emirates Lions at 5.15pm at Jonsson Kings Park.
And the KwaZulu-Natalians will be buoyed by their last match against their foes from Johannesburg, which they the won 43-5 at Emirates Airline Park, the Emirates Lions’ biggest home defeat in the last nine years of Vodacom Super Rugby.
Robert du Preez’s team have also won their last two encounters against the Emirates Lions, which should also give them a bit of hope of winning their third home match this season. The Gautengers had previously won seven straight games against their KwaZulu-Natal rivals.
The Cell C Sharks seem to have struggled against local teams in Durban in recent seasons. They have lost five of their last seven South African derbies at Jonsson Kings Park, including their last two on the bounce, against the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers, earlier this year.
On the Contrary, the Emirates Lions had won 10 of their last 13 Vodacom Super Rugby matches. There was one draw against the DHL Stormers in 2015, while the two defeats were in their last two away games – earlier this year in Cape Town and in Durban – during the last season.
Du Preez has made five changes to his starting line-up for this encounter. Most of the changes are in the pack, with Mzamo Majola coming in for Thomas du Toit at loosehead prop, while Ruben van Heerden is back at lock, with Hyron Andrews moving to the bench.
Daniel du Preez is back at No 8, with Philip van der Walt moving back to flank, and Jacques Vermeulen named among the replacements to be joined by the uncapped Dylan Richardson (hooker) as Akker van der Merwe and Craig Burden will not be available due to injuries.
The final change to the team is at inside centre. Andre Esterhuizen is slotted back into a settled backline in place of Marius Louw.
Kwagga Smith will lead the Emirates Lions at Jonsson Kings Park, with Malcolm Marx sitting out this week, and Jan-Henning Campher starting at hooker, his first for the Gautengers.
Ross Cronje will undergo a small operation which will keep him out of action for a week, leaving Nic Groom to start at scrumhalf.
Other matches in Round 15:
May 25
7.15am: Sunwolves v Rebels, Prince Chichibu Stadium, Tokyo.
9.35am: Crusaders v Blues, Christchurch Stadium, Christchurch
11.45am: Waratahs v Jaguares, Bankwest Stadium, Paramatta
Bye: Hurricanes
