Top derby of the cats

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The top match to watch this weekend will definitely be the big derby between Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs.

The two South African franchises will come face to face with each other for various reasons. The match will be played in Bloemfontein on Saturday May 23. The match will start at 17:05

Both teams will be under the microscope and a positive result for them will have a different effect in their Vodacom Super Rugby campaign.

Emirates Lions desperately need the win to better on their Super Rugby record campaign of the previous year and they will have a slight opening to play-offs though Head coach Johan Ackermann has rules that out. “We are just playing from week to week and focus on the game in front of us, to think about play-offs this time is a thought that we have abandon.”

“We know that the Cheetahs is a difficult team to beat on home soil and with Naka (Drostke) leaving the franchise they will want to play for him.”

On the other hand Toyota Cheetahs has nothing to lose and everything to gain. The team from Central South Africa would like to get some pride back and are on the back foot, thus giving their best in this local derby.
Can the Vodacom Bulls hang on to their top spot in the South African Vodacom Super Rugby Conference or will the DHL Stormers regain the lead?

That question will be answered this weekend when all five South African teams take to the field with the competition inching closer to the last stretch before the playoffs start.

The Vodacom Bulls can cement their position at the top with a victory over the Chiefs in Rotorua on Friday morning, but it won’t be easy as the team from Waikato sits on a ten-match winning streak at home against opposition from South Africa.

The Cell C Sharks’ final tour match, against the Reds in Brisbane, is the second match on Friday morning where the KwaZulu-Natalians will aim to break a six-match losing streak – something that’s only happened once in their history.

The final match in Round 15 is in Cape Town at DHL Newlands, where the DHL Stormers have a good opportunity to regain the lead in the South African Conference against the Rebels. It won’t be easy as the Rebels have done well this season, but they’ve never won in South Africa and the Capetonians will want to keep it that way.
Toyota Cheetahs vs Emirates Lions

The Toyota Cheetahs will start with new wings in Raymond Rhule and Cornal Hendricks.

Rayno Benjamin moves to the bench and will earn his 50th Vodacom Super Rugby cap should he get game-time, while Sergeal Petersen is out of the match-23.

Injury has forced a change at loose forward, where Carel Greeff will start for Tienie Burger (concussion), with Henco Venter moving onto the bench.

The Emirates Lions starting line-up shows nine changes from last week, which includes three positional shifts.

At the back, Ruan Combrinck moves from left to right wing and Lionel Mapoe moves to outside centre, with Courtnall Skosan and Howard Mnisi getting starts at left wing and inside centre respectively.

Upfront, Jacques van Rooyen and Ruan Dreyer will start in the front row, while Andries Ferreira will partner Martin Muller in the second row with Muller swapping shirts, and Warwick Tecklenburg returns to the starting side at flank.
Last week’s starters, Schalk van der Merwe, Julian Redelinghuys, Franco Mostert, Robert Kruger and Harold Vorster are on the bench.

The teams are:

Toyota Cheetahs: Clayton Blommetjies, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Venter, Michael van der Spuy, Raymond Rhule, Francois Brummer, Tian Meyer, Willie Britz, Boom Prinsloo, Carel Greeff, Francois Uys (captain), Carl Wegner, Maks van Dyk, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Danie Mienie. Replacements: Stephan Coetzee, BG Uys, Ewald van der Westhuizen, Steven Sykes, Henco Venter, Shaun Venter, Coenie van Wyk, Rayno Benjamin.
Emirates Lions: Andries Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe, Howard Mnisi, Courtnall Skosan, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Warren Whiteley (captain), Warwick Tecklenburg, Jaco Kriel, Martin Muller, Andries Ferreira, Ruan Dreyer, Robbie Coetzee, Jacques van Rooyen. Replacements: Armand van der Merwe, Schalk van der Merwe, Julian Redelinghuys, Franco Mostert, Robert Kruger, Ross Cronje, Jaco van der Walt, Harold Vorster.

Chiefs vs Vodacom Bulls

The Vodacom Bulls have made three changes to their starting line-up with loose forwards Jacques du Plessis and Deon Stegmann replacing Arno Botha and Lappies Labuschagne respectively.

At hooker, Callie Visagie will start for Adriaan Strauss, with Jaco Visagie coming onto the bench. Botha and Labuschagne are also amongst the replacements.

The teams are:

Chiefs: Tom Marshall, Hosea Gear, Charlie Ngatai, Anton Lienert-Brown, Bryce Heem, Damian McKenzie, Augustine Pulu, Michael Leitch, Sam Cane, Liam Messam (captain), Johan Bardoul, Michael Fitzgerald/Ross Filipo, Ben Tameifuna, Hika Elliot, Mitchell Graham. Replacements: Quentin MacDonald, Siate Tokolahi, Pauliasi Manu, Brian Alainu’uese, Maama Vaipulu, Brad Weber, Andrew Horrell, Tim Nanai-Williams.
Vodacom Bulls: Jesse Kriel, Francois Hougaard, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Bjorn Basson, Handre Pollard, Rudy Paige, Pierre Spies (captain), Jacques du Plessis, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield, Flip van de Merwe, Marcel van der Merwe, Callie Visagie, Trevor Nyakane. Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Dean Greyling, Werner Kruger, Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Burger Odendaal, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Travis Ismaiel.

Reds vs Cell C Sharks

The only change to the Cell C Sharks’ starting line-up is at loosehead prop, where Tendai Mtawarira, a late withdrawal last weekend, returns in the place of Dale Chadwick.

Chadwick is on the bench alongside Mouritz Botha and Fred Zeilinga, with Matt Stevens, Lubabalo Mtyanda and Waylon Murray dropping out of the match-23 altogether.

The teams are:

Reds: James O’Connor, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Karmichael Hunt, Samu Kerevi, Chris Kuridrani, Jake McIntyre, Will Genia, Jake Schatz, Liam Gill, Adam Thomson, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Greg Holmes, James Hanson, James Slipper (captain). Replacements: Andrew Ready, Pettowa Paraka, Sam Talakai, Ed O’Donoghue, Lolo Fakaosilea, Nick Frisby, Sam Greene, Ben Tapuai.
Cell C Sharks: Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen, Frans Steyn, S’bura Sithole, Lionel Cronje, Stefan Ungerer, Renaldo Bothma, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Marco Wentzel (captain), Stephan Lewies, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Franco Marais, Dale Chadwick, Lourens Adriaanse, Mouritz Botha, Etienne Oosthuizen, Conrad Hoffmann, Fred Zeilinga, Andre Esterhuizen.

DHL Stormers vs Rebels

Springbok Sevens star Seabelo Senatla is back from Blitzbok duty and will start on the right wing for the DHL Stormers, in the place of Johnny Kotze.

The other change to the DHL Stormers’ backline is at scrumhalf, where Louis Schreuder is rotated with Nic Groom.
Groom is joined on the bench by Bongi Mbonambi, who makes way at hooker for Scarra Ntubeni in another rotational shift.

The teams are:

DHL Stormers: Cheslin Kolbe, Seabelo Senatla, Juan de Jongh, Damian de Allende, Dillyn Leyds, Demetri Catrakilis, Louis Schreuder, Duane Vermeulen (captain), Siya Kolisi, Schalk Burger, Manuel Carizza, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Scarra Ntubeni, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Alistair Vermaak, Vincent Koch, Jean Kleyn, Nizaam Carr, Nic Groom, Kurt Coleman, Huw Jones.
Rebels: Mike Harris, Cam Crawford, Dom Shipperley, Mitch Inman, Tom English, Jack Debreczeni, Nic Stirzaker, Scott Higginbotham, Scott Fuglistaller, Sean McMahon, Lopeti Timani, Luke Jones, Paul Alo-Emile, Pat Leafa, Cruze Ah-Nau. Replacements: Tom Sexton, Keita Inagaki, Laurie Weeks, Cadeyrn Neville, Jordy Reid, Colby Fainga’a, Luke Burgess, Bryce Hegarty.

Other fixtures (SA kick-off times):
Saturday, May 23:
09:35: Blues v Hurricanes – Auckland
11:40: Waratahs v Crusaders – Sydney
13:45: Force v Highlanders – Perth
Byes: Brumbies