CELL C SHARKS VS TOYOTA CHEETAHS MAY 19 2023

CHANGING THE GAME

is a team effort.

SIYA KOLISI - RUGBY

MESSAGE PRESIDENT OF SA RUGBY

Welcome to this exciting meeting in the 2023 edition of the Currie Cup, the premier provincial competition on the South African rugby landscape at a time when the process of re-aligning the local season with the northern hemisphere is well underway.

As the oldest provincial rugby competition in the world, the Currie Cup has always provided a magnificent pathway for players to show they have what it takes to step up to high-intensity action at the top level.

As always, we are looking forward to our provincial teams again unearthing the next generation of Springbok stars by providing playing opportunities to the best local talent.

The iconic Currie Cup is about respectful rivalry, provincial passion, ambition, pride and community, with local support always at very high levels.

And then there’s the captivating drama and intrigue associated with the Currie Cup, with eight teams fighting it out for top honours this year after the NovaVit Griffons joined the Premier Division after winning the First Division in 2022.

Will the Airlink Pumas be able to repeat their massive achievement from last year when they defeated Windhoek Draught Griquas in a pulsating final in Kimberley, or will the traditional powerhouses of the competition, DHL Western Province, the

Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks flex their muscles once again?

The Toyota Cheetahs are always a threat especially at home in Bloemfontein, the Fidelity ADT Lions will be looking to make a massive step up and push hard for the final towards the end of June, and the newly promoted NovaVit Griffons will no doubt will be very happy to be back in the Premier Division.

Another exciting competition awaits and the big question is, who will step up this year to lift the coveted gold trophy at the final on Saturday, 24 June?

Good luck to all the teams for what promises to be an exciting and challenging double round of action, culminating in the playoffs late in June.

I’d also like to thank our broadcast partner, SuperSport and all our other stakeholders for their continued support, as well as all the team partners who invest in the local game, ensuring we can deliver a top-class product week in and week out.

Thank you also to everyone who continue to work hard behind the scenes to make the 2023 edition of the Currie Cup a reality. And good luck to all the players, coaches, management staff and volunteers for their various contributions to ensure this remain our premier local provincial competition.

MARK ALEXANDER President: SA Rugby

CELL C PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE SHARKS

MATCH PREVIEW

THE HUNT IS ON

Having won their last four matches on the trot, and with only four rounds of the Currie Cup left to play, The Cell C Sharks are steadily zeroing in on the log leaders. As a matter of fact, a full haul of points against the top-of-thetable Cheetahs tonight could see Joey Mongalo’s charges move into joint first position on the table…

Following last Friday night’s thriller in Mbombela, the Cell C Sharks are now perfectly poised in third position on the Currie Cup ladder with a tally of 33 championship points, and applying acute pressure on the top two teams in the competition, the Cheetahs (38) and Pumas (35).

Joey Mongalo’s team displayed heaps of character to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, by scoring two tries in the last three minutes for a heart-stopping 2422 bonus-point win over the defending champions last weekend.

“The fight in the last 10 minutes or so was the one highlight from the game, but, aside from that, there wasn’t much more to write home about,” Mongalo suggested. “We are grateful for the result and pleased with the character we displayed.

‘However, we set high standards for ourselves and, from that perspective, the performance against the Pumas was disappointing.”

Mongalo emphasised that the Cell C Sharks had some work to do prior to taking on the Cheetahs at Hollywoodbets Kings Park tonight.

“The Cheetahs are the log leaders and a very, very good team,” he acknowledged.

“They will be hurting from our last match, so we expect no favours from them today.

“It is not so much a case of our team failing to deliver on their potential, but instead that we get it wrong when we play off script.

“There are two things that are nonnegotiable in our team – one is going off script, and the other is not putting in the effort.

WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

“We are growing in cohesion and that is why we can still win games like the one agianst the Pumas; good teams can still win games, even though they might play poorly.

“The Pumas, however, showed how to play against us, so we need to continue to find creative ways to impose ourselves on the opposition going forward.”

With only two home games, as well as two away assignments, left, the Cell C Sharks’ intent tonight, in The Shark Tank, will be to stamp their authority on the Cheetahs from the word go.

The boys have shown that they could do it away from home, when they saw off the Cheetahs 24-17 in Bloemfontein almost a month ago, and they will be fizzing to deliver more of the same for the faithful today.

Next week the Cell C Sharks are heading to Welkom in the Northern Free State for what could prove to be a pretty tricky outing. The Griffons might be bottom of the table and heading for the wooden spoon, yet they did shock the Bulls earlier and pushed their most recent encounter, with Western Province, right down to the wire.

To be sure, Mongalo’s charges can ill afford to underestimate the so-called ‘Purple People Eaters’ next Friday, before hosting the Lions in a fortnight’s time.

The Cell C Sharks will conclude the regular leg of their Currie Cup campaign against WP in Cape Town on Saturday, June 10.

IT IS NOT SO MUCH A CASE OF OUR TEAM FAILING TO DELIVER ON THEIR POTENTIAL, BUT INSTEAD THAT WE GET IT WRONG WHEN WE PLAY OFF SCRIPT.

CELL C SHARKS

TOYOTA CHEETAHS

TAPIWA MAFURA

DANIEL KASENDE

DAVID BRITS

ROBERT EBERSOHN

COHEN JASPER

GEORGE LOURENS

RUAN PIENAAR

GEORGE CRONJE

FRIEDL OLIVIER

GIDEON VAN DER MERWE

VICTOR SEKEKETE (C)

RYNIER BERNADO

HENCUS VAN WYK

MARNUS VAN DER MERWE

SCHALK FERREIRA

LOUIS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN

NQOBISIZWE MXOLI

DOLPH BOTHA

SIBABALO QOMA

DANIEL MAARTENS

REWAN KRUGER

SIYA MASUKU

EVARDI BOSHOFF

TMO

CHRISTOPHER ALLISON

HEAD COACH HAWIES FOURIE

MANAGER

ASHWELL RAFFERTY

VISAGIE VS EBERSOHN MAJOR MATCHUP

Alwayno Visagie has established himself as a fixture of the Cell C Sharks’ midfield in this year’s Currie Cup competition.

The 27-year-old has certainly come on in leaps and bounds over the past couple of months, impressing with his creative instincts and tenacity on defence.

Born in Ceres and educated at Paarl Gymnasium, Visagie already joined the Cell C Sharks after school, in 2018, but thereafter spent a few seasons with the Pumas in Mbombela, honing his centre craft. He recorded nine tries in 27 outings for the Pumas, and starred in their shock 20-10 defeat of the Cell C Sharks in Durban last year.

Now back in The Shark Tank, Visagie is primed for one of his biggest tests yet this season.

Boasting more than 100 caps for the Cheetahs, 34-year-old Robert Ebersohn certainly is a highly experienced midfield operator.

Yet another product off the Grey College production line, Ebersohn was something of a teenage sensation for the Cheetahs straight out of school in 2008, and also represented the Bllitzboks at sevens in 2009.

After five seasons and 72 games for the Cheetahs, having also skippered the team on occasion, Ebersohn headed abroad in 2013 for French stints with Montpellier, Castres and Beziers over the next eight years.

He returned to his native Free State two years ago, with his experience and expertise proving invaluable for the Bloemfontein-based outfit.

BULLS VS CELL C SHARKS | 27-41

AIRLINK PUMAS VS CELL C SHARKS | 22 - 24

CELL C SHARKS VS TOYOTA CHEETAHS NOVAVIT GRIFFONS VS CELL C SHARKS

FIDELITY ADT LIONS VS CELL C SHARKS

DHL WESTERN PROVINCE VS CELL C SHARKS

/ RESULTS

HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN

AWAY TAFEL LAGER PARK, KIMBERLEY

HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN

AWAY EMIRATES AIRLINE PARK, JHB

HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN

HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN

AWAY TOYOTA STADIUM, BLOEMFONTEIN

HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN

AWAY LOFTUS VERSFELD, PRETORIA

AWAY MBOMBELA STADIUM, NELSPRUIT

HOME HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK, DURBAN

AWAY DOWN TOUCH INVESTMENT STADIUM, WELKOM

AWAY EMIRATES AIRLINE PARK, JHB

AWAY DHL STADIUM, CPT

APPAREL SPONSOR

STADIUM SPONSOR

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

MEDIA PARTNERS

OFFICIAL PARTNERS

MEDICAL SPONSORS

DEVELOPMENT SPONSORS

STADIUM PARTNERS

CLUB COMPETITION SPONSORS

ACADEMY SPONSORS

CLUB SPONSORS