CELL C SHARKS VS EMIRATES LIONS DEC 23 2022

CHANGING THE GAME

SIYA KOLISI - RUGBY

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MATCH PREVIEW

TAKING THEIR ‘CHAMPIONS’ FORM INTO THE URC

WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

The Cell C Sharks have certainly put down a magnificent marker during the opening rounds of the Heineken Champions Cup over the past fortnight. The intent tonight, against the Lions, will be to carry that fantastic form into the ongoing URC, too…

Neil Powell’s charges returned, barely five days ago, from France, where they had seen off the Bordeaux Begles in businesslike fashion last Friday night.

The final score was 19-13 and established the Cell C Sharks, after the first two rounds of Heineken Champions Cup warfare, as the only unbeaten local outfit in the toptier club competition.

“It was a really important win for us,” Powell observed afterwards.

“Everybody told us how difficult it would be to win away in France, and we witnessed first-hand in Bordeaux just how big an impact the home crowd can have on a team’s performance.

“Every single player, including our

experienced internationals, came off the park at Stade Chaban-Delmas and admitted that it had been extremely tough.

“To have come through such a physically demanding confrontation and yet achieve such a positive result, makes me very proud of the boys.

“We will probably only realise the enormity of the achievement in a few weeks’ or even a few years’ time.

“It was not only a vital win with regard to the Champions Cup, but also in terms of the confidence we’ll be able to take into tonight’s big United Rugby Championship encounter with the Lions.”

Apart from hammering the Glasgow Warriors 40-12 more than two months ago,

the Cell C Sharks have not yet stamped their authority on the URC, which is why they are currently just inside the top 10 as far as the log table is concerned.

To be sure, the postponement of the home fixture against Ulster, the week after their impressive showing against the Warriors, severely disrupted the magnificent momentum that the Cell C Sharks were building in the URC.

Following their impressive start to the Champions Cup competition, however, the men in black are back in a really good space, and they are fizzing to make it count in the URC arena, as well.

The Cell C Sharks need to steadily work their way up the URC standings, and that will require the type of consistency in performance that they have exhibited during the first two weeks of the Champions Cup, as well as cashing in on homeground advantage. Local derbies are seldom easy affairs, and tonight’s confrontation with the Lions should prove no different.

The Lions, who are competing in the secondtier Challenge Cup, arrived in Durban this week on the back of an impressive 30-12 win against Stade Francais in Johannesburg last weekend, and will also take to the Hollywoodbets Kings Park turf today in a confident mood.

Considering the workmanlike fashion with which they have gone about their business of late, though, Siya Kolisi and co will not be satisfied with anything less than a solid win tonight.

Next week, on the eve of 2023, the Cell C Sharks are hosting the Bulls, before heading for Galway, Ireland, to take on Connacht a week later. Two home wins on the trot should set the boys up well for the trip up north.

TO HAVE COME THROUGH SUCH A PHYSICALLY DEMANDING CONFRONTATION AND YET ACHIEVE SUCH A POSITIVE RESULT, MAKES ME VERY PROUD OF THE BOYS.

BIG BEN

At 33 years of age, this big unit - he tips the scales at 95kgbrings a wealth of experience, as well as confidence and thrust, to the Cell C Sharks’ midfield. Having starred for the Reds in their triumphant Super Rugby campaign of 2011, and, more recently, for London Harlequins in the Premiership, Ben Tapuai also boasts seven test caps for the Wallabies, and he has been in powerhouse form for the men in black of late.

Rugby in KwaZulu-Natal has enjoyed a lengthy liaison with Wallaby rugby, dating back to the legendary Dick Cocks and great Mark Loane in the seventies and eighties, to Tom Lawton and David Knox in the nineties. And, now, ‘Big Ben’ Tapuai is making his mark in black and white, too.

Born in Brisbane, Tapuai grew up in Melbourne as his Samoan family had been moving around, from Samoa to New Zealand and eventually Australia, in a quest to find adequate healthcare for an uncle of his.

“So, being Samoan, rugby runs in the family,” Tapuai says.

“As a kid, I actually supported the All Blacks. I had aunties and uncles staying in New Zealand, and quite a few Samoans played for the All Blacks at the time.

“Jonah Lomu, although not Samoan, was a big hero, who really put the small islands on the map, and as I grew older blokes like Christian Cullen, Joe Rokocoko, Ma’a Nonu and Tana Umaga were all massive.

“Once I’d received a bursary from The Southport School on the Gold Coast and started playing representative rugby for Aussie Schools, though, my allegiance changed.”

Tapuai reckons that his brother, Rex, the eldest of five children, had the biggest influence on his rugby career.

“I basically followed in his footsteps, as he also attended Southport and was offered a contract by the Waratahs, but unfortunately never got to debut for them,” he recalls.

“He showed me the pathway to pursue rugby as a career. At the time, rugby, as a sport in Melbourne, was pretty much overshadowed by cricket and Aussie rules.”

After school, Tapuai progressed through the Reds Academy ranks and made his senior

debut in 2009. His breakthrough year was 2011, when he lifted the Super Rugby trophy with the Reds, following their 18-13 win against the mighty Crusaders in the 2011 final.

“Yeah, 2011 was kinda when I got my shot,” Tapuai agrees.

“And, 52,000 spectators at Suncorp Stadium; I’d never experienced something like that before.

“Brisbane had just suffered heavy floods, similar to those earlier this year in KZN, so we basically played for the Queensland community, while Christchurch had had that horrific earthquake. So, there were two teams having a go at each other, but also playing for something far bigger than the game.

“That was cool, and, luckily enough, we were able to get on top.”

Five months later, Tapuai was also able to celebrate his debut for Australia with a 24-18 victory over Wales in Cardiff on December 3, 2011.

“We had played the British Barbarians at Twickenham the week before, which gave me a bit of a feel for test rugby. The test itself was something else, though.

“I can’t really recall the score, but what I do remember was just how loud the anthems were, because of the closed roof. Just talking about it still gives me the tingles.” And, now Ben Tapuai is strutting his stuff for the Cell C Sharks.

“Our son, Harrison, was born in London during lockdown, and it was quite tough for my wife, because none of our family could fly in at the time. I also came off contract

at Quins and, so, at around Christmas 2020, we decided to head home and visit the family down under.

“I also had plans to try and play some more footy in New Zealand, but then the opportunity with the Cell C Sharks came along.

“We’ve been here for two years now, and it’s not about what I have to offer but really just adapting to the way the Cell C Sharks are playing, which I enjoy. Of course, the lifestyle, living by the beach up on the North Coast, is quite nice, too.

“It certainly is quite different to living in a small apartment in London during the cold winter, although we also loved our time and made lots of friends over there.

“As far as the footy goes, we have lost three of our seven games in the URC, so the next few weeks provide a massive opportunity to right the wrongs, before we get back into the Champions Cup in January.

“We just need to keep on fighting and building the culture…”

BUTHELEZI

EMIRATES LIONS PLAYER PROFILES

JP SMITH

BORN:24/01/1990

PJ BOTHA

ASENATHI NTLABAKANYE

HEIGHT: 1.88 m WEIGHT: 124KG

WILLEM ALBERTS

BORN:11/05/1984 HEIGHT: 1.92 m

PROP LOCK FLANK

HOOKER

BORN:20/01/1998 HEIGHT: 1.82m WEIGHT: 100KG

BORN:15/04/1999 HEIGHT: 1.83 m

REINHARD NOTHNAGEL

LOCK

BORN:25/09/1997 HEIGHT:2.02 m WEIGHT: 120KG

WEIGHT: 115KG

DARRIEN LANDSBERG

BORN: 26/07/2998 HEIGHT: 1.99m

RUAN VENTER

WEIGHT: 111KG

JORDAN HENDRIKSE

BORN: 28/06/2001 HEIGHT: 1.86m

BORN: 29/11/2002 HEIGHT: 1.98m

WEIGHT: 118KG

WEIGHT: 138KG

QUAN HORN

EIGHTH MAN WING FLYHALF

BORN: 27/06/2001 HEIGHT: 1.81m

WEIGHT: 84KG WEIGHT: 72KG

EMMANUEL TSHITUKA

BORN: 16/06/2000 HEIGHT: 1.94 m WEIGHT: 106KG

BORN: 19/01/1999 HEIGHT: 1.64 m

SANELE NOHAMBA MARIUS LOUW

PROP FLANK SCRUMHALF CENTRE

WEIGHT: 69KG

BORN: 24/10/1995 HEIGHT: 1.82 m WEIGHT: 95KG

BORN:18/04/2000 HEIGHT: 1.78 m

WEIGHT: 90KG

JACO VISAGIE

CENTRE PROP HOOKER

BORN: 08/07/1992 HEIGHT: 1.88 m

BORN:12/04/1996 HEIGHT: 1.80m

WING PROP

WEIGHT: 90KG

BORN:01/03/1990 HEIGHT: 1.81m WEIGHT: 92KG

BORN: 31/03/1993 HEIGHT: 1.80 m

BORN: 24/01/1990 HEIGHT: 1.88 m

JACO KRIEL

WEIGHT: 105KG WEIGHT: 115KG WEIGHT: 121KG

LOCK FLYHALF

FULL BACK SCRUM-HALF

WEIGHT: 110KG

BORN:21/08/1989 HEIGHT: 1.84m

GIANNI LOMBARD

BORN: 22/01/1998 HEIGHT: 1.78m

LOOSE FORWARD FLANK

WEIGHT: 78KG

WEIGHT: 97KG

BORN: 2/09/1993 HEIGHT: 1.84m WEIGHT: 85KG

STEAN PIENAAR

BORN:2/04/1991 HEIGHT: 1.94 m WEIGHT:97KG

BORN: 13/05/1997 HEIGHT: 1.79 m

ANDRIES COETZEE RYNHARDT JONKER

EDWILL VAN DER MERWE

STI SITHOLE

RUAN SMITH

PIETER JANSEN VAN VUREN

ANDRE WARNER

MAJOR MATCHUP

KOK V HORN

Former Blitzbok star Werner Kok continued his live-wire form for the Cell C Sharks in the Heineken Champions Cup, with two tries in the first two matches.

The try that he scored during the second half of the opening-round confrontation with Harlequins a fortnight ago, was not only crucial, in terms of the heart-stopping 39-31 win, but also super spectacular, as the blond bomber stabbed the ball ahead on the halfway line and used his phenomenal pace to beat the cover defence to it.

World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2015, as well top tackler in the series, Kok (29) is worth his 92kg in gold for the Cell C Sharks, both on attack and in defence.

Quan Horn might be eight years Werner Kok’s junior, yet he has made an equally impressive impact on the Challenge Cup last weekend.

The 21-year-old ran in a brilliant brace of tries in the Lions’ 30-12 victory over Stade Francais, to reiterate just what a rosy future he has at the highest level of the game.

Able to also play fullback and centre, Horn is a hard-running, powerful ball carrier, who is especially lethal on the counter-attack, and certainly a player that needs to be kept in check all the time.

Another proud product of Paarl Boys High, Horn only made his Carling Currie Cup debut for the Golden Lions earlier this year.

EVEN STATS FACTS, STATS & TRIVIA

Did you know that…

* The Cell C Sharks have 188 points to the 220 of the Lions, while the sides have conceded 207 and 205 points respectively.

* The Lions have recorded 25 tries, the seventh most in the competition, but only two more than the Cell C Sharks’ tally of 23.

* The Cell C Sharks are in the top 10 as far as clean breaks are concerned, with 48 to the 43 of the Lions, while the latter have performed 63 offloads to the 57 of the Cell C Sharks.

* Both outfits boast a tackle success rate of 87%, while at set-piece the Cell C Sharks are slightly superior with scrum success of 91-87 and lineout success of 90-81.

* The Cell C Sharks have conceded 81 turnovers to the 87 of the Lions, while both teams have won 48 turnovers.