CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS JUNE 3 2023

OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME

ROUND 13 CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS KICK-OFF 19H05

3/06

#SHAvLIO

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CHANGING THE GAME is a team effort.

SIYA KOLISI - RUGBY 4

CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS

@OAKLEY INC.

OAKLEY.COM

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

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CONTENTS

POA 15H30 PARKING GATES OPEN 16H45 TURNSTILES OPEN 19H05 CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS

10 14 20 21 22

MATCH PREVIEW

CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS KICK OFF 19H05

MAJOR MATCH UP FLEURS VS HORN

FIXTURES & LOG CURRIE CUP

SPONSORS THE SHARKS

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C E L L C P RO U D LY SU PPO RT S T HE S H ARK S

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MATCH PREVIEW

SIX OF THE BEST WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

Just over a month ago, Joey Mongalo implored his charges to be more consistent, with a view to securing a favourable playoff spot. The boys certainly answered the coach’s call, as they have now won their last six Currie Cup games on the trot…

It was following the gritty away win against the Cheetahs at the end of April, that Joey Mongalo suggested that if the Cell C Sharks could string together a series of wins, it would make a massive difference.

“At some point we have to stop making our lives so difficult, and just go through two, three, four or five wins in a row; that will make all the difference in the world,” Mongalo said at the time.

“This has become especially important since the log is so tightly grouped… Every result has a bearing on where we could go.

“There simply is no place for inconsistent performances anymore.”

Well, the Cell C Sharks have actually gone one better than five wins in a row, and their sixth consecutive victory in this year’s domestic showpiece, a hard-fought 10 CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS

35-9 bonus-point victory over the Griffons in Welkom, has now seen the men in black and white surge to the top of the Currie Cup standings.

The team from Durban might have taken a while to hit their straps against the Northern Free Staters last Friday. When they did finally get into the groove during the second half, though, there was no stopping the Cell C Sharks as they claimed a valuable full haul of championship points away from home.

Following the Cheetahs’ 29-29 draw with Griquas in Bloemfontein on Saturday, the Cell C Sharks (43) are now two points ahead of the Free Staters (41), and seven clear of the defending champions, the Pumas, who went down 17-24 to the Bulls.

The Cell C Sharks are back home at Hollywoodbets Kings Park tonight, hosting the Lions, and fizzing to consolidate their

pole position as the competition enters its business end.

The visitors from Johannesburg, on the other hand, are currently lying just outside of the top four and will be highly determined to book a semi-final spot themselves. The Lions achieved a morale-boosting 3212 win at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town against Western Province, who are currently occupying the fourth position on the log, courtesy of a slightly superior points difference than the Lions and Bulls (all on 31 championship points).

THE CELL C SHARKS (43) ARE NOW TWO POINTS AHEAD OF THE FREE STATERS (41), AND SEVEN CLEAR OF THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS, THE PUMAS, WHO WENT DOWN 17-24 TO THE BULLS. As such, Reniel Hugo and co can expect to have a brutal battle on their hands tonight.

The forward fray should, as usual, prove to be decisive, and the Cell C Sharks have been served brilliantly in this regard by a forward pack that, as a unit, have increasingly been stamping their authority up front and laying a perfect platform for their exciting backs to do their thing.

With only two rounds of Currie Cup warfare left to play before the playoffs - the Cell C Sharks are concluding the regular leg of their campaign against Western Province in Cape Town next Saturday - the focus is on finishing the race in style CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS

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CELL C SHARKS

HEAD COACH

JOEY MONGALO

NEVALDO FLEURS

15

YAW PENXE

14

MURRAY KOSTER

13

ALWAYNO VISAGIE

12

APHELELE FASSI

11

LIONEL CRONJE

10

TIAAN FOURIE

09

HENCO VENTER

08

JAMES VENTER

07

DYLAN RICHARDSON

06

RENIEL HUGO (C)

05

OCKIE BARNARD

04

KHUTHA MCHUNU

03

FEZ MBATHA

02

KHWEZI MONA

01

KERRON VAN VUUREN

16

NTUTHUKO MCHUNU

17

HANRO JACOBS

18

MARCO DE WITT

19

VINCENT TSHITUKA

20

BRADLEY DAVIDS

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ROHAN JANSE VAN RENSBURG

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MARNUS POTGIETER

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MANAGER

ANDRE BARNARD

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KICK OFF 19H05 REFEREE AJ JACOBS

FIDELITY ADT LIONS

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QUAN HORN

4

BOLDWIN HANSEN

3

MANUEL RASS

2

MARIUS LOUW (C)

1

EDWILL VAN DER MERWE

0

GIANNI LOMBARD

9

SANELE NOHAMBA

8

FRANCKE HORN

7

RUAN VENTER

6

JC PRETORIUS

5

DARRIEN-LANE LANDSBERG

4

RUBEN SCHOENMAN

3

RUAN DREYER

2

MORNE BRANDON

1

RHYNARDT RUNSBURGER

6

JACO VISAGIE

7

MORGAN NAUDE

8

ASENATHI NTLABAKANYE

9

RAYNARD ROETS

0

EMMANUEL TSHITUKA

1

MORNE VAN DEN BERG

2

RYNHARDT JONKER

3

ANDRIES COETZEE REFEREE PHUMZILE MBEWU & CWENGILE JADEZWENI TMO MARIUS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN

HEAD COACH

MZIWAKHE NKOSI

MANAGER

MJ RABODIBA

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THE ULTIMATE TEAM

SECURITY, FACILITIES & CLEANING Visit www.ssgsa.co.za 18 CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS

Performance partners

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MAJOR MATCHUP

FLEURS VS HORN Nevaldo Fleurs is another of the really exciting young players in the Cell C Sharks’ camp.

Described by Director of Rugby Neil Powell as “one of those players who have time on the ball”, Fleurs is a shrewd decision-maker on the field.

He starred for Maties at fullback last year, emerging as the top points-scorer during the Varsity Cup season with a tally of 118 points in the tournament.

Fleurs was named the FNB Back That Rocks, and subsequently signed by the Cell C Sharks.

Recently, the 23-year-old showed magnificent composure to convert Dian Bleuler’s last-minute try, after the hooter had gone, in the Cell C Sharks’ thrilling 24-22 victory over the defending Currie Cup champions, the Pumas, in Mbombela.

An equally exciting prospect at fullback, Quan Horn was educated at the prestigious Paarl Boys' High.

Horn was recently voted Vodacom United Rugby Championship Ironman, as the player who racked up the most minutes over the 18 rounds of the URC. The 21-year-old accumulated 1,428 minutes on the field of play and was one of only 10 players to feature in all 18 of his team’s matches.

In addition, he ran in four tries, beat 39 defenders and made six clean breaks. He gained 984 metres, placing him in the Top 10 of that category.

Horn has consistently delivered the goods for the Lions, with his eagerness to attack from the back.

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CURRIE CUP LOG TEAM CELL C SHARKS

P

W

D

L

PD

PTS

12

9

0

3

91

43

TOYOTA CHEETAHS

12

7

0

4

96

41

AIRLINK PUMAS

12

7

0

5

149

36

DHL WESTERN PROVINCE

12

6

0

6

10

31

FIDELITY ADT LIONS

12

5

0

7

-11

31

VODACOM BLUE BULLS

12

6

0

6

-43

31

THE WINDHOEK DRAUGHT GRIQUAS

12

6

0

5

-34

30

NOVAVIT GRIFFONS

12

1

0

11

-258

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CURRIE CUP FIXTURES / RESULTS R0UND 1R

SAT, 11 MAR

CELL C SHARKS VS NOVAVIT GRIFFONS | 32-16

ROUND 2

SUN, 19 MAR

WINDHOEK DRAUGHT GRIQUAS VS CELL C SHARKS | 48-40

R0UND 3

SUN, 26 MAR R0UND 4

SAT, 1 APR R0UND 5

FRI, 7 APR R0UND 6

FRI, 14 APR

CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE | 20-7 CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS | 34-22 CELL C SHARKS VS AIRLINK PUMAS | 19-12 CELL C SHARKS VS VODACOM BULLS | 20-24

R0UND 7

SUN, 23 APR R0UND 8

SAT, 29 APR R0UND 9

SAT, 6 MAY

TOYOTA CHEETAHS VS CELL C SHARKS | 17-24 CELL C SHARKS VS WINDHOEK DRAUGHT GRIQUAS | 24-6 VODACOM BULLS VS CELL C SHARKS | 27-41

R0UND 10

FRI, 12 MAY R0UND 11

FRI, 19 MAY

AIRLINK PUMAS VS CELL C SHARKS | 22-24 CELL C SHARKS VS TOYOTA CHEETAHS | 35-23

R0UND 12

SAT, 26 MAY R0UND 13

SAT, 3 JUN

NOVAVIT GRIFFONS VS CELL C SHARKS | 9-35 FIDELITY ADT LIONS VS CELL C SHARKS

R0UND 14

SAT, 10 JUN

DHL WESTERN PROVINCE VS CELL C SHARKS

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

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MEDIA PARTNERS

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