CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS JUNE 3 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

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

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

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

(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.

CELL C SHARKS

FIDELITY ADT LIONS

QUAN HORN

BOLDWIN HANSEN

MANUEL RASS

MARIUS LOUW (C)

EDWILL VAN DER MERWE

GIANNI LOMBARD

SANELE NOHAMBA

FRANCKE HORN

RUAN VENTER

JC PRETORIUS

DARRIEN-LANE LANDSBERG

RUBEN SCHOENMAN

RUAN DREYER

MORNE BRANDON

RHYNARDT RUNSBURGER

JACO VISAGIE

MORGAN NAUDE

ASENATHI NTLABAKANYE

RAYNARD ROETS

EMMANUEL TSHITUKA

MORNE VAN DEN BERG

RYNHARDT JONKER

ANDRIES COETZEE

REFEREE

PHUMZILE MBEWU & CWENGILE JADEZWENI TMO MARIUS VAN

HEAD COACH MZIWAKHE NKOSI

MANAGER MJ RABODIBA

FLEURS VS HORN MAJOR MATCHUP

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.

/ 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

ACADEMY SPONSORS

STADIUM PARTNERS

CLUB COMPETITION SPONSORS

CLUB SPONSORS