CELL C SHARKS VS BORDEAUX BEGLES JAN 14 2023

Star Brewed for that refreshing first sip.

EPCR WELCOME MESSAGE

A warm welcome to this Round 3 match in the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and a Happy New Year to all as we reach the business end of the tournament’s pool stage. Following the historic introduction of the leading South African clubs, it comes as no surprise that the Cell C Sharks, Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers have already made a major impact and all remain in contention to book coveted places in the knockout stage.

With the top eight clubs in each pool guaranteed qualification, there’s an important incentive in that the four highest-ranked clubs in each pool will earn home matches in the Round of 16. In addition, the clubs which finish ninth and 10th in each pool will qualify for the Round of 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup.

So, after what promises to be more world-class action this month, we’ll have a clearer idea of the pathway to the eagerly-anticipated Finals weekend at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium next May for which nearly 70,000 tickets have already been sold.

We are delighted to be joined on the journey to Dublin by our long-standing title partner, Heineken, by our official partners, DHL, IHG and Tissot, by our official supporters, Gilbert and Kappa, and also by our official airline partner in South Africa, Qatar Airways.

Our long-standing broadcast partners, BT Sport, beIN SPORTS and France Télévisions, continue to provide superb coverage of the Heineken Champions Cup in the UK, Ireland and France respectively, while SuperSport in South Africa, ITV and RTÉ in the UK and Ireland, S4C in Wales and FloRugby in the USA and Canada are already making valuable contributions to the growth of tournament.

We hope that you enjoy the match and best wishes to you, the fans, as well as to your club’s players and staff as we anticipate the joy and the occasional heartache that comes when qualification for the Heineken Champions Cup knockout stage is on the line!

Yours in rugby, Dominic McKay, EPCR Chairman

MATCH PREVIEW ZEROING IN, ON…SWEET 16!

WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

Home is where the heart is, and another good win for the Cell C Sharks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park tonight could well see them cement a place in the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16…

The Cell C Sharks have just returned from Galway, Ireland, where a largely inexperienced and young team put up a brave fight going down 12-24 to Connacht in their Round 12 United Rugby Championship encounter.

The decision by Cell C Sharks’ Director of Rugby Neil Powell to stay behind in Durban, with a core of senior players, and prepare for today’s resumption of their Heineken Champions Cup campaign, was a sheer strategic one to try and alleviate the effects of extensive overseas travelling brought about by the concurrent running of both the URC and Champions Cup.

After all, next week the Cell C Sharks are already heading back north again for the return Champions Cup match against Harlequins at Twickenham Stoop - where Powell turned out for The Sharks at scrumhalf exactly 20 years ago.

After the first two rounds of Champions Cup matches, the Cell C Sharks are currently placed fourth on the standings, having won both their first two games in the new competition - one at home against Harlequins, and the other an invaluable away victory in France over the Bordeaux Bègles, the team that they are hosting in The Shark Tank today.

The Bordeaux Bègles have yet to win a match in this edition of the Champions Cup and are placed ninth at the moment, yet they are by no means a team to be underestimated.

This was evident during the previous encounter between these two sides just under a month ago at the Stade ChabanDelmas in Bordeaux, when the Cell C Sharks were made to fight for a hard-earned 19-13 win.

Back home at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, the Cell C Sharks will be intent on making

the most of homeground advantage to generate maximum championship points.

The importance of winning one’s home games has probably never been as important as right now, with teams having to negotiate both the Champions Cup and URC at the same time.

The last time the Cell C Sharks were in action at home, was a fortnight ago when they comprehensively dismantled the Bulls 4720, and to the tune of five tries to two, in the URC.

Powell hailed that result as a vitally important one for his team, once again highlighting the necessity for securing championship points at home - whether in the URC or Champions Cup.

AFTER THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS OF CHAMPIONS CUP MATCHES, THE CELL C SHARKS ARE CURRENTLY PLACED FOURTH ON THE STANDINGS, HAVING WON BOTH THEIR FIRST TWO GAMES IN THE NEW COMPETITION

“It’s a really long haul for us, so beating the Bulls at home was vitally important,” Powell observed.

“The team is steadily growing in confidence, and we want to win our home games.”

Another convincing win by Powell’s charges tonight could all but secure them a place in the Champions Cup Round of 16, ahead of their away assignment against Harlequins in London.

The Cell C Sharks will remain in the UK to tackle Edinburgh in the URC, before returning to Durban for their February 3 URC date with the Stormers.

CELL C SHARKS VS UNION BORDEAUX

COOL HAND LUKHANYO

Having lifted the Webb Ellis Cup with South Africa four years ago, Lukhanyo Am knows what he’s talking about. So, when the Cell C Sharks’ midfield ace says that the boys want to go all the way in the Champions Cup, one has to take him seriously…

WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

Apart from great self-belief, great sportsmen down the years all had certain other trademarks in common.

Think of legendary athletes like the recently departed Pelé (football) or Michael Jordan (basketball), to name just two, the main factors that set them apart from the rest were a strong sense of motivation, focus and control, and a massively optimistic mindset.

Champion Cell C Sharks and Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am possesses all of the above, and heaps of it.

It is what renders Am, as SA Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus once observed, such a “really special player”…

The 29-year-old was therefore sorely missed by both the Boks and Cell C Sharks over the past few months, having been sidelined through knee surgery.

Am is back, though, and fizzing to regain top form in no time.

‘The past few months have been pretty frustrating, so it is good, amazing really, for me to be back,” he says.

“Obviously, I will need sufficient game time to restore full confidence, but I’m just happy to be back, and happy where I am.

“It has also been refreshing to be back in the camp, with the whole new approach that has been introduced by Cell C Sharks Director of Rugby, Neil Powell.”

Since celebrating his return to the playing arena a month ago with the invaluable away win in France against Bordeaux Bègles, the team that the Cell C Sharks are hosting in the return encounter today, Am and new Bok recruit Rohan Janse van Rensburg have impressed with their solid midfield partnership for the Durban-based outfit.

“Although we had never played together

before, it has been really nice playing alongside Rohan,” Am acknowledges.

“He kind of came in at just the right time, as his powerful style of play is particularly suited to northern hemisphere conditions and complements my own style of play.

“Having said that, we are extremely blessed at the Cell C Sharks with the number of quality centres that we have in the mix. I mean, a guy like former Wallaby Ben Tapuai has been simply amazing, while Francois Venter, before he became injured, also exhibited great form.

“It is a very long season, and, having to negotiate both the Champions Cup and URC concurrently, such good depth in every position will be key in the long run.”

Am is highly excited about the fact that the Cell C Sharks are competing, for the very first time, in the top-tier Champions Cup.

“It really is big.

“And, the intent is to go all the way in the Champions Cup.”

It is, of course, also year of the Rugby World Cup, and, although Lukhanyo Am and co will not allow their focus to be deviated in any way, defending the global title that South Africa clinched in such sensational fashion four years ago, will be priority come September.

“Time has flown by so fast,” he says.

“November 2, 2019, feels just like yesterday. “But, yeah, the RWC in France later this year will prove to be pretty interesting, with a whole host of teams having put up their hand over the past few months.

“Obviously, as defending champs, nothing will give us greater pleasure than to bring the trophy back to South Africa, so, yeah, looking forward to it, really excited…”

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NOTSHE

BORN: 28/05/1993 HEIGHT: 1.86 m WEIGHT: 105KG

MAJOR MATCHUP

ETZEBETH V JOLMÈS

This second-row giant needs no introduction, and, as far as the URC is concerned, is still topping the Top 100 following his marauding Man of the Match performance for the Cell C Sharks against the Glasgow Warriors last October.

As one of the top-5 most-capped Boks of all time with 110 tests to his name, Etzebeth is the supreme enforcer of world rugby, and, even at 31 years of age, his commitment and drive, to also attain the pinnacle in Heineken Champions Cup rugby, are second to none.

Hence, we can expect the big man to put in yet another stellar performance for the Cell C Sharks today.

If Eben Etzebeth is a big man, and he certainly is, then Thomas Jolmès is even bigger.

Jolmès is 2.04m tall and tips the scales at 125kg, to Etzebeth’s 2.03m and 117kg.

Compared to Etzebeth at international level, though, 27-year-old Jolmès is still pretty much a rookie with only a solitary French cap under the belt.

However, having previously represented Grenoble, La Rochelle and Toulon at the highest level, Jolmès has established himself as a vital cog in the Bordeaux Bègles pack in 2021, which led to his national callup for France’s summer tour of Japan last year. He will certainly fulfil a key role in Durban today.

CHRISTOPHER VAOTOA

BORN:16/11/1996 HEIGHT: 1.85 m WEIGHT: 138KG

THOMAS JOLMÈS

BORN:8/10/1995 HEIGHT: 2.04 m WEIGHT: 125KG

CLÉMENT MAYNADIER

BORN: 11/10/1988 HEIGHT: 1.87m WEIGHT: 100KG

VADIM COBÎLAŞ

BORN: 30/07/1983 HEIGHT: 1.80 m

WEIGHT: 120KG

CORENTIN COULARIS

BORN: 2003 HEIGHT: 1.91m WEIGHT: 102KG

ALBAN ROUSSEL

BORN:11/09/1998 HEIGHT: 1.96 m WEIGHT: 120KG

CALEB TIMU

BORN: 22/02/1994 HEIGHT: 1.90m WEIGHT: 120KG

RENATO GIAMMARIOLI

BORN:23/03/1995 HEIGHT: 1.85 m WEIGHT: 112KG

MAXIME LUCU (C)

BORN: 12/01/1993 HEIGHT: 1.77 m

BORN: 10/09/1996 HEIGHT: 1.74m

MADOSH TAMBWE

BORN: 12/05/1997 HEIGHT: 1.86m

YORAM MOEFANA

BORN: 18/07/2000 HEIGHT: 1.82 m WEIGHT: 97KG

MATEO GARCIA

CENTRE

BORN:31/10/2000

HEIGHT: 1.87 m

WEIGHT: 105KG

BORN: 8/03/1997

HEIGHT: 1.85m

PROFILES

NANS DUCUING

WEIGHT: 85KG

PROP HOOKER

BORN: 21/07/1998 HEIGHT: 1.89 m

WEIGHT: 125KG

BORN: 14/06/1989

HEIGHT: 1.98 m

WING PROP

BORN: 12/02/2002 HEIGHT: 1.83m

WEIGHT: 118KG

LOCK FLYHALF

ZACK HOLMES

BORN: 30/05/1990

HEIGHT: 1.75m

BASTIEN VERGNES

LOOSE FORWARD

BORN: 13/06/1997

HEIGHT: 1.94m

WEIGHT: 87KG

WEIGHT: 114KG

BORN: 06/11/1991 HEIGHT: 1.85m WEIGHT: 95KG

BORN: 6/06/1997 HEIGHT: 1.83 m

FULL BACK SCRUM-HALF

WEIGHT: 101KG WEIGHT: 116KG

BORN: 2/03/1998 HEIGHT: 1.70m WEIGHT: 75KG

PABLO UBERTI

FLANK

BORN: 19/10/1997 HEIGHT: 1.88 m

WEIGHT: 91KG

TANI VILI

GEOFFREY CROS

CONNOR SA

UGO BONIFACE

SIPILI FALATEA

JANDRE MARAIS JULES GIMBERT

STATS & TRIVIA

BIENVENUE À DURBAN! FACTS,

TODAY MARKS ANOTHER HISTORIC OCCASION AS HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK PLAYS HOST TO A FRENCH CLUB RUGBY SIDE, NAMELY BORDEAUX BÈGLES, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME…

Did you know that…

* The first occasion on which a French rugby side visited Kings Park was in 1967, when the Springboks beat France 26-3 in the first test of a four-test se-ries in South Africa.

* The first time that Natal hosted a French outfit was in 1975, when Tom Bed-ford’s side went down 18-34 to France.

* Union Bordeaux Bègles came into existence as a professional rugby franchise in 2006, when Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde (est. 1907) and Stade Bordelais (est. 1889) merged.

* Bègles earned Top 14 status by winning the promotion playoffs in 2011, as-suring them of a spot in the European Challenge Cup.

* In 2015, Bègles advanced to the Champions Cup by beating Gloucester in the European playoffs.

* Former Cell C Sharks lock Jandré Marais has been a stalwart for Bordeaux Bègles in 166 matches over the past 10 years.

CHANGING THE GAME

SIYA KOLISI - RUGBY

is a team effort.

TISSOT SUPERSPORT CHRONO. SWISS MADE CHRONOGRAPH WITH INTERCHANGEABLE STRAPS.

Star Brewed for that refreshing first sip.