CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE MARCH 26 2023

OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME

ON TO THE NEXT ONE CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE KICK-OFF 14H00

26/03 #SHAvWP

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CHANGING THE GAME is a team effort.

SIYA KOLISI - RUGBY 4

CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE

@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 10H45 PARKING GATES OPEN 11H00 TURNSTILES OPEN 14H00 CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE

10 14 20 21 22

MATCH PREVIEW

CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE KICK OFF 14H00

MAJOR MATCH UP ZEILINGA V WOLHUTER

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

GETTING BACK ON TRACK, BACK AT HOME… WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

It might only be Round 3 of this year’s Currie Cup competition, yet the stakes couldn’t be any higher for the Cell C Sharks as they welcome the high-riding WP to Hollywoodbets Kings Park this afternoon…

While all eyes were on the Cell C Sharks URC team in action against Scarlets in Llanelli, Wales, last night, the focus has now shifted back to The Shark Tank where Joey Mongalo’s Currie Cup charges are hosting Western Province today - in what has shaped up as a crucial assignment for the home side.

The visitors from Cape Town are, together with the defending champions, the Pumas, and Cheetahs, still unbeaten in this year’s edition of the domestic showpiece, and, therefore, setting the early pace in the tournament.

Western Province underlined this in no uncertain fashion at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria last Friday night, when they fought back courageously to see off the Bulls 41-33.

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The Cell C Sharks, on the other hand, came unstuck during the second half in Kimberley on Sunday, after an impressive opening spell and having led 28-10 at the half, to eventually lose 40-48 to Griquas.

Needless to say, there has been a fair amount of soul-searching conducted on the training track this week to figure out where things went wrong for the Cell C Sharks during the second spell at Kimberley, as well as the necessary strategic planning with a view to effectively meeting the challenge posed by Province today.

With 10 rounds left to play, it is still early days as far as the 2023 Currie Cup season is concerned, yet it is vital for the Cell C Sharks, especially at home, to get back on the winning track as soon as possible and to start building some serious momentum in the competition.

As things stand currently on the Currie Cup table, the Durban-based side, having won one from two, are lying fourth, behind the unbeaten Cheetahs, Pumas and WP. Complicating matters further is the fact that Mongalo has had to relinquish certain players to the URC squad for last night’s outing in Wales, but that, unfortunately, is the harsh reality of professional rugby these days - with three competitions having to be negotiated concurrently.

Finding that all important cohesion, as a unit, has now become priority No 1 for the men in black and white, though, and they will be keen to find exactly that against Province today.

THE NECESSARY STRATEGIC PLANNING WITH A VIEW TO EFFECTIVELY MEETING THE CHALLENGE POSED

BY PROVINCE TODAY. Next week, the Cell C Sharks Currie Cup outfit will head upcountry to take on the Lions in Johannesburg, before returning to Hollywoodbets Kings Park for two consecutive and, indeed, very important home games - against the champion Pumas and Bulls.

Thereafter, in the third week of April, the boys hit the road again to tackle the equally impressive Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

A good win against WP this afternoon will therefore set the Cell C Sharks up perfectly for the long and winding road ahead, as well as provide the necessary impetus for building vital momentum in the Currie Cup. CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE

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CELL C SHARKS

HEAD COACH

JOEY MONGALO

YAW PENXE

15

PHIKOLOMZI SOBAHLE

14

MURRAY KOSTER (C)

13

FRANCOIS VENTER

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MARNUS POTGIETER

11

FRED ZEILINGA

10

BRADLEY DAVIDS

09

HENCO VENTER

08

THEMBELANI BHOLI

07

JAMES VENTER

06

RENIEL HUGO

05

CORNE RAHL

04

KHUTHA MCHUNU

03

FEZ MBATHA

02

KHWEZI MONA

01

JASON ALEXANDER

16

DIAN BLEULER

17

MARCO PELVIE

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HYRON ANDREWS

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DYLAN RICHARDSON

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TIAAN FOURIE

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LIONEL CRONJE

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ALWAYNO VISAGIE

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MANAGER

ANDRE BARNARD

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KICK OFF 14H00 REFEREE CHRISTOPHER ALLISON

DHL WESTERN PROVINCE

5

SACHA FEINBERG-MNGOMEZULU

4

FAZEEL ROBERTSON

3

JUAN DE JONGH (C)

2

BRUCE SHERWOOD

1

DUNCAN SAAL

0

KADE WOLHUTER

9

GODLEN MASIMLA

8

KEKE MORABE

7

JUNIOR POKOMELA

6

PAUL DE VILLIERS

5

GARY PORTER

4

CONNOR EVANS

3

SAZI SANDI

2

SCARRA NTUBENI

1

ALI VERMAAK

HEAD COACH

6

ANDRE-HUGO VENTER

LINDSAY BROWN

7

LEON LYONS

8

LEE-MARVIN MAZIBUKO

9

DYLAN DE LEEUW

0

LOUWAN HORN

1

ARMAND MARITZ

2

LABIB KENNEMEYER

3

EWARD COULSON ASSISTANT REFEREES YANGA SOTSHANGANE & SANELE MDLALOSE TMO MARIUS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN

LABEEB LEVY

MANAGER

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THE ULTIMATE TEAM

SECURITY, FACILITIES & CLEANING Visit www.ssgsa.co.za 18 CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE

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MAJOR MATCHUP

ZEILINGA V WOLHUTER If it’s experience you’re looking for in the Currie Cup, look no further than Fred Zeilinga.

The 30-year-old Glenwood old boy is back in Durban, where the Currie Cup journey started for him more than 10 years ago. Between then and now, Zeilinga has spent extended playing periods with the Cheetahs, winning the domestic showpiece with the Free Staters in 2016, and the Canon Eagles in Japan.

Having represented the Lions during the inaugural URC tournament, Zeilinga is back in black and white to share his vast experience with the Cell C Sharks in the Currie Cup. Currently the top points-scorer in the Currie Cup Premier Division, WP flyhalf Kade Wolhuter recorded a try, three conversions and five penalty goals for a personal haul of 26 points in last Friday’s pulsating 41-33 victory over the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

Sidelined for almost a year through a serious knee injury, the 21-year-old is finally realising the massive potential that he exhibited as a schoolboy at Paul Roos Gymnasium.

With a couple of Stormers caps already under his belt, Wolhuter had a brief stint in France with Montpellier, and is renowned for his accuracy with the boot, as well as his playmaking instincts in the stand-off slot.

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CURRIE CUP LOG TEAM TOYOTA CHEETAHS XV

P

W

D

L

PD

PTS

2

2

0

0

63

10

AIRLINK PUMAS

2

2

0

0

55

10

DHL WESTERN PROVINCE

2

2

0

0

24

10

CELL C SHARKS XV

2

1

0

1

8

6

WD GRIQUAS

2

1

0

1

-15

5

FIDELITY ADT LIONS

2

0

0

2

-23

3

VODACOM BLUE BULLS

2

0

0

2

-56

1

NOVAVIT GRIFFONS

2

0

0

2

-56

0

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

FRI, 31 MAR R0UND 5

FRI, 7 APR R0UND 6

FRI, 14 APR

CELL C SHARKS VS DHL WESTERN PROVINCE CELL C SHARKS VS FIDELITY ADT LIONS CELL C SHARKS VS AIRLINK PUMAS CELL C SHARKS VS VODACOM BULLS

R0UND 7

SUN, 23 APR R0UND 8

SAT, 29 APR R0UND 9

SAT, 6 MAY

TOYOTA CHEETAHS VS CELL C SHARKS CELL C SHARKS VS WINDHOEK DRAUGHT GRIQUAS VODACOM BULLS VS CELL C SHARKS

R0UND 10

FRI, 12 MAY R0UND 11

FRI, 19 MAY

AIRLINK PUMAS VS CELL C SHARKS CELL C SHARKS VS TOYOTA CHEETAHS

R0UND 12

SAT, 26 MAY R0UND 13

SAT, 3 JUN

NOVAVIT GRIFFONS VS CELL C SHARKS 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 TBC 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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