Referee: AM Jacobs

AR1: Rasta Rasivhenge

AR2: Local

TMO: Marius Jonker

Lions: 15. Quan Horn, 14. Boldwin Hansen, 13. James Mollentze, 12.Matt More, 11. Divan Rossouw, 10. Vaughen Isaacs, 9. Jurich Claasens, 8. Emmanuel Tshituka, 7. Vincent Tshituka, 6. Sibusiso Sangweni, 5. Simon Dinisio, 4. PJ Steenkamp, 3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye (c), 2. Dameon Venter, 1. JP Smith.

Replacements: 16. Morne Brandon, 17. Banele Mthenjane, 18. Chergin Fillies, 19. Lunga Ncube, 20. MJ Pelser, 21. Ginter Smuts, 22.Fred Zeilinga, 23. Tyler Bocks.

Sharks: 15. Yaw Penxe, 14. Werner Kok, 13. Jeremy Ward (v/c), 12. Murray Koster, 11. Marnus Potgieter, 10. Boeta Chamberlain, 9. Cameron Wright, 8. Celimpilo Gumede, 7. Thembelani Bholi, 6. James Venter (C), 5. Reniel Hugo, 4. Le Roux Roets, 3. Khutha Mchunu, 2. Fez Mbatha, 1. Khwezi Mona.

Replacements: 16. Dan Jooste, 17. Dian Bleuler, 18. Wiehahn Herbst, 19. Emile van Heerden, 20. OJ Noa, 21. Sanele Nohamba, 22. Inny Radebe, 23. Curwin Gertse

Die afgelope 2 jaar, was daar maar min dinamiese spel tussen ons 8,9, en 10. Ek sal graag wil sien hoe die jong agsteman Izan Esterhuizenof of een van die Tshetuka broers op 8 sal doen. Gee ook die geleendheid vir een van ons meer belowende oopkant flanke, MJ Pelser. Laat Morne van der Bergh op op 9 vir eens 'n wedstryd begin.

Die afgelope 2 seisoene het ons nie 'n 10 gehad wat die voordeel lyn kan aanval nie, so probeer Luke Roussouw of Tedder op 10, en laat ons kyk of Mollentze en Henco van Wyk dalk die gaping kan vul wanner Odendaal en Simelane aan die einde van die seisoen weg is, want hel, Moore en Mass betetekin op hierdie vlak nul.

Indien hulle fiks is, kan hierdie wedstryd gebruik word om eerste rank spelers soos Nothnagel en Sithole wedstryd fiks te kry, en ons moet antwoorde op hakker en lynstaan slot kry, so gee geleendhede vir Brandon en Venter en die lang slot (dink Denisio?, wat redelik belowend teen WP gelyk het).

Jammerte. Klink soos swak beplanning.

Dink net die die afgelope drie weke het gewys daar is ernstige probleme met kwaliteit van die diepte is, 'n ekstra "oefen" wedstryd sou baie help om alternatiewe uit te lig en onfikse spelers speelkaans te gee. 

Om 2 squads met 25 tot 30 spelers elk in die huidige omstandighede apart te hou, dink ek is wel swak beplanning, veral as daar vraagtekens is oor die kwaliteit can die party van die URC groep spelers is, maar dit los veral die CB groep baie afgewater en kwesbaar,

As ek reg onthou, was een van ons beste Superrugby toere begin toe ons 'n dag of twee voor afskop teen die Reds eers geland het, en die wedstryd oortuigend gewen het.

Maar wie weet, ons weet nie presies wat hulle planne is nie, en wat die beserings situasie is. Ek sal bly wees om humble pei te eet indien hulle my verkeerd bewys.

I would have played the match with the URC side, they need to gain some confidence and this would have been an opportunity to do so (and stay match fit as the comp is VERY stop start). 

So maybe not a case of “bad planning”, but certainly a “lost opportunity” (so some might say that is the same thing)

Agree players like Jordan Hendriks, Divan Rossouw Morne vd Berg Rabs Maxwane needs game time

What happened to Leo Kruger the prop foward?

Sigma Lions Head Coach Mziwakhe Nkosi has named an exciting match 23 ahead of his side's Carling Currie Cup encounter against the Cell C Sharks at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday.

Nkosi believes his troops will be eager to have a crack at the Cell C Sharks this weekend, a month after their opening home game against the Airlink Pumas in Johannesburg.

"We've had four weeks to reflect and work on quite a few aspects of our game which we felt needed attention," said Nkosi.

"As management, we believe the hard work the guys put in over past four weeks will reap rewards as we resume our campaign," he concluded.

The starting XV boasts three players fresh from Vodacom United Rugby Championship duty namely prop forward JP Smith and the Tshituka brothers.

The backline compilation promises to deliver a few exciting runs with Jurich Claasens and Vaughen Isaacs tasked to marshal the attack for the Lions.

Kick-off is at 17:00

Sigma Lions

15. Quan Horn 14. Boldwin Hansen 13. James Mollentze 12.Matt More 11. Divan Rossouw 10. Vaughen Isaacs 9. Jurich Claasens 8. Emmanuel Tshituka 7. Vincent Tshituka 6. Sibusiso Sangweni 5. Simon Dinisio 4. PJ Steenkamp 3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye (c) 2. Dameon Venter. 1. JP Smith

Replacements: 16. Morne Brandon 17. Banele Mthenjane 18. Chergin Fillies 19. Lunga Ncube 20. MJ Pelser 21. Ginter Smuts 22.Fred Zeilinga 23. Tyler Bocks

Afrigter en kaptein by vandag se perskonferensie

Ons te veel diepte in die loose forwards. 

Weereens kak beplanning. 

Suid Afrika het BAIE goeie 6,7,8,11,14s. En suprise surprise dit is waar ons diepte het. 

Daar is geen punt daarin nie. Kry goeie slotte en hakkers. Dit is waar n ou moet geld spandeer . 

Jy kan amper enige goeie varsity cup flank kies en Jy Sal perform, daar is baie diepte in SA in Daai posisie 

Kan nie sien dat ons hom gaan wen nie Sharks het baie diepte en dit wil vir my voorkom asof hulle weet wat hulle wil bereik en vorentoe beweeg

The Cell C Sharks’ Carling Currie Cup campaign shifts to Johannesburg when they take on the Sigma Lions at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday following a two week break.

After two wins and in particular a really commanding victory over the DHL Western Province a fortnight back, the team is building a good head of steam at this early stage of the competition and will hope to continue the momentum this week.

For head coach Etienne Fynn, the recipe for success is fairly simple.

“As always, you’re looking for improvement in the areas that you lacked a little in the previous game and building on those areas where you were strong,” he explains.

“It’s like a trifle, if you put too many ingredients in it, it becomes a mess, so for us it’s about keeping it as simple as possible and getting better and better in the execution of what you know works.”

The Lions lost 48-36 to DHL Western Province in the opening round before suffering a 50-9 defeat to the Airlink Pumas in their second match and with just one log point, prop up the Currie Cup table in seventh position.

Their team has been bolstered by URC players and they will not want to slip up a for a third consecutive game and face the prospect of playing catch-up over the remainder of the tournament.

Likewise, the Cell C Sharks will look to continue the momentum they have been building and this means executing and executing well.

The opportunities afforded to eighthman Sikhumbuzo Notshe, flyhalf Curwin Bosch and centre Marius Louw at URC level has opened the door for the likes of Thembelani Bholi and Murray Koster to get starts this weekend.

The opportunities for players to move up to the URC squad also has a positive knock-on effect for promising youngsters to get a chance at Currie Cup level, with young Bradley Davids, the 2021 SA Under 20 player, getting a call-up into the senior ranks.

Cell C Sharks

1. Khwezi Mona

2. Fez Mbatha

3. Khutha Mchunu

4. Le Roux Roets

5. Reniel Hugo

6. James Venter (C)

7. Thembelani Bholi

8. Celimpilo Gumede

9. Cameron Wright

10. Boeta Chamberlain

11. Marnus Potgieter

12. Murray Koster

13. Jeremy Ward (v/c)

14. Werner Kok

15. Yaw Penxe

Substitutes

16. Dan Jooste

17. Dian Bleuler

18. Wiehahn Herbst

19. Emile van Heerden

20. OJ Noa

21. Sanele Nohamba

22. Inny Radebe

23. Curwin Gertse

Ek verstaan net nie hoekom ons by 3 lynstane binne hulle kwartgebied probeer fancy wees ipv net n banker ball gooi en maul. Ons mauls was nie sleg nie. Maul defence was ook meestal goed.

Horn, Mollentze en Bock was goed, gegewe die min geleenthede wat hulle gekry het.

Daar kort dringend ñ top sportsielkundige by die unie. Die fear of failure wat al hierdie foute veroorsaak is besig om die spelers op te eet. Niemand kan hul werk doen onder sulke konstante druk nie.

Ja maar kom ons wees eerlik.. as dit nie vir n paar geelkaarte was nie en dat die Sharks die voet van die pedaal afgehaal het en vir Vincent nie.. was dit n ander storie.

Ek dink Attie is reg, daar was goeie goed en dan ongelukkig n klomp foute tussen in. As ons net lynstane kan uitsort dan sal ons game 100% verbeter, nee wragtig elke week dieselfde storie.

Ander ding, Fred het baie gehelp toe hy moes op kom. Ek dink hulle was baie hard op hom na sy vorige vertonings. Hy het gewys Desember hy is goed genoeg, dit is n confidence ding wat hom vou as hy foute maak. Elton was dieselfde in die begin, maar hy het sy kop reg gekry en vinnig aanbeweeg. 

Ek dink hy het potensiaal, maar die ouens sien hy wil nie die bal uitgee nie en hy gaan ook nie oor almal meer kan hardloop in senior rugby nie. Ek hoop rerig iemand soos Jaque sort hom uit.

Ek sou weer se sy balvaardighede is een van sy sterk punte. Hy het immers vir die junior Cheetahs en Junior Sprongbokke op 10 uitgedraf.

Gou geloer na dit op catchup, ek sal graag hom spesifiek wil dophou in die hele game weer, maar die offload na Vincent toe was goed. 

Sy eie drie is daar steeds vir my n vraagteken, hy het die regte besluit gemaak, maar toe het hy homself geback en kon moontlik vir Rossouw n spasie geskep het.

Anyways, ek dink hy is n aanwins en sal hom by die URC wil sien saam die regte mense werk om die beste uit hom te kry, voor hy ook oorsee waai soos al ons ander jong talent.