esThe battle lines will be clearly drawn on Saturday when the Lions and Hollywoodbets Sharks go head-to-head in their postponed round eight Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash in Johannesburg, where a place in the top eight will be up for grabs.
The match will also have a significant influence on the South African shield, as a victory for the Hollywoodbets Sharks would see them clinch the trophy with one local derby remaining, while a victory for the Lions will see them reduce the six-point deficit between the teams and remain in contention for the silverware.
With the teams tied on 24 log points apiece in ninth and 10th place respectively, and only seven pool matches remaining for both sides following this clash, every point will count with 14 teams still realistically in the race for playoff places.
Although the match will be important for both teams, the Lions will place extra significance on this encounter, as it marks the first of six successive home games in the Vodacom URC, which could steer them on a strong course in the cross-hemisphere showpiece.
While the Durbanites come off two successive victories in the competition against the DHL Stormers, the Lions have won two of their three home matches and will be desperate to bounce back from their disappointing 52-17 defeat against the Vodacom Bulls at the end of last month, which will set the scene for a gripping match-up.
Despite losing their last clash against the Lions, in Durban on 3 January, the Hollywoodbets Sharks may enter the match as favourites, but the Lions will have the luxury of home ground advantage and will draw confidence from the fact that they boast better attacking statistics with 267 points scored to the Durbanites’ 222 in their 10 outings so far.
The KwaZulu-Natalians, however, have a superior defence having conceded 52 points fewer.
With both teams coming off a short break as the Six Nations continues, both teams will look to break out of the blocks with a bang and make the most of the opportunity to field a fresh squad.
Match Information:
Lions v Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Date: Saturday, 21 February
- Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
- SA Time: 14h00
- Referee: Griffin Colby
- TV: SuperSport
Skygod
Although cricket is a non-contact sport, players still experience injuries during a game, some of which are career-ending or even fatal. The first known player to have a deadly accident while playing cricket is Jasper Vinall of England. He was hit by a bat on the forehead and died two weeks later.
Spunky Sphinx
Sport Trivia: Who was the first person from South Africa to win the Olympic 100m sprint? Answer: Reggie Walker. South African Reggie Walker won the Olympic 100m track event in London in 1908. He set a new Olympic record of 10.8 seconds in his semi final, and equalled it in the final. He was just 19yrs and 128 days old when he won the gold medal. Paul Nash equalled the then world record of 10.0 seconds four times in 1968.