There is all to play for in what is arguably the biggest match so far in 2022 in Pretoria on Saturday when the Vodacom Bulls host rivals, the Cell C Sharks, in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarterfinal at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday at 13h45.
The all-South African clash between the Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks is also expected to a humdinger given how closely matched the teams have been in several areas of their game this season.
Both teams will enter the match with 11 wins from their 18 clashes this season, while the Pretoria outfit have scored only eight points more than the KwaZulu-Natalians, although they have conceded 23 more points.
The Cell C Sharks will enter the game on a five-match winning run and with the peace of mind knowing that they have lost only one match this season against a South African side (the DHL Stormers), while the Vodacom Bulls come off three consecutive wins.
The sides have met twice before in the Vodacom URC this season, with the Cell C Sharks taking the spoils in both outings, which should spice up the match.
There will be heavy interest in the battle at Fortress Loftus with a packed crowd expected to fill the stadium with a Springbok-laden Cell C Sharks traveling to Tshwane full of confidence after having already beaten the Vodacom Bulls twice this season.
The Vodacom Bulls have kept some continuity, making only one change to their starting XV that was on duty in their previous match – an impressive victory over Ospreys in Wales.
Experienced flanker, Arno Botha, will earn a starting berth in place of Cyle Brink, who sustained an injury in their last outing.
The home side’s bench has been bolstered with the inclusion of Springboks, Lizo Gqoboka, who will provide loosehead prop cover, and veteran flyhalf Morne Steyn.
The side from Tshwane expects another thrilling, but tough challenge against their old rivals.
“I am really proud of our players for what they have achieved in reaching this stage of the Vodacom URC. They have put in the hard work and have shown great determination to overcome some obstacles in the early stages of the season to reach the playoffs,” said Vodacom Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, ahead of the match.
“The Cell C Sharks have been an outstanding side throughout the campaign. They have shown their quality with all the Springboks in their squad, their depth with the great talent at their disposal and consistency which has seen them claim some good results.
“The fact that we have lost twice to them in the round robin stages shows the quality of their side. We are expecting a very tough battle. We have done what we can in our preparations for this weekend’s match. Now we will need to now implement and execute our plans well and play our best rugby if we want to overcome a quality outfit like the Cell C Sharks.”
The Cell C Sharks team named to take on the Vodacom Bulls in Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash shows just one change from the previous clash two weeks ago.
Head coach Sean Everitt has largely stuck with the same starting XV as that named to play Ulster in round 18.
In the only change, Le Roux Roets starts in Ruben van Heerden’s place in the second row with the remainder of the side retained for this big game.
Teams:
Vodacom Bulls: 15. Canan Moodie, 14. David Kriel, 13. Cornal Hendricks, 12. Harold Vorster, 11. Madosh Tambwe, 10. Chris Smith, 9. Izak Burger, 8. Elrigh Louw, 7. Arno Botha, 6. Marcell Coetzee (c), 5. Ruan Nortje, 4. Walt Steenkamp, 3. Mornay Smith, 2. Johan Grobbelaar, 1. Gerhard Steenekamp. Replacements: 16. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17. Lizo Gqoboka, 18. Robert Hunt, 19. Janko Swanepoel, 20. Reinhardt Ludwig, 21. Embrose Papier, 22. Morné Steyn, 23. Stedman Gans.
Cell C Sharks: 15. Aphelele Fassi, 14. Werner Kok, 13. Lukhanyo Am, 12. Marius Louw, 11. Makazole Mapimpi, 10. Curwin Bosch, 9. Jaden Hendrikse, 8. Phendulani Buthelezi, 7. Henco Venter, 6. Siyamthanda Kolisi, 5. Reniel Hugo, 4. Le Roux Roets, 3. Thomas du Toit (c), 2. Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1.. etshegofaditswe Nche. Replacements: 16. Kerron van Vuuren, 17. Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18. Khutha Mchunu, 19. Ruben van Heerden, 20. Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21. Grant Williams, 22. Henry Chamberlain, 23. Ben Tapuai.