It’s another brace of SA derbies this Saturday, as we reach the second round of Rainbow Cup South Africa action.
The Sharks step out on home turf for the first time when they welcome the Lions down to Kings Park from Johannesburg.
Their tussle is followed by the brutality of the north – south derby between the Stormers and the Bulls in Cape Town.
Rainbow Cup South Africa: Rugby predictions for 8 May
Prediction methodology explained: The expected win percentage is based on publicly available odds. For example, if a team’s odds are 2.30, the expected chance of winning is 43%. If the odds are 1.62 the expected chance of winning is 62% and so on. These are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change. Where there is no value listed, the odds were not available at the time of writing. Due to the notoriously unreliable nature of consistent statistics for rugby union fixtures, the points margin prediction will draw from a variety of sources – including Rugby Vision, Rugby4Cast and Stats Chat NZ. Additionally, because of the restricting of so many competitions, Rainbow Cup predictions does not use the Usual Win % metric as some other competitions do and use win % of the team’s last ten fixtures instead.
Rainbow Cup South Africa: Sharks vs Lions
The Sharks and Lions go head-to-head in Durban on Saturday, as they kick off the second round of Rainbow Cup South Africa action at Kings Park.
Lukhanyo Am’s hosts escaped from Cape Town with a 33-30 opening round victory against the Stormers, benefitting from two red cards for the home side.
The visiting side, meanwhile, were comfortably seen off 22-9 by the Bulls in the Jukskei derby at Loftus Versfeld.
It’s an unchanged starting line up for Sharks coach Sean Everitt, as World Cup winning Springboks captain Siya Kolisi continues to find his feet at flank.
EW Viljoen comes in at full-back for the Lions, replacing Tiaan Swanepoel, who fractured his fibula in Pretoria.
Rabz Maxwane finds a place on the wing, while Reinhard Nothnagel comes into the locks and Carlu Sadie starts in the front row.
Sharks Starting XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Jeremy Ward, 11 Yaw Penxe, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Fez Mbatha, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Le Roux Roets, 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Werner Kok.
Lions Starting XV: 15 EW Viljoen, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan Kriel, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Andr? Warner, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 MJ Pelser, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Carl? Sadie, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Sithembiso Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Len Massyn, 20 Emmanuel Tshituka, 21 Morn? van den Berg, 22 Jordan Hendrikse, 23 Burger Odendaal.
Rainbow Cup South Africa: Stormers vs Bulls
It’s a north – south derby at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, as the Stormers welcome the Bulls for the second round of Rainbow Cup South Africa action.
Redemption is the name of the game for the hosts, who were left to rue their indiscipline in slipping to a bitterly disappointing, 30-33 defeat at home to the Sharks in the opening round of fixtures.
No such problems for Jake White and his side, who eased past the Lions 22-9 at Loftus Versfeld in the Jukskei derby last weekend.
Duane Vermeulen makes his comeback for the men from Pretoria, reclaiming the captain’s armband as former Stormer Nizaam Carr drops to the bench.
Veteran Morne Steyn returns in the ten jersey for coach White, while there is also a starting berth for full-back David Kriel in the Mother City.
The home side have had to shuffle their pack thanks to a mix of injuries and suspension.
Half back pair Herschel Jantjies and Kade Wolhuter are both crocked, as are JD Schickerling and Nama Xaba in the forwards, while Seabelo Senatla is suspended and Ruhan Nel has been released to the Blitzboks in a bid to fulfill his Olympic dream later this year.
Bongi Mbonambi starts at hooker, with David Meihuizen, Godlen Masimla and Dan du Plessis among those promoted to the starting line up.
Stormers Starting XV: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Abner van Reenen, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 David Meihuizen, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Willie Engelbrecht, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Cornel Smit, 23 Edwill van der Merwe, 24 Andre-Hugo Venter, 25 Adre Smith.
Bulls Starting XV: 15 David Kriel, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Morn? Steyn, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Duane Vermeulen, captain), 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Jacques van Rooyen, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Chris Smith, 23 James Verity-Amm, 24 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 25 Reinhardt Ludwig, 26 Arno Botha, 27 Keagan Johannes, 28 Janco Uys.