{"id":132785,"date":"2019-03-08T09:56:31","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T07:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/preview-vodacom-bulls-vs-cell-c-sharks-featured-durban-blog\/"},"modified":"2019-03-08T09:56:31","modified_gmt":"2019-03-08T07:56:31","slug":"preview-vodacom-bulls-vs-cell-c-sharks-featured-durban-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/preview-vodacom-bulls-vs-cell-c-sharks-featured-durban-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Preview: Vodacom Bulls vs Cell C Sharks \u2013 Featured Durban Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/sharksrugby.co.za\/preview-vodacom-bulls-vs-cell-c-sharks\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Preview: Vodacom Bulls vs Cell C Sharks<\/a>: <\/p>\n<p>The Cell C Sharks travel to Pretoria to take on the Vodacom Bulls in this weekend\u2019s round four Vodacom Super Rugby action looking to bounce back against a team that has secured two derby wins over South African opposition.<\/p>\n<p>Matches against the Vodacom Bulls are never easy and this one will be no different. The Vodacom Bulls have transformed their game, an evolution that saw them out-attack two traditionally attacking sides in the DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks accept that defence and discipline are going to be crucial.<\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks Head coach Robert du Preez admits that this is a crucial game, one the team are motivated to play well and come out on top of.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Vodacom Bulls are going to be tough to beat. They have a good team that dismantled the Lions and this is another South African derby, we know it\u2019s going to be a big physical battle at Loftus. We have to be up for it physically; the game is going to be won and lost upfront. It starts and finishes with the forwards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What They Said:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a game we want to win. We\u2019re going up there to win and I\u2019m sure they don\u2019t want to lose at home.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cell C Sharks Head coach Robert du Preez<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a huge tussle up at Loftus, we\u2019re looking forward to it. It\u2019s going to be physical, but we pride ourselves on our physicality and we\u2019ll definitely be up for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cell C Sharks assistant coach Braam van Straaten<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIf you can\u2019t be motivated to play the Vodacom Bulls, especially at Loftus, then you\u2019re in the wrong profession. We\u2019re highly motivated, especially after the loss to the DHL Stormers.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cell C Sharks captain Louis Schreuder<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cSouth African derbies are always hugely physical battles, we know if we stick to our plan then we have a very good shot of not just going to Loftus to take part, but to win.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cell C Sharks lock Hyron Andrews<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Teams:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Head coach Robert du Preez<\/p>\n<p>The Vodacom Bulls have missed RG Snyman at lock and now find themselves without Lood de Jager who will miss the remainder of the competition through injury. \u00a0They have made a few changes to their side, as have the Cell C Sharks with Gideon Koegelenberg, Wian Vosloo, Jeremy Ward and Rhyno Smith all earning their first starting berths, while Cell C Sharks Under 19 hooker from 2018, Fezokuhle Mbatha, is poised to make his debut off the bench.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve said that this is the year we\u2019ll be exposing the greater squad to Vodacom Super Rugby and I think this is the right time to do it,\u201d explains du Preez. \u201cThe changes are either through niggles or rotation but we have a nice mix and I\u2019m really excited about the team we\u2019ve selected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Some History<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Vodacom Bulls are undefeated in their last seven Vodacom Super Rugby games against the Cell C Sharks (W6, D1), including wins in their last three meetings.<\/p>\n<p>The Vodacom Bulls have won five of their last seven South African derbies in Vodacom Super Rugby, including their last two on the bounce.<\/p>\n<p>The Cell C Sharks have conceded just one second-half try this Vodacom Super Rugby campaign, fewer than any other team in the competition<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Few Stats:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Kicking Success Rate:<\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks: 86% Vodacom Bulls: 86%<\/p>\n<p>Clean Breaks:<\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks: 11.3 Vodacom Bulls: 6.7<\/p>\n<p>Offloads:<\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks: 8 Vodacom Bulls: 5.3<\/p>\n<p>Tackle Percentage:<\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks: 85% Vodacom Bulls: 88%<\/p>\n<p>Lineout Success:<\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks: 84% Vodacom Bulls: 100%<\/p>\n<p>Scrum Success:<\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks: 96% Vodacom Bulls: 95%<\/p>\n<p><strong>Head to Head:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Overall, the teams have met on 30 occasions in the history of the competition, with the Vodacom Bulls enjoying the majority share of wins, 18 to the Cell C Sharks\u2019 9, with three matches drawn.\u00a0 The average score in those games is incredibly close, just half a point difference, the Vodacom Bulls ever so marginally ahead 21.5 \u2013 21.<\/p>\n<p>2015: Cell C Sharks 10-17 Vodacom Bulls<\/p>\n<p>2016: Vodacom Bulls 16 \u2013 16 Cell C Sharks<\/p>\n<p>2017: Cell C Sharks 17-30 Vodacom Bulls<\/p>\n<p>2018: Cell C Sharks 10-40 Vodacom Bulls<\/p>\n<p>2018: Vodacom Bulls 39 \u2013 33 Cell C Sharks<\/p>\n<p><strong>Match Info:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Referee: \u00a0Marius van der Westhuizen<\/p>\n<p>Kick-off: Saturday 9 March<\/p>\n<p>Time: 5:15pm<\/p>\n<p>Venue: Loftus Versfeld<\/p>\n<p>The post <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/sharksrugby.co.za\/preview-vodacom-bulls-vs-cell-c-sharks\/\">Preview: Vodacom Bulls vs Cell C Sharks<\/a> appeared first on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/sharksrugby.co.za\">Sharks Rugby<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/sharksrugby.co.za\/vodacom-bulls-vs-cell-c-sharks-team-release\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vodacom Bulls vs Cell C Sharks Team Release<\/a>: <\/p>\n<p><strong>Vodacom Bulls vs. Cell C Sharks<\/strong><br \/><strong> Date : Saturday, 9 March 2019<\/strong><br \/><strong> Time : 17h15<\/strong><br \/><strong> Venue : Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria<\/strong><br \/><strong> Referee : Marius van der Westhuizen<\/strong><br \/><strong> Assistant Referees : Egon Seconds, Divan Uys<\/strong><br \/><strong> Television Match Official : Christie du Preez<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks Head Coach Robert du Preez has hinted at making rotational changes during the season and after three Vodacom Super Rugby matches, has re-arranged his side to take on the Vodacom Bulls.<\/p>\n<p>After naming the same starting line-up in three successive matches, the coach has decided to enact a few changes to the team to travel to Loftus for Saturday\u2019s showdown with the Vodacom Bulls.<\/p>\n<p>The two changes to the pack see Gideon Koegelenberg replacing Ruan Botha at lock with the uncapped Ruben van Heerden named on the bench and Wian Vosloo comes in for the Tyler Paul at flank. Jacques Vermeulen moves to the other side of the scrum to accommodate Vosloo.<\/p>\n<p>Amongst the backs, Jeremy Ward and Andre Esterhuizen swap jerseys while Rhyno Smith comes in for Aphelele Fassi at fullback.<\/p>\n<p>There are also a couple of changes on the bench, the uncapped Maritzburg old boy, Fezokuhle Mbatha replaces Kerron van Vuuren while Grant Williams takes over from Cameron Wright as scrumhalf back-up.<\/p>\n<p>After being a late withdrawal for last week\u2019s match, Curwin Bosch has recovered sufficiently to be named amongst the reserves.<\/p>\n<p>Cell C Sharks lock Hyron Andrews admits that there were areas of the team\u2019s game that let them down last week, but this week is all about fixing that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur accuracy at set-piece time let us down last week but we\u2019ve worked hard to rectify it this week and the boys are up for this match,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe boys hate losing and we learn from defeat, but we\u2019re coming back stronger. We\u2019re tough on ourselves and each other when we make mistakes but it\u2019s a brotherhood and we get on with it.<\/p>\n<p>He adds that this game is all down to pressure \u2013 who can exert it and who crumbles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know we can expect the Vodacom Bulls to put pressure on us at lineout time as well as the scrums so it\u2019s going to be a real set-piece battle on Saturday. If we can put pressure on them, then that gives our backs an opportunity to really play; we have some outstanding backline players.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Cell C Sharks <\/b><\/p>\n<p>15. Rhyno Smith<br \/> 14. Sbu Nkosi<br \/> 13. Lukhanyo Am<br \/> 12. Jeremy Ward<br \/> 11. Makazole Mapimpi<br \/> 10. Robert du Preez<br \/> 9. Louis Schreuder (c)<br \/> 8. Daniel du Preez<br \/> 7. Jacques Vermeulen<br \/> 6. Wian Vosloo<br \/> 5. Hyron Andrews<br \/> 4. Gideon Koegelenberg<br \/> 3. Coenie Oosthuizen<br \/> 2. Akker van der Merwe<br \/> 1. Tendai Mtawarira<b><\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>Replacements<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>16. Fezokhule \u2018Fez\u2019 Mbatha*<br \/> 17. Juan Schoeman<br \/> 18. Thomas du Toit<br \/> 19. Ruben van Heerden*<br \/> 20. Phepsi Buthelezi<br \/> 21. Grant Williams<br \/> 22. Andre Esterhuizen<br \/> 23. Curwin Bosch<\/p>\n<p>* Denotes that if the player comes off the bench, he will make his Vodacom Super Rugby debut.<\/p>\n<p><b>Our Official Cell C Sharks Channels <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Twitter <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thesharksza\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@TheSharksZA<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Facebook <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheSharks\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@TheSharks<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Instagram <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/sharksrugby\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@sharksrugby<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Hashtags <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WakandaForever?src=hash\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WakandaForever<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BULvSHA?src=hash\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#BULvSHA<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The post <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/sharksrugby.co.za\/vodacom-bulls-vs-cell-c-sharks-team-release\/\">Vodacom Bulls vs Cell C Sharks Team Release<\/a> appeared first on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/sharksrugby.co.za\">Sharks Rugby<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fill in the form below to have your blog featured on MyDurban \u2013 we will post a snippet and title link to your new blog posts.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Submit and get free press releases here:<\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/mypr.co.za\/submit\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MyPR Free Press Release<\/a> | <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/mydurban.co.za\/meet-some-of-our-durban-bloggers\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Meet the Durban Bloggers<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Preview: Vodacom Bulls vs Cell C Sharks: The Cell C Sharks travel to Pretoria to take on the Vodacom Bulls in this weekend\u2019s round four Vodacom Super Rugby action looking to bounce back against a team that has secured two derby wins over South African opposition. Matches against the Vodacom Bulls are never easy and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[18],"tags":[8275,3335,953],"class_list":{"0":"post-132785","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-durban","7":"tag-durban","8":"tag-mydurban-co-za","9":"tag-newspaper","10":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132785\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}