URC, Round Nine - Teams and Predictions
SATURDAY PREVIEW: Sharks head coach John Plumtree says the Stormers have provided his team with something to aspire to as the two teams go head-to-head in a United Rugby Championship derby in Cape Town.
Plumtree will be eying Saturday’s fixture as an opportunity to turn his team's fortunes around after a tough couple of months.
The Sharks have battled to put in 80-minute performances this season and their current record of one win in seven matches is hard to look at if you are a Sharks fan.
It becomes even harder to acknowledge when you look at all the Bok World Cup winners at their disposal.
"We identified some things that we need to change and we worked hard on that this week," Plumtree told reporters ahead of Saturday's derby.
"A lot will come down to just the intensity of the collision, the scrummaging, the driving and the breakdown stuff."
It's all the things he sees in the Stormers' performances and he has been a keen observer of their growth over the last few seasons.
"The Stormers are a really physical team and they pride themselves around those areas," Plumtree added.
"They've got the bling in the backs that make them a real threat.
"Right now, they are looking like a complete side.
"It has taken them a couple of years to get into this kind of spot they are in and it is also through a little hard work from their coaching team and management."
Plumtree used the Stormers' win against La Rochelle as an example of their pedigree.
"They had a bit of luck and I thought they closed out that game really well with a driving line-out. They got a penalty and banged it into the corner and scored a try before kicking a conversion from the sideline.
"Four minutes before that they were dead and buried.
"That shows you what kind of group they have. That is what we want to aspire to."
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Meanwhile, Stormers coach John Dobson knows that desperation will be in the air when the Sharks run out at Cape Town Stadium.
"I've got no doubt that the Sharks are focused on this game. I think it an important game for them,” said Dobson.
"With that team on paper, at some stage, they are going to click. We have to make sure that we create the pressure that they can't.
"I don’t think it is a question of a team clicks and we let it happen. It is up to us to make sure that it doesn’t happen.
"They are too good to be where they are."
The Stormers have their own goals and after a shaky start to their campaign, they believe a win on Saturday will be vital for their push for a top-four spot.
"If we want to stay alive in the Shield and get a play-off at home, this is a non-negotiable game for us and I think the team has sensed that," Dobson added.
Meanwhile, a crowd of more than 30,000 is expected for Saturday's other game between two Scottish teams that are both doing well under their South African coaches.
Glasgow’s Franco Smith has guided his team to second position on the overall log while Edinburgh, coached by Sean Everitt, are also back in the top eight after struggling last season.
The former Sharks coach has done so well in his first season at Edinburgh that his new club has opened negotiations for an extension of his contract.
Everitt was initially employed on a one-season deal, with his family remaining behind in Durban. However, Everitt appears eager to continue and make it a longer contract and Edinburgh appear eager to make that happen.
"We are negotiating for me to stay on at the moment," Everitt told the Scottish media.
"I’ve got my family here [for the festive season] and it’s something we are going to discuss over the next few days. I’m very keen to stay. Like I’ve said before, I am not a coach who enjoys jumping from club to club.
"Building relationships with players and making them better is what I see as a reward in my job, so if I’m able to stay on and build structures around Edinburgh in the URC and in the EPCR that would be great.
"If I had a long-term contract, my wife would come [and live in Edinburgh too]."
Even though his team lost the first round 1872 derby in Glasgow, Everitt is looking forward to his team continuing the steady improvement they have shown under his guidance in an eagerly anticipated game on Saturday.
"We are very pleased with the way the ticket sales have gone and I think both teams in Scotland deserve that.
"They’re both in the top eight of the URC and both teams play good rugby. So, I think it’s going to be an awesome afternoon for the Scottish supporters to be able to come and watch their team, whichever one it is.
"But at the same time, I think it is just reward for the players and the effort that they’ve put in that they are able to play in front of a crowd like that at home."
Saturday's other match will see Benetton at home against Italian rivals Zebre Parma.
Benetton recorded a 31-24 win over the same opponents in Parma last weekend.
See below for Saturday's teams and predictions!
Saturday, December 30:
Benetton v Zebre
(Stadio Monigo, Treviso – Kick-off: 14.30; 13.30 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Benetton by 20 points.
Teams:
Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Onisi Ratave, 10 Leonardo Marin, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Sebastian Negri, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Giosuè Zilocchi, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Mirco Spagnolo.
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Lorenzo Cannone, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Tomas Albornoz, 23 Marco Zanon.
Zebre Parma: 15 Geronimo Prisciantelli (captain), 14 Pierre Bruno, 13 Luca Morisi, 12 Damiano Mazza, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giovanni Montemauri, 9 Gonzalo Garcia, 8 Davide Ruggeri, 7 Iacopo Bianchi, 6 Guido Volpi, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 David Sisi, 3 Juan Pitinari, 2 Luca Bigi, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: 16 Giampietro Ribaldi, 17 Luca Rizzoli, 18 Matteo Nocera, 19 Leonard Krumov, 20 Luca Andreani, 21 Alessandro Fusco, 22 Scott Gregory, 23 Giacomo Ferrari.
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Federico Vedovelli (Italy) and Alex Frasson (Italy)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (Italy)
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors
(Murrayfield, Edinburgh – Kick-off: 15.00; 15.00 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Glasgow by three points.
Teams:
Edinburgh: 15 Wes Goosen, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Matt Currie, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Ben Healy, 9 Ali Price, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Jamie Ritchie, 6 Luke Crosbie, 5 Grant Gilchrist (captain), 4 Glen Young, 3 WP Nel, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Dave Cherry, 17 Boan Venter, 18 D’Arcy Rae, 19 Marshall Sykes, 20 Hamish Watson, 21 Ben Vellacott, 22 Cammy Scott, 22 Emiliano Boffelli.
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Huw Jones, 13 Sione Tuipulotu (captain), 12 Stafford McDowall, 11 Kyle Rowe, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 George Horne,8 Ally Miller, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Thomas Gordon, 5 Richie Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Johnny Matthews, 1 Jamie Bhatti
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Oli Kebble, 19 Greg Peterson, 20 Max Williamson, 21 Henco Venter, 22 Ben Afshar, 23 Ross Thompson.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Jonny Perriam (Scotland) and Finlay Brown (Scotland)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Stormers v Sharks
(Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town – Kick-off: 19.00; 17.00 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Stormers by 14 points.
Teams:
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Hendre Stassen, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Willie Engelbrecht, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Jurie Matthee.
Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Francois Venter, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 James Venter, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Daniel Jooste, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Joel Hintz, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 George Cronje, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Ethan Hooker.
Referee: AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa), Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Adiitional reporting: URCSA