Durban - It was the American author Mark Twain who said “you get three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics” and he might have had today’s Lions versus Sharks game at Emirates Airline Park in mind when he penned those wise words.
For example, the statistics for this round 14 United Rugby Championship match tell us that the Lions have lost their last four United Rugby Championship (URC) fixtures and thus are heading for another loss but they also tell us that the Lions have won their last two matches at Emirates Airlines Park in the Championship.
Then we learn that the Lions have lost their last nine fixtures against fellow South African franchises in the URC while the Sharks have lost two of their last three games in the URC.
It is difficult to work out who is in worse form considering the Sharks were walloped 46-19 at home to the Stormers in their last game while the Lions put up a fight in going down 43-24 to in-form Connacht in Galway.
Maybe the stat that is most compelling is that the Sharks have won all five of the URC matches they have played against the Lions and I reckon they will make it six this afternoon (3pm kick-off).
And I am not looking at numbers to work that out. It is more of a gut feeling after looking at the line-ups and I am also weighing in the inevitable Sharks backlash as a consequence of that humiliation at the hands of the Capetonians.
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While the Sharks mostly have the same personnel as two weeks ago, there are two notable returnees that will make a world of difference.
Grant Williams is back from injury and is the most underrated scrumhalf in the country. He is a live wire and every time he plays, he makes things happen. Then there is Werner Kok back on the right wing. He has been out for five weeks. He has a natural effervescence that lifts his teammates and the Sharks’ opponents perpetually have their hands full trying to contain him.
The Lions have a similar player in centre Marius Louw and I still wonder why the Sharks let go of such a force of industry.
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Maybe it is because they were buying Rohan Janse van Rensburg, the bulldozer that will be lining up opposite Louw today, funnily enough. How is that for a match-up: a former Lion at No 12 for the Sharks against a former Shark in that position for the Lions?
But the man that will win this game for the Sharks is at flyhalf. Curwin Bosch is in the form of his life and his boot loves the rarefied atmosphere of the highveld. Bosch’s game management will be the difference between the sides.
TEAMS
Lions – 15 Quan Horn, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Marius Louw (c), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Emmanuel Tshituka, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Ruben Schoeman, 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 JP Smith.
Subs: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Morgan Naude, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Ruan Delport, 20 Sibusiso Sangweni, 21 Ruhan Straeuli, 22 Sanele Nohamba, 23 Rynhardt Jonker
Sharks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Thaakir Abrahams, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi (capt), 7 Henco Venter, 6 James Venter, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Reniel Hugo, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Dan Jooste, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Subs: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Hanro Jacobs 19 Vincent Tshituka, 20 Dylan Richardson, 21 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 22 Cameron Wright, 23 Ben Tapuai