United Rugby Championship: Lions v Sharks Preview and Prediction

Since JP Pietersen took over from John Plumtree in December, the Sharks have been on redemption road. On a three-match winning streak in all competitions, including back-to-back URC triumphs over the vaunted Stormers, the Durbanites’ journey next takes them to South Africa’s most iconic rugby venue, where they’ll look to settle a score in a rescheduled Round Eight encounter.

They’re out for payback after the Lions snatched a 23-22 win over them at the death in Durban in January. They also haven’t forgotten what happened on their last trip to Joburg, when the Pride roared into a 19-0 halftime lead and ultimately ran out 38-14 victors last March. 

URC: Lions v Sharks – Key Battles

Saturday’s showdown, set to kick off at 2pm, is about more than revenge and redemption for the Sharks, though. It’s also about retaining the South African Shield. They top the local conference on 16 points, with the Lions second on 10, the Stormers third on nine and the Bulls fourth on eight, so a win will see them seal the silverware for the second straight season.

Pietersen has well and truly breathed new life into the Sharks, whose coastal derby double elevated them from 14th place on the overall log to ninth. With the break having come at a bad time for the men in Black and White, it’ll be interesting to see if they can pick up where they left off.

STATS: SA stars shining bright in URC

Conversely, the Lions welcomed the break with open arms after having dropped off the pace and down the ladder in their last couple of fixtures. Two draws, the first against Perpignan (20-all) in the EPCR Challenge Cup and the second against the Ospreys (24-all) in the URC were followed by a heavy 52-17 home defeat to the Bulls last time out.

It was clear that the Lions were feeling the effects of being spread thin, and their drop off cost them three places on the table. Now the lowest-ranked of the South African teams in 10th, this is a massive game for Ivan van Rooyen’s men to get back on track and start a crucial run of four home games on the right foot. 

A rested Lions side are not one to handle with kid gloves, especially on the Highveld. However, the Bulls provided the Sharks with the blueprint on how to beat the Lions with their pragmatic, power-based demolition job, and even though the hosts should hold up better in the physical exchanges than they did against their neighbours, I expect the Sharks to outmuscle them and leave with the win. 

Prediction: Sharks by 3.

Suggested Bet: Sharks -1 at 1.90.

Alternative Bet: Sharks at 1.83.