Sharks vs Lions
The Sharks will be eager to bounce back after the mauling they received at the hands of the Bulls. Their second half showing was unbelievably poor where they conceded 31 unanswered points. The introduction of Lizo Gqoboka saw him dismantle the Sharks scrum. The bad news for the Sharks is that the Stormers have an all Springbok front row that will be targeting the scrum again. The Stormers showed their fighting spirit by scoring twice in the closing minutes to snatch victory from the Lions. The Stormers will welcome back Springboks Pieter-Steph Du Toit and Marvin Orie who will further bolster the forward pack. The Sharks have lost the services of their Springbok number 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe to injury. The Sharks have always shown the tendency to bounce back after a heavy defeat and they know how to win at Kings Park. The Stormers will need to ignite their potent backline especially with talents like Edwill Van der Merwe and Damian Willemse in the back division. Van der Merwe scored of the tries of the season against the Lions and showed his great aerial skills as well. The Sharks will look to Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi for inspiration against his former club. Kolisi is yet to reach the heights that he is known for and this will be the perfect time to regain that form. Curwin Bosch was completely outplayed by Morne Steyn last week and he will look to do the same against Stormers number 10 Abner van Reenen. Van Reenen has shown the tendency to panic when under pressure and no doubt the Sharks will look to pressurize him into making mistakes.
TIP: Sharks know that they still hold their destiny in their own hands if they win all their remaining matches. This will provide the motivation to the Durban side and their forwards will want to show that the last match was just a once off poor showing. The Sharks must use their pacy back three and move the big Stormers pack around otherwise the Stormers will have the edge if the match becomes a forward battle. The Stormers persist with Willemse at full back but he is being wasted at 15 as his attacking intent is badly needed at number 10. The bookies have the Sharks as slight favourites and I agree with this especially as the as the Sharks are at home. The best odds on the Sharks victory are at: Worldsportsbetting 1.65, Hollywoodbets 1.50 and Sunbet 1.64
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Sharks vs Stormers
- In the last five meetings there have been three Sharks wins to the Stormers two.
- In the last five home matches against the Stormers there has only been one Stormers victory.
- The Stormers last won in Durban in 2019.
Latest results for both teams
The Sharks lost their last match against the Bulls 43-9 while the Stormers beat the Lions in their last match 37-39.
PREDICTION
The ability of the Sharks to bounce back after a defeat has been their hallmark over the last few seasons. The Sharks meek surrender in the second half will serve as extra motivation for the team. The more Curwin Bosch can bring in Aphelele Fassi into the game the better the chances of him providing that moment of magic. The guy is brilliant at counter attacking therefore the Stormers will need to kick accurately. The Stormers will look to live wire scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies to provide the spark needed in their attack. The Sharks will need to keep a close watch on him guy otherwise he will dictate the game. The Sharks playing at home and the extra motivation of possibly winning the competition makes me believe the Sharks will win this contest by 5 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Sharks
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Jeremy Ward, 11 Werner Kok, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Fez Mbatha, 1 Ox Nche.
Stormers
5 Damian Willemse, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Abner van Reenen, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Pieter Steph Du Toit, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Sharks victory are as follows.
Worldsportsbetting 1.65
Hollywoodbets 1.50
Sunbet 1.64
Odds comparison on a Sharks handicap victory
The complete odds on the Sharks handicap victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting (-3.5) 1.90
Hollywoodbets (-4.5) 1.90
Sunbet (-2.5) 1.87
Predictions and Odds in details
The Sharks will need their forward pack to match the Stormers otherwise we could see last week repeating itself. The likes of Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit need to show that they can mix it with the best when they face the Stormers. The Stormers on the other hand will want to make the Sharks feel the pain all over again. The Sharks halfback pairing will need to fire up the backline otherwise this match will turn into a forwards arm wrestle which is what the visiting team would love. Siya Kolisi will need all his inspiration to motivate the Sharks pack into putting in a performance that will do them proud. We all know that he is certainly a master of motivating men as we saw in RWC 2019. The bookies are offering decent odds on the Sharks victory but the value bet is on the Sharks to cover the handicap. The best odds on the Sharks handicap victory are at: Worldsportsbetting (-3.5) 1.90, Hollywoodbets (-4.5) 1.90 and Sunbet (-2.5) 1.87
Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
