The Lions will be on the hunt to end a run of four consecutive losses in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship when they host the Sharks in a local derby on Saturday.
Overall URC head-to-head record: Played 6, Sharks won 6
When they last met:
Lions
– Three of Jordan Hendrikse’s ten kicks in play were retained in Round 13. Only Luke McGrath and Reuben Morgan-Williams achieved as many.
– Marius Louw has missed more tackles (32), allowed as many offloads in the tackle (12), and dropped more balls unforced (15) than any other player. However, he has made the most dominant tackles (18).
– The Lions have scored the fewest tries in the URC (30), averaging just 2.5 per match.
#URC – @mark_keohane backs the Lions to turn on the charm at Emirates Airline Park, while Zels believes the Sharks will walk away with the spoils in their @Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash. pic.twitter.com/ZkkvrrIgDP
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) February 16, 2023
Sharks
– Flanker James Venter made the most tackles in Round 13 (27), missing just one. This is the most tackles that a Sharks player has made in a single match this season.
– The Sharks have scored the most tries in the league which start with scrums (seven).
– The Sharks have the second-lowest rate of ball retention at the ruck (93%). They are especially poor at retaining the ball close to their own try line, managing just a league-low ball retention rate of 87% in this quarter of the pitch.
Did you know?
– This will be the sixth time that the Lions have met the Sharks in the URC and the third time they have hosted them; they have never won.
– The Lions have lost four on the trot in the URC. Their longest run of defeats in this competition was five matches between January and February 2022.
– The Sharks have lost three of their last four league matches away from home.
Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix