Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Howe enjoying club support despite poor run of form
HOLDING on to the continuity after almost three weeks away from rugby will be a tough challenge for the Lions in Durban today.
But, they finally look like a cohesive unit in the United Rugby Championship (URC) that can build on some good wins picked up in December to give the Sharks a go.
The two teams meet at Kings Park (kick-off 5pm) in an important South African derby for their season aspirations.
Even though they are unbeaten in four games in both competitions – the Lions have won two Challenge Cup, and two URC matches before the break – they arrive at the Shark Tank as the underdogs, having not won there since 2017.
And, while the Sharks are struggling to find form, the home side had a good outing last weekend against the Stormers in Cape Town that will have boosted their confidence ahead of this match.
The focus for the Lions will be on finding their feet at the start, but in expected humid and slippery conditions, that can pose a big challenge. But if they overcome this and connect as soon as possible after the kick-off, it can lay a good foundation for the rest of the match.
Captain Marius Louw spoke this week about the togetherness and synergy in the Lions side, and it has been evident this season. But their struggles against SA opposition are also well documented.
They have only beaten the Stormers
(2021) and the Bulls (2023) once in the history of the tournament, and they will hope to change that little statistic against the Durban side.
Louw and former Sharks scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba will be two key players for their side at the back. Nohamba cracked the nod for the flyhalf jersey, and the 10-12 channel between him and his captain will be vital not just on the attack but defence as well.
It's interesting that Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen picked Nohamba ahead of the experienced Jordan Hendrikse for this clash, but the unpredictable Nohamba has been thriving in the 10-jersey since shifting positions.
He will no doubt give the Sharks' defence headaches when he runs with the ball or when he spreads it down the backline. But before Nohamba and the backs can even think of doing that, their young-ish forward pack will have to manage the onslaught of the Eben Etzebeth-bolstered Sharks front rankers.
The home side will no doubt receive a boost with the presence of
Etzebeth, but they also stood their ground against the Stormers' hard men last weekend. Apart from the scrums, the Sharks' defence around the breakdown and rolling mauls was outstanding. It's something the Lions pack will definitely have taken notice of.
If the conditions are wet, it will be up to the likes of eighth man Francke Horne, loose forwards James Venter and Emmanuel Tshituka, and the returning Ruben Schoeman to do the hard yards. Schoeman is back after serving a three-week suspension for foul play.
Since Nohamba can cover both halfback slots, Van Rooyen selected a six-two bench split in favour of the forwards. So it's clear where the Lions want to hit the Sharks.
A win will propel the Jozi side further up the URC table and within reaching distance of a top-eight spot that could secure a play-off berth at the end of the season.
But for now, any thoughts of climbing up the log will be far from their minds as the biggest challenge will be bagging that first URC win in Durban.
15. Quan Horn, 14. Richard Kriel,
13. Henco van Wyk, 12. Marius Louw (captain), 11. Edwill van der Merwe, 10. Sanele Nohamba, 9. Morne van den
Berg, 8. Francke Horn, 7. James Venter, 6. Emmanuel Tshituka, 5. Darrien Landsberg, 4. Ruben Schoeman, 3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2. PJ Botha, 1. JP Smith.
16. Jaco Visagie, 17. Morgan Naude, 18. Ruan Smith, 19. Reinhard Nothnagel, 20. Hanru Sirgel. 21. JC Pretorius, 22. Jordan Hendrikse, 23. Rynhardt Jonker.*
NEWCASTLE coach Eddie Howe will go into today's FA Cup clash with local rivals Sunderland adamant he does not need daily assurances from the club's big-spending owners after a terrible run of results.
The Magpies will run out for the third-round tie at the Stadium of Light having lost seven of their past eight games, and their most recent four in all competitions.
The dire run has led to speculation that Howe's future as head coach at the Saudi-backed club could be uncertain, after two years in the post.
Newcastle, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, are struggling in ninth spot and are already out of the Champions League and the League Cup, but Howe said he still had backing from the club.
“I certainly don't need daily reassurances,” he said yesterday. “I feel comfortable in the fact that we are working as hard as we can to improve performances and improve results.
“Obviously I know it's a resultsbased business – all the usual things you'd expect me to say – but I do feel the support from the club, and that's really important in this moment.”
Today's fixture will be the first match between Newcastle and Championship side Sunderland since a 1-1 draw in the Premier League at St James' Park in 2016.
Howe said a win at the Stadium of Light could rekindle his team's faltering campaign, admitting he is aware of “what this fixture means to everyone”.
“It can certainly reboot us and just change the external – and even internal – view of ourselves because it can change very quickly,” he said.
“I have made reference to it many times. The Manchester United game, our best performance of the season, was not that long ago and now the view is very different on the team.
“Confidence is a very fragile thing for the players as well, so anything that helps them re-find their best rhythm as quickly as possible is what we're seeking.” |