Last three rounds to restart Super Rugby series

Only three rounds of Vodacom SuperRugby remain in this year’s extremely competitive series, and it’s a question of which team will take the fullest advantage of this opportunity to make it through to the play-offs.

After the break of the international window all the South African franchises will be in action and some of the teams will have to take on their opponents without some of their frontline players.

The Emirates Lions suffered a devastating blow when it was announced that their captain, Warren Whiteley, will be out for six weeks, due to a shoulder injury.

Flank Jaco Kriel will take over the captain’s duties in this team.

“We know that Jaco was the captain of the team during the Currie Cup season, so we have someone who can captain the side without any big changes,” said head coach Johan Ackermann.

“I have all the senior players who can help me in my job as captain around me, and this will help me to play my normal game,” said Kriel.

The Emirates Lions will resume their SuperRugby series, playing against Cell C Sharks at the Emirates Airlines Park, on Saturday, July 2. The match will start at 17:05.

“This, as the Sharks have put it, it will be like a test,” said Ackermann.

”We are, however, prepared for them; it took only until Wednesday and all our players gelled together, so we know that they will come hard towards us.”

“The Sharks need to win desperately and we know that an onslaught will come, but we also need this win and the team know what is expected from them.”

The Cell C Sharks are also missing a few of their stars, such as regular captain and flyhalf Pat Lambie, and the suspended fullback, Willie le Roux.

DHL Stormers kick off a busy Saturday for the local teams when they line up against the Rebels at 11:45, in Melbourne.

With regular leader Juan de Jongh on Springbok Sevens duty, the experienced Schalk Burger will, instead, lead the Cape side. Kick-off is at 11:45 (SA time).

In Bloemfontein, the Toyota Cheetahs will be aiming to bounce back to winning ways against the Force, following their loss against the DHL Stormers in the previous round. Starting time is 15:00.

The Southern Kings and the Highlanders clash in the next match, which starts at 19:10, in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in Port Elizabeth.

In the last match of the day (23:40), the Vodacom Bulls play away in Buenos Aires, against the Jaguars. The Pretoria-side has a number of first-choice players missing because of injury.

On Friday morning, the Chiefs and Crusaders meet in a New Zealand derb, in Suva, Fiji, while the Brumbies and Reds clash in the remaining Friday match.

The Sunwolves host the Waratahs in Tokyo, on Saturday morning, and that match is followed by the encounter in Wellington, between the Hurricanes and Blues.

For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.

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