The battle lines will be clearly drawn on Saturday when the Lions and Hollywoodbets Sharks go head-to-head in their postponed round eight Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash in Johannesburg, where a place in the top eight will be up for grabs.
The match will also have a significant influence on the South African shield, as a victory for the Hollywoodbets Sharks would see them clinch the trophy with one local derby remaining, while a victory for the Lions will see them reduce the six-point deficit between the teams and remain in contention for the silverware.
With the teams tied on 24 log points apiece in ninth and 10th place respectively, and only seven pool matches remaining for both sides following this clash, every point will count with 14 teams still realistically in the race for playoff places.
Although the match will be important for both teams, the Lions will place extra significance on this encounter, as it marks the first of six successive home games in the Vodacom URC, which could steer them on a strong course in the cross-hemisphere showpiece.
While the Durbanites come off two successive victories in the competition against the DHL Stormers, the Lions have won two of their three home matches and will be desperate to bounce back from their disappointing 52-17 defeat against the Vodacom Bulls at the end of last month, which will set the scene for a gripping match-up.
Despite losing their last clash against the Lions, in Durban on 3 January, the Hollywoodbets Sharks may enter the match as favourites, but the Lions will have the luxury of home ground advantage and will draw confidence from the fact that they boast better attacking statistics with 267 points scored to the Durbanites’ 222 in their 10 outings so far.
The KwaZulu-Natalians, however, have a superior defence having conceded 52 points fewer.
With both teams coming off a short break as the Six Nations continues, both teams will look to break out of the blocks with a bang and make the most of the opportunity to field a fresh squad.
Match Information:
Lions v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Date: Saturday, 21 February
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
SA Time: 2pm
Referee: Griffin Colby
TV: SuperSport