Sharks, Lions gear up for 'quarter-final'

Cape Town - The equation is simple: whoever wins progresses to the semi-finals and whoever loses is knocked out. 

That is what awaits the Sharks and the Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Friday in this weekend's final round of Currie Cup group fixtures. 

There is a chance that the Sharks can progress with a loss, but that would mean that Western Province would have to lose at home to the Boland Cavaliers. 

For Sharks scrumhalf Michael Claassens, this is a unique situation.

"I don’t think at the beginning of the season we thought this would be the case but it’s a quarter-final. If we win, we go through, if they win, they go through," he said from Durban on Monday.

"It’s crazy. If we get five points we get a home semi, if we get nothing we’re out."

That is the nature of this competition, which has seen sides meet each other just once in regular season. 

The Lions had a poor start which saw them lose to Griquas and Blue Bulls, but they have bounced back with wins against Western Province and the EP Kings either side of a loss to the Free State Cheetahs.

“The Lions are full of confidence, especially after the last few games," said Claassens.

"As a team we will have let ourselves down if we don’t make the semi-final.

"We have to be on top of our game and make sure we don’t too many mistakes."

Kick-off on Friday is at 17:00.

Teams:

Golden Lions

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Koch Marx, 13 Jacques Nel, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Ruaan Lerm, 7 Ruan Ackermann, 6 Kwagga Smith (captain), 5 Bobby de Wee, 4 JP du Preez, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Dylan Smith

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Fabian Booysen, 19 Cyle Brink, 20 Dillon Smit, 21 Howard Mnisi, 22 Sylvian Mahuza

Sharks

TBA