South African rugby supporters were treated to two excellent local derbies this past weekend, with the Lions and Sharks taking the spoils with important victories.
For two most successful United Rugby Championship (URC) SA sides, the Stormers and Bulls, things didn't go too swimmingly. The Cape side suddenly find themselves in a spot of bother in the tournament, while the Loftus outfit lost a home game where they were the outright favourites.
Quan Horn secures another Player of the Match award after a standout performance against the DHL Stormers in Round 11 of the @URCOfficial_RSA! 🔥👏#LIOvSTO #ForOurCity@vodacom #URC | #HitsDifferent
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) February 17, 2025
#LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/UY7sG2IJYN
It was a first-ever victory at Ellis Park over the Stormers and that inspirational performance should boost the Lions' confidence as they forge ahead in the URC.
Being several first-choice players down and resting key Springboks, the Sharks looked in for a drubbing against the Bulls. Not a lot of people expected them to overwhelm their hosts and that 29-19 win showed that they shouldn't be underestimated, even with a weakened side.
With his attacking exploits in Johannesburg, Quan Horn deserved the Player of the Match award. In Pretoria, the hard work of young Durban loose forward Tino Mavesere spearheaded the Sharks' efforts in dismantling the hapless Bulls. He scored an important try in that game.
🇿🇼 Tino Mavesere v the Bulls. 🦈
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) February 17, 2025
71 minutes ⏱️
20/21 tackles (game-high) 👊
8 carries 🔥
2 defenders beaten 🕺
1 clean break 💨
78 metres (game-high) 🤯
2 offloads 👌
1 try 🏉
🏅 Man of the Match. #URCGO
📸 ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Steve Haag pic.twitter.com/qY8RR7Xh1q
Boosted by their victory and having two games in hand, the Lions will be hopeful of carrying that momentum into the next couple of local derbies. They are in a critical stage of their URC campaign and one or two more local wins will show they are serious about being playoff contenders.
How the Sharks won, despite being overshadowed in the set-pieces is a testament to the growth of several young players in the side. Even when they went down to 12 players at a stage due to yellow cards, and then played with 13 men for a good chunk of the match, they never gave up.
They showed massive character and it bodes well for the rest of the season.
Best Player: While there were a handful of standout performers from various teams, Quan Horn did it all for the Lions. He made six successful carries according to the official URC stats. The fullback also beat five defenders, turned possession of the Stormers over twice and made 82 running metres, with four clean breaks.
That speaks of a brilliantly rounded performance in which his Bok stocks would likely have risen even more.
Honourable mentions: Henco van Wyk, Horn's Lions teammate, looked excellent, too. Stormers fullback Warrick Gelant almost single-handedly sparked the attack of his team. He scored a good try and sparked the five-pointer of eighth man Evan Roos. The Sharks' Mavesere played his heart out in a rare start, while outside centre Jurenzo Julius and winger Ethan Hooker also looked sharp.
Team of the Week: 15 Quan Horn (Lions), 14 Yaw Penxe (Sharks), 13 Henco van Wyk (Lions), 12 Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), 11 Edwill van der Merwe (Lions), 10 Gianni Lombard (Lions), 9 Morne van den Berg (Lions), 8 Evan Roos (Stormers), 7 Ruan Venter (Lions), 6 Tino Mavesere (Sharks), 5 Jason Jenkins (Sharks), Etienne Ooshuizen (Lions), 3 Wilco Louw (Bulls), 2 Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), 1 Juan Schoeman (Lions)