Davids debuts as lions welcome defending champs

July 25, 2025
1509
Ultimate Rugby

In what will be a repeat of last year’s nail-biting Carling Currie Cup final at Ellis Park, the Fidelity ADT Lions host current holders the Holywoodbets Sharks in Johannesburg on Saturday. Kick-off at Ellis Park Stadium is at 15:00.

Head coach Mziwakhe Nkosi has shown intent by naming a strong match 23 for his side’s first outing of the campaign which sees the format reduced to a single round compared to the home and away arrangement last season. Ironically, the two teams met in the opening round of last year’s competition in Durban with the Johannesburg side sneaking victory by a single point (25-26)

On display this Saturday will be Lions’ new recruit Angelo Davids, who makes his debut after making a move from the Western Cape in June. The burly winger will want to make an impressive start for his new-found side against a fairly new-look Sharks outfit announced earlier this week.

Jaco Visagie has been tasked with leading the team, a familiar role for the 33-year-old which saw him guide his to the final in 2024. Elsewhere, Lubablo Dobela leads the attack on the weekend with experienced winger Sibahle “Rabz” Maxwane returning to the fold after an ankle injury kept him on the sidelines for nearly four months. Gianni Lombard occupies the last line of defence at fullback; a position not strange to him having played there early in his career.

Speaking to the media, Nkosi touched on adapting to the new format and how important it is to gather as many points from the get-go.

“The new format is challenging. It’s not like last year’s format or previous years. It’s very close to a World Cup format in terms of the number of games you play, so one needs to get onto the green as quick as you can,” he said.

“It’s important for us to have a good start in these two home games and cash in as much as we can in terms of points and wins before we travel for three away games.”

Describing is squad for this year’s campaign, Nkosi believes it will be an opportunity for some members of his group to make a name for themselves when the occasion arises.

“We’ve got a quite a mixed group for this campaign. We have guys who didn’t get much game time in last year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship so there’s an opportunity there to expose them and provide enough playing time, coupled with the a few junior players who too will grab their opportunity as the competition progresses,” he concluded.

Fidelity ADT Lions 23

1. Morgan Naude

2. Jaco Visagie (c)

3. RF Schoeman

4. Raynard Roets

5. Darrien Landsberg

6. Jarod Cairns

7. Izan Esterhuizen

8. WJ Steenkamp

9. Nico Steyn

10. Lubabalo Dobela

11. Rabz Maxwane