Lions will aim to spoil Botes farewell

The Sharks would love to give veteran flanker Jacques Botes a fitting farewell in what could possibly be his last professional match at King's Park tonight.

But the Golden Lions are party-poopers and should they crash Botes's farewell, it could have dire consequences for the Sharks.

The equation for the Sharks is simple: Beat the Golden Lions and a semifinal spot is secured, or lose and let your fate be decided by the other teams.

The Sharks are on 25 points but if they slip up, they will allow the Free State Cheetahs - who play Western Province tomorrow - and the Bulls - who face the equally desperate Pumas - to make up serious ground on them.

The Bulls, Cheetahs and Pumas are on 19 and 18 points respectively. Should any one of them lose, their Currie Cup dreams will be over.

It will make the Sharks' lives easier, and with the Bulls and Pumas playing simultaneously this evening, the Sharks should not be worried by what happens in Mbombela if they get the business sorted at home.

A Sharks win will set them up nicely for a second-place assault, even though that means toppling Western Province at their Newlands fortress next week.

The Sharks have not been a team that looks further than the game they have to play, but the carrot of beating the Lions has to be a tasty one, so, with the Lions scrum the most feared in the contest, the Sharks' jubilation at having powerhouse prop Thomas du Toit back in the starting lineup was palpable.

Should the starters fail at their core job, they still have Matt Stevens to call on, but the rest of the Sharks pack, which includes Stephan Lewies, Etienne Oosthuizen and Lubabalo Mtembu, is full of physical snarl and menace.

The Lions are savvy breakdown specialists and, with Derick Minnie and Jaco Kriel in their ranks, they can give teams and referees 80-minute headaches.

Botes's street-smarts and experience could be a decisive battle. With bonus points falling aside due to the magnitude of the battle and the excellent defences of the teams, the back lines may only play supporting roles.

But the Sharks' division is starting to find form at the right time of the tournament.

A bonus point will make the Sharks' task easier, but the extra point is the last thing on their minds.

Currie Cup Fixtures

Tonight

Pumas vs Bulls (7pm);

Sharks vs Lions (7.10pm)

Tomorrow

Cheetahs vs WP (2pm);

Griquas vs Kings (2.30pm)