Clipping the SWD Eagles’ wings on their home patch in George today will not be easy, but optimistic EP Elephants coach Ryan Felix says his men are up for the challenge.
The Elephants have yet to win a game this season and five consecutive defeats have left them at the bottom of the SuperSport Series Rugby Challenge log.
Though they have their backs to the wall, Felix says his men have not thrown in the towel and will come out fighting at the Rosemore Stadium against an Eagles side who are third on the South Section log.
In their last game, when they played most of the second half with 14 men, they were thrashed 75-28 by Western Province after leading 21-19 at halftime.
“Playing the Eagles is another tough game for us,” Felix said.
“We will take the positives from the first half against WP and build on that.”
When the teams clashed in the first round of the competition, the Eagles swooped late to fend off a determined charge by the Elephants in a lively encounter at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The outcome was in the balance before the Eagles struck at the death with a try from Tyler Fisher and a long-range penalty from Divan Nel to earn a 34-20 win.
Until the Eagles’ strong finish, neither team were able to take a firm grip on the game, with the visitors enjoying a slim 24-20 lead in the final stages.
The 15 teams in the competition are divided into three regional pools of five teams (North, South and Central). Each team will play home and away matches against the other four teams in their pool over a 10-week period.
The top two teams from each pool, along with the two thirdplaced teams with the best record, will progress to the playoffs, which will consist of quarterfinals, a semifinal and a final.
Today’s teams: EP Elephants: (Nos 1 to 15): Xandre Vos, Mbeko Kota, Nicolas Roebeck, Mncedisi Dlwengu, Anele Lungisa, Bakkies Brown, Wynand Grassmann, Siya Mdaka (capt), Freddie Muller, Ruben de Vos, Monwabisi Mkhwakhwi, Nkukuleko Marwana, Siyanda Grey, RIaan Arendse, Michael Botha. Replacements: (Nos 16 to 22): Justine Antonie, Dewald Barnard, Luzuko Nyabaza, Quinton Haasbroek, Zingisi April, JP Smith, Simon Bolze. SWD Eagles: (Nos 1 to 15): Lux Koza, Le Roux Baard, Basil Short, Ruben Schoeman, Cornell Hess, Wayne Wilschut, Nicolaas Immelman, Davon Raubenheimer, Johan Steyn, Robbie Petzer, Alshaun Bock, Marlou van Niekerk, Tyler Fisher, Adri Jacobs, Leighton Eksteen.Replacements: (Nos 16 to 22). Jacques Vermaak, Teunis Nieuwoudt, Dewald Dekker, Wiehan Hay, Janneman Stander, Leegan Moos, Kirsten Heyns. Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni. The match will be shown live on SS1 at 2:30pm.