Five things to know: Lions vs Sharks

Before placing any wagers on this weekend’s clash, here are some stats, powered by Opta Stats, to take into consideration pertaining to the Sharks and the Lions.

1. The Lions have won their six last games on the bounce against the Sharks; they had picked up just two wins in their prior 13 meetings (D1, L10)
2. The Lions have won four of their last five season openers, though only one of those five saw the home side on the day triumph.
3. The Sharks enter this game on the back of a three-game losing streak, the last time they lost more in succession was six-game drought in April-May 2015
4. Elton Jantjies is set to line up for his 100th Super Rugby appearance; the Lions playmaker has scored 67 points in his last six games against the Sharks
5. Philip Van Der Walt made 170 tackels in Super Rugby 2017 (more than any other player), missing just six further attempts.