Sharks vs Cardiff URC preview: How to watch, confirmed lineups, recent form

Home team	Sharks
Away team	Cardiff Blues
Venue	Kings Park
Competition	United Rugby Championship
Kick off time	5 pm (UK)
Watch Live in the UK	Premier Sports

Sharks vs Cardiff URC preview as Cardiff continue their South African tour with a trip to Kings Park.

Cardiff sit in fifth place on 41 points, six points inside the playoff positions. A win could see them reach as high as third as they would put themselves in the running for a home quarter-final. The Sharks sit on 29 points in 11th place. They are six points behind eighth, and a win would be crucial as they chase the playoff places. A loss could see them struggle to make the top eight in the final four games.

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Sharks vs Cardiff confirmed lineups and team news

Sharks (1-15):

Ganyane, Mbatha, Jacobs, Jenkins, van Heerden, Buthelezi, Tshituka, Hatton, Davids, Hendrikse, Mapimpi, Esterhuizen, Hooker, Penxe, Giliomee

Replacements (16-23):

Swart, Nche, Koch, Rahl, Potgieter, Hendrikse/Braude, Smith, Malan

Cardiff (1-15):

Domachowski, Belcher, Assiratti, McNally, Thornton, Botham, Thomas, Faletau, Mulder, Sheedy, Grady, Thomas, Millard, Stephens, Lloyd

Replacements (16-23):

Hughes, Southworth, Sebastian, Lawrence, Basham, Bevan, Jennings, Evans

Recent Form:

Sharks (Home team): W-L-L-W-W

The Sharks have won three of their last five matches and have won their last three home matches. This included two strong wins over the Stormers, and in the previous round, they picked up an amazing 45-0 win at home to Munster. The Sharks took the lead seven minutes in and never let it slip from there. They scored five second-half tries to compound the misery on Munster.

Cardiff (Away team): L-W-L-W-L

Cardiff have won two of their last four URC matches, both coming from home matches, with the best in the game at home to Leinster in awful weather conditions. In the last round of their South African tour, they fell to a 40-7 defeat to the Bulls. Cardiff took an early lead but conceded six unanswered tries to suffer the massive loss.

Sharks vs Cardiff head-to-head record (last four matches):

Date	Competition	Winner	Score
25th January 2025	URC	Sharks	22-44
18th May 2024	URC	Cardiff	14-36
27th November 2022	URC	Cardiff	0-35
16th October 2021	URC	Cardiff	23-17

Cardiff have won three of the four meetings between the teams since the Sharks joined the URC. The away team has won the last three meetings with the Sharks, picking up their only win over Cardiff in the Welsh Capital in 2025.