The fullbacks will be out to impress after Damian Willemse's excellent season and the falling out of favour of Willie le Roux.
The contest and contrast between Springbok fullbacks Aphelele Fassi and Quan Horn will be a key factor in the Sharks–Lions URC derby on Saturday.
Both will be out to impress, with all eyes on Kings Park at 3.30pm, while the Stormers and Bulls clash in the only other SA-team match of the weekend, in Cape Town at 6pm.
Damian Willemse has been the standout fullback in the national squad lately, playing in 10 of South Africa’s 15 matches this past season.
Fassi and Horn to prove a point
Fassi, like the previous season, missed much of the year because of injury. He played four Tests, and one non-Test against the Barbarians, not featuring since the fourth round of the Rugby Championship in September.
Horn, meanwhile, has not played for the Springboks since his solitary Test against Portugal in July 2024, where he came on for Fassi in the second half and scored a try in Bloemfontein.
Horn has been crucial to the Lions’ attacking threat at union level and fans have wondered if he will feature more now that Willie le Roux has reached his 100-Test milestone and appears to have lost favour after playing just three Tests for the Boks this year.
Hard-fought battle expected
Fassi and Horn have both been selected to start at 15 at Kings Park, with the Sharks aiming to secure a third win in a row under interim head coach JP Pietersen after a terrible start to the season with John Plumtree.
The Lions, meanwhile, are on a three-match losing streak but are known to lift their game against local opponents. Their last victory was away against the Bulls at Loftus. They scored six tries in Pretoria to win 43-33 in November.
The fullbacks will hope to put their hands up as they seek more favour with the Springbok coaches watching on.
