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The four South African teams produced some outstanding results in round 13 of the United Rugby Championship (URC) last weekend.
The Sharks blew away Munster in Durban while the Bulls thumped Cardiff at Loftus Versfeld. There were also victories for the Lions against Edinburgh, while the Stormers were made to sweat for their 29-21 win over the Dragons.
With those results, the SA teams positioned themselves in a healthy position to push for quarterfinal spots with the round-robin action nearing conclusion.
They’ll have to back it up in round 14, though, and ATR takes a look at how they can do so.
Sharks vs Cardiff:
The Sharks are the worst-placed South African side in 11th spot, and it feels like they’ve been static over the past couple of weeks.
JP Pietersen’s side will take massive confidence from their clinical win over Munster and look to replicate the same against Cardiff at home.
The Sharks have enjoyed decent outings against the Welsh side in recent years, most notably defeating them 42-22 in their last meeting in 2025.
Pietersen has named a settled matchday 23 for the fixture, backing youngster Luan Giliomee at fullback after his prolific debut. He’s also welcomed back Ethan Hooker, who missed out due to a family bereavement. Hooker will link up with his captain, Andre Esterhuizen, in midfield.
The scrum battle will be juicy, and Pietersen has opted for a youthful front three in Phatu Ganyane, Fez Mbatha, and Hanro Jacobs. His bench is stacked with World Cup winners, Ox Nche, and Vincent Koch, who should come on in the second half and make an impact.
Bulls vs Munster:
The Bulls clash against Munster will provide a crucial test for Johan Ackermann and his troops.
Last week, they showed class and blew away Cardiff thanks to a splendid performance in the second half.
Ackermann will be looking for the same this week, and the clash provides them an opportunity to claim back-to-back wins and carve out some sort of momentum before going on their European tour.
The Bulls will need to be on top of their game in almost all facets. The scrum will need to operate with efficiency, while the kicking game could make or break the game for the Pretoria-based side.
Munster are known for their strong forward pack; however, their backline has caused trouble for teams in recent weeks. The loss against the Sharks shouldn’t fool the Bulls into thinking it will be a walk in the park.
Ackermann’s troops will still need to get the basics right and keep out a hurting Munster side to seal the win.
Lions vs Dragons:
The Lions have been on an impressive run of late, and their chances of sealing a top eight finish have been boosted.
They recorded a convincing win against Edinburgh last weekend at home, and that would’ve given them belief that they can go all the way.
The side from Johannesburg is playing some enterprising rugby, defending well, and capitalising on their opponent’s lapses of concentration in defence.
Consistency in squad selection has also aided their cause. Ivan van Rooyen has backed performances instead of chopping and changing his side every other week.
There is finally some cohesion in the side, and the Dragons clash couldn’t have come at a better time. The Lions will back themselves to get the win and boost their chances of that crucial top-eight finish.
A victory this weekend could see them climb up Munster and Cardiff depending on what happens in the other matches.
Stormers vs Edinburgh:
The Stormers, as mentioned above, were pushed hard by the Dragons at the DHL Stadium last week.
It took a momentum of brilliance from talisman Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who was put through by Imad Khan to dot over the whitewash.
The Stormers forward pack didn’t operate at its best, and that’s something they will look to fix this week. There have been some tasty battles between the two sides in recent history, but it’s the Stormers who have had the upper hand.
John Dobson will back his side to get the job done but won’t be naïve because Edinburgh are hurting and are desperate to get their tour back on track.
A win for the Cape Town side could set them up nicely ahead of their Champions Cup against Tulon next week before they close off their season with four matches, two of which will be at home.
