Advertisement
We’ve reached the halfway point of this season’s United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign, and teams are now hunting playoff spots.
From a South African perspective, it’s only the Stormers who are in a healthy position, while the Lions, Sharks, and Vodacom Bulls are still chasing a spot in the top eight.
The four SA sides will battle each other in another round of local derbies this coming weekend.
In this piece, we preview the matches and explain how different results could shape each team’s playoff hopes.
Lions vs Stormers
Two teams, different missions: one is eager to back up a recent performance, while the other wants to recover after two losses on the trot.
That is the story of the clash between the Lions and Stormers, and it should make for an interesting battle at Ellis Park.
The Lions' 34-22 victory against an almost weakened Sharks side last weekend opened up the log table, as well as the SA Shield standings.
The Johannesburg outfit will, however, have to back it up against a Stormers side that’s still hurting after losing their last two matches against the Sharks.
The Cape side was absolutely outplayed in both encounters, and some cracks in their game were exposed. Head coach John Dobson will demand a response from his troops, and there’s no better test than a Lions team brimming with confidence.
The two sides’ styles of play almost complement each other. Fast, energetic, and entertaining rugby is what spectators can expect to see.
A win for the Stormers will add more pressure to Leinster, who are in second place. If the Lions make it two out of two, they could potentially climb the log, depending on what happens between Munster and Zebre.
Either way, both sides will be desperate to get the full five points and build momentum.
Vodacom Bulls vs Sharks
“Lacking consistency” is probably the best term to describe the Bulls and Sharks this season.
The two sides have been far from their best despite showing promising signs of improvement later. Barring their loss to the Lions, the Sharks have shown significant improvement under newly appointed head coach JP Pietersen.
The Bulls, meanwhile, had a dreadful start to the season, and at some point, had lost nine matches on the trot.
They’ve managed to turn their fortunes around. Before the three-week break, they defeated Edinburgh 19-17 in Scotland before thumping the Lions 52-17 at Ellis Park.
Those results signalled a shift in momentum and gave head coach Johan Ackermann some breathing room.
Past results will count for nothing come Saturday, though, as both teams will be desperate to get a “W” next to their names.
The Bulls are in eighth place, while the Sharks occupy 10th spot, and a loss in Pretoria could see them drop as low as 12th on the log.
Pietersen had to rest some of his big guns against the Lions due to the Springbok rest protocols. He should have a stronger team this week because the Bulls will come firing after last being in action almost a month ago.
This weekend’s matches will also impact the direction of the SA Shield and give a clear indication of which team will lift the local piece of silverware.
