It was the ultimate weekend of upsets in Round 12 of the United Rugby Championship (URC).
On Saturday, the Stormers and Lions reignited their URC play-off hopes with crucial derby wins. While the Sharks’ and Bulls’ losses were disappointing, some of the European teams’ results softened those blows.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) log is currently highly competitive and congested.
While five of the six top teams lost at the weekend, just five points separate the seventh and 15th placed teams.
We look at how the weekend unfolded and where the South African teams stand.
Stormers Beat Bulls at Loftus
The Stormers’ result against their old foes saw them snap a three-match URC losing streak.
The match was delayed by more than an hour due to torrential rain and a soaked pitch, but the Stormers’ halfback pairing of Jurie Matthee and Stefan Ungerer did well to control the game in extremely testing conditions in Pretoria.
While the Bulls are just three points behind the second-placed Glasgow, the fact that they have now lost two of their last three matches at home should raise concerns. It should also be noted that things could have looked differently for Jake White’s side had Glasgow not dropped a game against Ospreys at the weekend.
Home URC Games Will Be Key for SA Sides
Needless to say, squeezing maximum advantage from home-ground fixtures is something the Bulls will want to work on. They need to do it quickly – ahead of their last one of the regular season against top-placed Leinster.
The Stormers, on the other hand, now have a three-week break. The break should give them sufficient time to work on the areas that have been problematic until now.
Following their pause in action, the Cape side have two games against Ulster and Scarlets away. They then return home for the last stretch of their regular season with four games at Cape Town Stadium.
Considering the Stormers’ issues on the road, concluding their regular season at home should be seen as an ideal situation.
The fact that they are going into their break with a healthy dose of confidence is also a positive.
Stormers’ Injury Returnees Could Be a Major Boost
The Cape side should welcome back the backline trio of Damian Willemse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Suleiman Hartzenberg for their two-match tour. Lock JD Schickerling should also be back in action when the Stormers handle the business end of the competition at home in mid-April.
And, given their injury struggles this season, these players will no doubt be a welcomed addition.
Lions Beat Sharks at Ellis Park
The Lions were sensational in their thumping of the Sharks at Ellis Park.
Never mind the fact that the Lions were by far the underdogs going into the URC fixture…they bossed a game nobody would have expected them to dominate.
Yes, the Sharks were woeful and played the leading role in their embarrassing loss in Johannesburg. But the way the Lions went in conditions that were supposed to favour the Sharks was superb.
Lions Eye Top Eight Berth
The bonus-point win moved Ivan van Rooyen’s side from 12th on the log to eighth, but it was a brief jump. Other results saw them drop down to ninth again but, regardless, they are still in a good position to make the top-eight.
The Lions have a game in hand and are just one point behind Connacht (eighth). They can catch up this weekend when they take on the Sharks in a rescheduled Round-One match at Kings Park (Saturday, 14h00). A win could elevate them to fifth on the points table.
Sharks Will Be Motivated by SA Shield
The Sharks have never won the SA Shield in the URC. That’s reason enough for them to be hungry for victory this weekend.
The Durbanites trail the Bulls (third) by seven points but have a game in hand. A win on their home turf can make that margin significantly smaller.
But, should the Lions win, they will be hot on the Sharks’ heels.
Both these teams have a game in hand. So, while envisioning themselves lifting the Shield will be a carrot for the Sharks, cracking into the top-four will be just as galvanising for the Lions (and the Stormers).
