SA teams focused on Vodacom URC quarter-finals

The four South African Vodacom United Rugby Championship franchises will all enter the home straight of the cross-hemisphere showpiece with the same mindset – victory at any cost – as the Race to the Eight takes centre stage.

The announcement in the coming weeks of the various winners in theURC Awards for 2024/25 will add some extra spice to the last few rounds of league action.

With this marking the fourth-last round of league matches and all the SA teams still in contention for play-off spots, there will be no room for error as the Vodacom Bulls (third) and Hollywoodbets Sharks (fourth) look to remain in the top four with the greater goal of securing home quarter-finals, while the 10th placed DHL Stormers and 14th placed Emirates Lions will give everything to close in on the teams above them on the standings.

The Sharks will be the first local team in action on Friday when they line up against Edinburgh in Scotland, while SA’s die-hard supporters will be in for a real treat on Saturday with the Lions taking on Benetton in Johannesburg, the Stormers meeting Connacht in Cape Town and the Bulls lining up against Munster in Limerick in back-to-back matches.

Despite being bolstered by the return of four Springboks in Eben Etzebeth, Grant Williams, Lukhanyo Am and Aphelele Fassi, the Sharks will have their work cut out against the eighth-placed Edinburgh, who are high on confidence coming fresh off EPCR Challenge Cup play-off victories over the Lions and the Bulls to book a semi-final berth.

However, with the KwaZulu-Natalians ranked four positions above the Scots on the URC table and boasting three more victories in their 14 pool matches to date, they will back themselves going into the match. While the teams are closely matched on attack in the tournament, the Durbanites will count on their superior defence as their point of difference in the match.

There will, however, be pressure on the hosts to hit the ground running after being knocked out of the EPCR Challenge Cup against Lyon two weeks ago, while they also suffered a defeat in their last URC match against log-leaders Leinster, meaning they will have all the motivation they need to bounce back strongly and remain in contention for a home quarter-final with a few trailing teams hot on their heels.

The Lions, in turn, face a mammoth task to turn their season around and claw their way closer to the other quarter-final contenders when they take on the seventh-placed Benetton at Emirates Airline Park. Victory will be non-negotiable for the Gauteng team, who have their backs against the wall after four consecutive defeats between the URC and EPCR Challenge Cup.

Given the logjam on the standings with 14 of the 16 teams still in a realistic position to make the play-offs, the Johannesburgers will target a bonus-point victory, which could see them leap up the table depending on the other results this weekend.

Interestingly, the Lions have scored two more tries on attack than the Italians, while they have conceded three fewer tries in their 14 matches, meaning it could prove to be an epic battle.

The Stormers, who are only two points ahead of Connacht on the standings, will also look to make the most of their home-ground advantage when they meet the Irishmen in Cape Town.

However, the hosts will be fully aware of the fact that they need to get off to a strong start after a two-week break from competitive rugby after a dropping out of the Investec Champions Cup at the conclusion of the pool stages, while Connacht suffered a heart-breaking three-point defeat against Racing 92 in the EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final last weekend.

The Stormers have won one more match than Connacht in the URC and have been marginally better on attack and defence, which will fuel their determination to register an invaluable victory.

In Ireland, the Bulls will have a massive task on their hands against Irish giants Munster, especially with both teams still hurting from their European quarter-final exits last weekend.

While the men in blue are in a more comfortable log position with an 11-point buffer over their opponents, they will be mindful of the fact that a defeat could jeopardise their home quarter-final hopes, especially with another tough tour match lined up against defending champions, the Glasgow Warriors, next weekend.

This should offer them all the motivation they need to fight back hard from their defeat against Edinburgh in the EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final last week and return to their winning ways.

Munster, in particular, will bank heavily on their passionate home crowd to inspire them against the 2023/2024 runners up, who have scored 58 points more in the competition so far and who also boast a better defensive record.

Making the match even more significant for the hosts, their last home game was back in February, while they have only suffered two defeats on their home patch this season – an impressive track record they will be keen to build on – which sets the scene for a gripping encounter.

Fixtures

Edinburgh v Hollywoodbets Sharks - Friday @ Hive Stadium, Edinburgh (8.35pm)

Referee: Andrew Brace

TV: SuperSport

Emirates Lions v Benetton - Saturday @ Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg (1.45pm)

Referee: Craig Evans

TV: SuperSport

DHL Stormers v Connacht - Saturday @ DHL Stadium, Cape Town (4pm)

Referee: Sam Grove-White

TV: SuperSport

Munster v Vodacom Bulls - Saturday @ Thomond Park, Limerick (6.15pm)

Referee: Andrea Piardi

TV: SuperSport