The first local derby of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship season is on the cards when the competition returns this weekend, while the two Gauteng sides are in for tough matches in Ireland.
After a month-long break for the November international window, the Vodacom URC is back, with a mouthwatering coastal derby between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and DHL Stormers in Durban kicking off proceedings on Saturday afternoon.
Later on Saturday, the Vodacom Bulls (currently third on the log) and the Emirates Lions (fourth) will be looking to build on their strong starts to the competition when they face Connacht and Munster respectively in Ireland.
In Durban, the hosts will be trying to put to bed an unwanted record against their visitors from the Western Cape. Both these sides will also be keen to make a move on the log as they are currently outside the top eight, after less than perfect starts to the season.
Although the margins in the last three games between the two coastal sides were close, the Stormers have never lost against the Sharks, winning five on the trot after their first URC derby back in January 2022 ended in a draw.
The Sharks will take some momentum into the game, as their only loss in their last four matches was against Benetton in Treviso in the fourth round, while they have also won won both of their home games in Durban this season.
But they are up against a team that have almost perfected winning their SA derbies – the Stormers have lost just once in local URC since December 2021, which was by 22-40 to the Bulls in Pretoria in March.
The team from Pretoria, bolstered by the inclusion of a host of Springboks from the November internationals, have a tricky outing on Saturday against Connacht in Galway, where the Irish province won their most recent match at Dexcom Stadium by a comfortable 31-7 over the Dragons but they have not managed successive wins at home since March.
South African teams have generally struggled in Galway, where Connacht’s home record against visitors from the Republic in the URC is 10 wins from 12 matches.
But the Bulls have started the season well and have only lost once so far this campaign, by a point to the Scarlets in the fifth round and they will be keen to break their duck in Galway.
Roughly 100km to the south, the Lions have a tough match against Munster in Limerick, where the Irish giants will be looking to avoid a fourth successive defeat for the first time since the 2003/04 season.
Munster have never lost a home game to a South African opponent in the URC but the team from Gauteng are on a roll this season, having lost only once so far, against Leinster in Dublin in their last clash before the international break.
Fixtures
Hollywoodbets Sharks v DHL Stormers - Saturday @ Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban (5pm)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
TV: SuperSport
Connacht v Vodacom Bulls - Saturday @ Dexcom Stadium, Galway (7.30pm)
Referee: Mike Adamson
TV: SuperSport
Munster v Emirates Lions - Saturday @ Thomond Park, Limerick (9.35pm)
Referee: Adam Jones
TV: SuperSport
Comments