While the Bulls are currently leading the South African pack with two rounds to go in the United Rugby Championship (URC), the Stormers and Sharks are on a collision course for the quarter-finals in Durban in May.
As things stand on the official URC log, though, the scenario is a North vs. South derby. However, looking at the matches ahead from next weekend, the likely outcome is that the Cape side will move into the fifth spot should they win both games.
That’s because they are one point behind Cardiff, whom they must still face in Cape Town.
The Bulls, currently third, will also have two home games. They are hot on the trail of the Glasgow Warriors, who are only one point ahead of them after their exploits in Scotland last weekend. This means the Bulls could end up in second place for a home game until the semis, at least.
Of course, a couple of upsets by the visiting Welsh sides to South Africa could change that entire picture. So, the local franchises can’t rest too much on their laurels ahead of these crucial clashes.
There is still a sliver of hope for the Lions to be the fourth SA side in the playoffs, but they’ll need a maximum of 10 points from their final two games. And then they’ll have to pray hard to the rugby gods so that the other sides ahead of them, like Ulster, the Scarlets, and Benetton do not pick up wins in their final clashes.
This week-long break came at the right time for the franchises. It gave the players time to reset with their families after a gruelling couple of weeks. The coaches could also plan to the smallest detail how they will face the final two round-robin matches.
