It’s a full weekend of United Rugby Championship (URC) clashes for the South African franchises looking at securing places in the top eight of the competition.
The Lions are the only local team that can’t make it to a quarter-final place yet, but they know just how important their clash at Ellis Park will be. For the Stormers, a bonus point win could be enough to see them jump into a place for the knockouts.
Overseas, the Sharks and Bulls will face Scottish and Irish heavyweights and victories will go a long way in securing their places in the top four for a home quarter. It will also keep both SA’s high-flying URC teams in the running to end second.
Friday evening, the Sharks will look to end Edinburg’s domination in the ‘Biltong Cup’ at the Hive Stadium. It’s time for the Durban side to play to their potential and give them the best chance of finishing in the top three. Their Springboks must lead the charge against their former head coach, Sean Everitt, and his side.
Benetton will present a tricky challenge for the Lions, but if they dish up the running rugby expected, they could give themselves a big chance to get the five points they are after. A loss and it will likely be the end of their campaign.
Saturday in Cape Town, the Stormers host a very depleted Connacht and should find no difficulty getting past their Irish opponents. Without the likes of Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen, and on top of that losing their head coach this week, it can have a big effect on their game.
The Bulls will have two tricky matches away, starting with former champions Munster in Limerick on Saturday. With a victory, they can creep closer to Glasgow, who they face next weekend. It will also put them in a position to overtake the second-placed Warriors in their final tour game.
