It is advantage Sharks and Lions heading into the weekend’s first batch of SA derbies in the United Rugby Championship (URC) against the Stormers and Bulls respectively.
Unbeaten after two matches, the Durban side are atop the URC log following two bonus-point victories at Kings Park, and buoyed by the return of their Springboks, they will now set their sights on claiming the scalp of the Stormers for a third match in a row in the tournament.
JP Pietersen’s men are the sole leaders in the competition with 10 points after their 26-20 win over Leinster, with no other team able to claim back-to-back five-pointers over the opening two weekends of rugby. Now, though, they must back up their home performances with a spicy away coastal derby looming at DHL Stadium on Saturday (4pm kick-off).
Sharks look to extend dominance over Stormers
It seems like their Boks returned at the right time, with captain André Esterhuizen, and wingers Edwill van der Merwe and Ethan Hooker adding valuable experience to the backline, while prop Thomas du Toit had a field day in the scrum against Leinster, claiming valuable penalties. Loosehead Ox Nché and lock Eben Etzebeth starred off the replacement bench.
The Stormers will be on high alert for their visitors, especially after the last two games against them did not go in their favour. They will be out to set the record straight against the Sharks and will have a good opportunity to do so in their famous ‘Men in Black’ jersey in Cape Town.
It is a homecoming that the Stormers Faithful, as the supporters are affectionately known, will be anticipating, and following their 17-13 loss to Edinburgh, the team will be desperate to get back to winning ways after a strong start against Connacht in the opening match.
Director of rugby John Dobson and his assistants will have a full week of training with the team, and the return of their Springboks could add much-needed depth and experience for this vital clash.
Lions bring momentum to Loftus
At Loftus Versfeld, the Bulls are already on the back foot for their Jukskei derby against the Lions on Saturday afternoon (1.30pm kick-off).
While they are returning home following mixed results on their two-week overseas tour, the visitors are flying high after two good wins at home that put them into third on the URC table.
The Pretoria side will have to contend with some injuries building up to the game after the 26-22 loss to Munster, and head coach Johan Ackermann will hope it does not disrupt his side too much. Meanwhile, the Lions clicked into gear and will be keen to upstage their hosts this early in the season to keep their momentum going.
However, for Ackermann and his counterpart Ivan van Rooyen, the composition of their sides and the availability of Springboks will be important as they look to strike the right balance to put them in an advantageous position on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions phased their Boks back into the team via the replacement bench in the 35-19 win against the Ospreys this past weekend, but Van Rooyen will be keen to get scrumhalf Morné van den Berg and fullback Quan Horn back into the starting XV for this battle.
Ackermann’s conundrum will be where to fit his internationals in without disturbing the cohesion of his team too much. They were in the fight for the entire clash against Munster, with small errors disrupting their rhythm.
Should the injuries to captain Marcell Coetzee and utility back Stravino Jacobs rule them out, Bok Marco van Staden could slot in at flanker, while Handré Pollard is potentially an option in the No 12 jersey alongside flyhalf Curwin Bosch, who’s enjoyed a good start to his Bulls career. Ackermann will also be keen to get front rowers Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Wessels back into the mix for the duel.
