South Africa’s four franchise coaches will remind supporters that the United Rugby Championship (URC) is a marathon, not a sprint, but this weekend will be crucial for them to back up their opening victories and remain unbeaten in the competition.
The Stormers (29-15), Sharks (41-24), Lions (27-26) and Bulls (47-13) all started the new season in winning fashion, with only the Johannesburg side failing to pick up a bonus-point victory at Ellis Park.
That gives the South African quartet plenty of confidence heading into the second round, but also brings a different kind of pressure as they look to build early momentum in the URC. The Stormers and Bulls, in particular, will be keen to show that their opening away wins were not simply a case of starting quickly.
Facing Edinburgh on Friday (8.45pm kick-off) in Scotland, Stormers assistant coach Rito Hlungwani praised the performance in Galway, but remarked that some improvement is needed, especially when they are within striking distance of their opponents’ try line.
The Stormers lost Evan Roos and Marcel Theunissen to injuries on a 4G pitch in Galway. Hlungwani confirmed the loose forwards were sent home and are currently being assessed to determine the extent of their injuries.
He was mum on whether Springbok captain Siya Kolisi could potentially come into contention to play against Edinburgh.
“We got into the 22m area of Connacht quite efficiently, but we will have to improve our conversion rate,” Hlungwani said in an online press conference on Monday.
“I really enjoyed how we managed to get into their 22m area in different ways; whether by kicking, running or mauling. So, it’s probably just to polish that (try-scoring) conversion rate ahead of facing Edinburgh. We were very happy getting the ascendency at maul time and it is something that sort-of attacks the psychology of the opposition pack.
“We are quite happy that we managed to get that right.”
While the Stormers have lost the services of one Bok, they could be bolstered by three others. Kolisi is training with the side alongside fellow loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon, while loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu has also joined from Cape Town. However, no Springboks who were involved in the Test against Australia will link up with the team in the United Kingdom.
The Bulls were full value for their five points in Parma, but will face a different obstacle in Munster on Saturday evening in Ireland.
One thing head coach Johan Ackermann wants them to improve on is their scrummaging. And they can brace themselves for a test at set-piece time against the Irish powerhouse. It’s a steeper hill for the Bulls to climb if they want to go two-from-two, and the battle at Thomond Park will be an early indication of how they’ll fare away from home against the stronger club teams.
Yes, the runaway victory over Zebre started their campaign off well, but Munster is the real hurdle they must get over before they return to Pretoria. They can’t afford a slow start against the former champions as it was the case in Italy and will have to be clinical from the first whistle should they wish to return unbeaten.
On South African soil, the Lions will look to sink their teeth into the Ospreys, who were battered in Durban in the opening round.
The Johannesburg side missed out on collecting five points against a fairly young Leinster side, winning 27-26, and came within a couple of points of losing their first fixture. There is a lot for the Lions to improve on, especially on the defensive side, as Leinster crossed for four tries, while restricting their hosts to three scores.
After enjoying a bonus-point win in their first-ever URC opening match at Kings Park, the Sharks will hope to kick on from that and make it a double when they host Leinster. The defending champions will be desperate to end their tour with a victory after coming close to upstaging a strong Lions side.
The Sharks could be bolstered by some Boks who featured in the clash against the Wallabies. However, changing a winning recipe could prove counterproductive for the Durbanites, and they could run the risk of losing momentum picked up in the opening game.
