The Bulls, Stormers and Lions will have everything to play for in the final pool round of the United Rugby Championship on Saturday – when the SA Shield winner will also be determined – as they attempt to book the best possible log positions heading into the quarter-finals and attempt to secure their spots in the top eight in what is expected to be a thrilling round of local derbies.
The Stormers, who are currently in fifth place on the standings, will host the ninth-placed Lions in Cape Town at 1.45pm, while the Sharks – who will be playing purely for pride after being knocked out of the quarter-final race – will host the second-placed Bulls in Durban at 4.10pm.
Apart from determining the quarter-finalists, this round holds extra significance in that it will determine who clinches the SA Shield, with the Bulls and Stormers neck and neck at the moment, with the team from Pretoria holding a three-point edge on the log.
While a victory in Durban for the Bulls would keep them in contention to finish the league stages as the top team for a home quarter-final and possibly semi-final and final – as they currently trail Munster by two points – a win for the Stormers will cement their quarter-final spot, even though they can’t finish higher than fifth.
Edwill van der Merwe heads back to Cape Town this weekend where he scored some stunners for the DHL Stormers ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/TmgfjCuOPA
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No room for error
For the Lions, meanwhile, a victory and most likely with a bonus point will be essential to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Cape Town derby is set to be a humdinger. While the Stormers can’t finish outside the top-eight, they will want to enter the playoffs with momentum, while defeat to the Lions could see them drop down the standings for a tougher quarter-final.
The Lions, meanwhile, will want to repeat their fifth-round victory in 2021 in Cape Town. If they can do that and bag a bonus-point, the men from Johannesburg could sneak into the top eight. They are currently tied on 49 log points with the eighth-placed Benetton and seventh-placed Edinburgh.
Given these stakes, neither team is set to give an inch.
Spicing up the clash, the Johannesburgers have a superior attacking record this season with a 63-point lead over the Capetonians, but the home side have been more effective on defence conceding 45 points fewer in their 17 matches to date.
The Stormers will draw inspiration from the fact that they only suffered one defeat at home this season in the tournament – against Ospreys – but with both teams desperate for a victory, it could prove to be a tight match.
In Durban, the Bulls will enter their clash against the Sharks as overwhelming favourites on paper given their impressive record this season with 12 wins in 17 outings to only four by the hosts.
However, they will be mindful of the fact that the KwaZulu-Natalians will enter the match high on confidence after making history last week by becoming the first South African team ever to be crowned the EPCR Challenge Cup champions in England.
Sit back, relax and enjoy Siya Masuku’s kicking masterclass in the Challenge Cup final 🦵![CDATA[]]>🎯 pic.twitter.com/A3qacNY8Hp
Bulls coming in hot
The Bulls are on a three-match winning streak, while the Durbanites come off two defeats in a row in the URC, but after their success in Europe they will have their sights on finishing the season on a high note by creating one of the biggest upsets of the weekend and will certainly have the mindset that they have nothing to lose.
The Bulls’ statistics count heavily in their favour having scored close to double the amount the points the Sharks have accumulated this season, but less than 15 points separate the teams defensively, which could set the scene for a thrilling clash.
The quarter-finals matches and venues will be confirmed at the conclusion of Saturday’s matches, with the with one quarter-final playing out on June 7 and three on June 8.
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