State of the URC: Lions, Bulls set for Ellis Park epic
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South Africa’s push for Vodacom URC playoff berths resumes this week following the conclusion of the European pool-stage campaigns.
Both the Lions and Vodacom Bulls go into the Jukskei derby at Ellis Park on Saturday with confidence having claimed convincing European cup wins over the weekend.
By trampling Stade Francais 48-7 at Loftus, the BULLS snapped a four-match losing streak that included a disappointing 21-17 loss to an injury-hit Sharks side at Kings Park in their last URC outing in December. But they remain in a strong position at fourth on the log with two games in hand over the three teams above them (Leinster, Glasgow and Cardiff).
The LIONS have slipped to 12th on the URC log following three consecutive away defeats (to Leinster, Munster and the Stormers), but are just three log points behind eighth-placed Edinburgh with two games in hand, and still in with a good shot of making the URC playoffs for the first time. The Pride showed what they’re capable of on Saturday, mauling Dragons 60-10 at Ellis Park in the Challenge Cup.
The SHARKS will resume their URC campaign on the back of a humiliating 66-12 defeat at Bordeaux that cost them a place in the Champions Cup playoffs.
John Plumtree’s battered and bruised side will now travel to Wales to take on Cardiff, who are four log points ahead of the fifth-placed Durbanites on the URC log having played one more match.
In the Sharks’ last URC fixture, they lost 24-20 to the Stormers in Cape Town, which ended their four-match streak in the competition.
The STORMERS won back-to-back URC matches over the festive season to climb to 10th on the URC table, just one point outside the playoffs. But they face a huge test in Dublin on Saturday against log-leaders Leinster, who have won all nine of their matches so far.
John Dobson’s team lost 31-22 to Racing 92 in Paris on Saturday to bow out of the Champions Cup and will be eager to bounce back in the URC in Dublin.
Round 10 fixtures:
Friday, 24 January
Glasgow vs Connacht (9:35pm)
Ospreys vs Benetton (9:35pm)
Saturday, 25 January
Lions vs Bulls (2:45pm)
Scarlets vs Edinburgh (5pm)
Leinster vs Stormers (7pm)
Cardiff vs Sharks (7:15pm)
Dragons vs Munster (9:35pm)
Sunday, 26 January
Ulster vs Zebre (7:30pm)
Photo: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images
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