URC review (round 14): Lions roar in otherwise bleak weekend for SA teams
22/04/2024 11:00
The Lions registered the only victory for SA's teams in a frustrating round in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC), with the Johannesburg team delivering the top result of the weekend against log-leaders Leinster with a comprehensive 44-12 bonus-point win.
ROUND 14 RECAP
There was disappointment all around for the other three teams, with the Sharks suffering a 21-10 defeat against the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland; a red card in the third quarter for the Bulls came at a high cost as they went down 27-22 against Munster in Pretoria; and the Stormers suffered a 27-21 defeat against Ospreys in Cape Town.
The result was that the Bulls dropped from third to fourth place on the standings with 46 points (nine behind Leinster, who managed to cling onto the top spot by one point), while the Stormers fell from fifth to sixth place on 40 points.
The win for the Lions kept them within range of a possible quarter-final finish, still in 11th position with 39 points, while the Sharks managed to hold onto 13th place with 18 points.
With only four rounds of league matches left to qualify for quarter-finals, the Vodacom URC is heading to a thrilling finish to the pool stages.
URC SCORERS (ROUND 14)
URC result: Glasgow Warriors 21-10 Sharks
Glasgow Warriors – Tries: George Horn, Max Williamson, Kyle Steyn. Conversions: George Horn (3).
Sharks – Tries: Dan Jooste, Ntuthuko Mchunu.
URC result: Lions 44-12 Leinster
Lions – Tries: Morne van den Berg, Marius Louw, Quan Horn, Emmanuel Tshituka (2), Francke Horn. Conversions: Sanele Nohamba (2), Jordan Hendrikse (2). Penalty goals: Nohamba (2).
Leinster – Tries: Ciaran Frawley (2). Conversion: Harry Byrne.
URC result: Bulls 22-27 Munster
Bulls – Tries: Elrigh Louw, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Johan Grobbelaar. Conversions: Johan Goosen (2). Penalty goal: Goosen.
Munster – Tries: Shane Daly, RG Snyman, Josh Hodnett, Conor Murray. Conversions: Jack Crowley (2). Penalty goal: Crowley.
URC result: Stormers 21-27 Ospreys
Stormers – Tries: Dan du Plessis, Evan Roos, Penalty try. Conversions: Manie Libbok (2).
Ospreys – Tries: Luke Morgan (2), Sam Parry, Harry Deans. Conversions: Jack Walsh (2). Penalty goal: Walsh.
