Aiming to keep winning streaks alive in the Vodacom URC

The Hollywoodbets Sharks and Lions will try to remain unbeaten against their respective opponents this weekend as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship picks up steam in round two, with the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls keen to build on their strong starts to the season.

The KwaZulu-Natalians take on the Dragons in Wales on Friday evening and the men from Joburg are in action against Zebre Parma in Italy on Sunday, and both SA sides have never lost against their second-round opponents.

The Capetonians kick off the action at the DHL Stadium on Friday evening against the Ospreys, and on Saturday, the men from Pretoria host Leinster at Loftus Versfeld, which is a replay of last season’s final, won by the Irish giants in Dublin.

The DHL Stormers have a good record at home – they lost only once at DHL Stadium in last season’s Vodacom URC, and that was by a solitary point to the Vodacom Bulls in the opening round.

However, both their defeats against Welsh opponents since April 2024 came against the Ospreys, in Cape Town in April 2024 and in Bridgend in September 2024.

That victory in Cape Town last April, by 27-21, was the Ospreys’ only win in South Africa in the Vodacom URC since 2019. In fact, on Friday, the DHL Stormers will be looking for only their second win in their fifth clash against their Welsh visitors.

In the second match on Friday featuring a team from South Africa, the Hollywoodbets Sharks will be looking for their first win of the new campaign against a Dragons side that have struggled at home. Their last victory at Rodney Parade was in the opening round last season, by 23-21 over the Ospreys.

The Dragons have also not beaten a South African opponent since the Pro14 became the Vodacom URC, which will be a shot in the arm for the visitors from Durban.

On Saturday in Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls will be looking to build on their second half performance against the Ospreys last weekend when they welcome Leinster to Loftus Versfeld.

The hosts’ only defeat in their last 10 Vodacom URC matches was by 32-7 to the Irish giants in the Grand Final at Dublin’s Croke Park last year, but the men from Pretoria are on a seven-match win streak at Loftus Versfeld and will also take confidence from the DHL Stormers’ big win against Leinster last weekend.

It was the second time in the history of the competition that Leinster failed to score a point in a match – the last time was in September 2008 when they lost 18-0 to Munster.

Amazingly enough, Leinster have won only twice in South Africa since November 2018 – in April 2023 by 39-36 over the Lions in Johannesburg, and by 10-7 over the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban last March.

The two sides have met on seven previous occasions, with the Vodacom Bulls having the edge by four wins to three. Leinster have also never won at Loftus Versfeld.

The final match of the weekend is on Sunday afternoon in Italy, where the Lions will be up against a resurgent Zebre Parma, who started their new campaign with a 31-28 win over Edinburgh last weekend – only the second time they have begun a Vodacom URC season with a victory.

Zebre have struggled against South African teams and the Lions will hope to continue with that dominance – the Italians’ only win over a SA opponent since January 2020 was by 12-10 over the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Parma in November 2023.

But the Lions will also be mindful of their own form on the road – they have not won away from home in the Vodacom URC since their last visit to Parma, almost a year ago on 19 October 2024, when they beat Zebre by 10-9.

Match Information:

DHL Stormers v Ospreys

Date: Friday, 3 October

Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town

SA Time: 7pm

Referee: Peter Martin

TV: SuperSport

Dragons v Hollywoodbets Sharks

Date: Friday, 3 October

Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport

SA Time: 9:05pm

Referee: Fillipo Russo