URC PREVIEW: It is tough being a South African coach

The current edition of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship is a week old already but for the South African teams this weekend is just the beginning - and they couldn’t have asked for a tougher start.

It is understood that three of the four local franchises voted against the postponement of last week’s scheduled derbies due to them clashing with the Carling Currie Cup final. And it makes sense from the perspective that apart from the potential perils of playing a domestic decider as a pre-season game, it would be better to start in South Africa.

Round 2 is stacked with might, gas & skill 🔥

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Which of course the Vodacom Bulls and the Emirates Lions still are, but the DHL Stormers and the Hollywoodbets Sharks are now having to start their 2024/2025 campaigns overseas. Not only overseas, but also against teams that have a URC game in their legs.

The Sharks did play in and won the domestic decider, so they have the opposite problem to the Stormers. The Cape side might be a bit underdone for a trip to Swansea to play against the team that effectively ruined their 2023/2024 campaign with their win in Cape Town. The Sharks by contrast might struggle to replicate the physicality and intensity they played with effectively for two games in a row, if you factor in the 100 minute Currie Cup semifinal, as they head to Galway to play Connacht.

Sharks coach John Plumtree knows how important it is to start well, as it was the poor start that tripped up his team last year. Indeed, the same can be said for the Stormers, who lost all four games on their first tour of last season.

It was Plumtree though who said that being a South African URC coach is a particularly tough job, and it is for good reason. While his team, and the Stormers and Bulls, will be without players away on Springbok duty in the first round, the overseas teams will all be at full strength. And while the Bok Castle Lager Rugby Championship commitments end on Saturday, it is likely the two coastal teams will be without their national players for the duration of their respective three match tours.

There are a few games scheduled during the Six Nations window, and anyway because of the 12 month commitment that comes about through being on the southern roster at international level but the northern one at club/franchise level, the Boks are off fulfilling their resting protocols during those months (February and March) anyway. So that is a significant disadvantage for the South African teams.

Weekend Vodacom United Rugby Championship fixtures (round 2)

Glasgow Warriors v Benetton (Glasgow, Friday 20.35)

Glasgow are a bit like Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok this week - meaning they have to get back on the horse. The reigning champions lost their first game to Ulster, and will need to make amends against the Italians, who were surprisingly held to a draw at home by the Scarlets in their opening game.

Prediction: Glasgow to win by around 10 points.

Leinster v Dragons (Dublin, Friday 20.35)

Leinster scraped home against Edinburgh, winning by just two points, but they should be expected to have more between them and the Dragons, who surprised the Ospreys in the first round.

Emirates Lions v Ulster (Johannesburg, Saturday 12.55)

The big question is how much impact there will be on the Emirates Lions from last week’s heartbreaking Currie Cup final defeat. It should have been particularly devastating to the Johannesburg union as they were the one URC franchise that took the Currie Cup most seriously. On the plus side for the Lions though is the fact they are facing Ulster at home at lunch time. Frankly playing top level rugby at all in summer in South Africa is highly questionable, and kicking off on what should be a hot Johannesburg day at lunch time is borderline crazy. Hosting an overseas team at altitude at that time of day does give the hosts a significant advantage.

Prediction: Lions to win by 7

Vodacom Bulls v Edinburgh (Pretoria, Saturday 15.00)

It’s hard to know what to expect from the Bulls. How much hangover will there be this season from last year’s agonising loss at the final hurdle, and at home to boot, against the Glasgow Warriors? Another unknown factor is the impact that the greater recognition of Bulls players on the part of Bok coach Rassie Erasmus may have, particularly in these early rounds. Their opener against Edinburgh is though a mid afternoon game on what should be a hot day, and like the Lions, they have altitude on their side, so it should be a home win.

Prediction: Bulls to win by 12

Zebre v Munster (Parma, Saturday 16.00)

Zebre showed signs of life when they were competitive against Cardiff last week. Munster though should be favourites to win, even in Parma.

Prediction: Munster to win by 14

Scarlets v Cardiff Rugby (Llanelli, Saturday 18.15)

Last week suggested that predicting a Welsh derby result should be done at your own peril. The Scarlets play a vibrant brand of rugby and have always threatened to grow, and they showed signs of that when they drew with Benetton in Treviso. Cardiff beat Zebre by five points, but they were at home, so that wasn’t a result to be enthused about. So let’s go on that if we have to make a prediction.

Prediction: Scarlets to win by 7

Connacht v Hollywoodbets Sharks (Galway, Saturday 20.35)

Last year the Sharks made a habit of finding ways to lose when they should have won. This time around they appear to be reversing that trend by finding ways to win when staring at almost certain defeat, as they did in Pretoria and Johannesburg in a different competition these past two weekends. Connacht will be tough, but the Sharks have become tough, and they’ve sorted out their culture. Don’t bet your house on them, as it might be hard to fire after last week’s emotion, but they do at least take winning momentum into the competition.

Prediction: Sharks to edge it by less than 7

Ospreys v DHL Stormers (Swansea, Saturday 20.35)

The Stormers lost to the Ospreys last season and drew with them in Swansea the season before that, so they won’t be taking their opponents lightly. The game is being played at a new stadium, meaning the Stormers won’t be familiar with it, and we haven’t seen much of them in the pre-season. Their only warmup game against the Pumas in Nelspruit wasn’t televised. So there really isn’t enough to make a considered prediction, and I am going to defer to default mode by just backing the hosts, who lost last weekend but do have that game in their legs and are at home.

Prediction: Ospreys to edge it by less than 7