There's a Welsh v South Africa flavour to the clashes this weekend as the sides return to Vodacom United Rugby Championship action. Below is all you need to know about every South African team’s clash and where their form lies as they return from the international season break.
Friday 25 November
DHL STORMERS v SCARLETS
At DHL Stadium, Cape Town, 7pm
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU, 5th competition game)
Assistant: Morne Ferreira, Paul Mente (both SARU)
TMO: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
Did you know?
• Stormers have lost just once in the United Rugby Championship this season: 24-30 at Cardiff on 22 October.
• Stormers have not lost at home since the Emirates Lions beat them 37-19 at DHL Stadium in December 2021.
• Stormers are yet to beat a Welsh region this campaign, drawing with Ospreys in Round 5 and losing to Cardiff Rugby in Round 6.
• Scarlets have won only once in the BKT United Rugby Championship since April: 36-12 at home to Zebre Parma on 15 October.
• Scarlets have not won away from home in the Championship since beating Dragons at Rodney Parade on 23 April.
• Scarlets most recent victory over a South African opponent was 36-13 at home to the Lions in October 2021.
• Scarlets have won just twice before in South Africa, beating Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth in 2017 and 2018.
• The two sides have met just once before with the Stormers winning 26-21 at Parc y Scarlets at the end of May.
Key statistics
Stormers
The Stormers are the least effective side at retaining possession at the breakdown, only managing to do so at 90% of their attacking rucks.
The Cape Town based side have scored more tries from mauls than any other team in the league (6).
Form fullback, Clayton Blommetjies made a round-high four offloads against the Emirates Lions last weekend.
Scarlets
Becoming only the second team of the season to concede three yellow cards in a match, the Scarlets have now been shown a league-high 12 cards in the URC.
The Scarlets are yet to lose a scrum in the URC.
Sione Kalamafoni has made more carries (117) and metres in contact (112) than any other player in the league. His 367 total carry metres are also the most that any forward has made so far this season.
Saturday 26 November
VODACOM BULLS v OSPREYS
At Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, 3pm
Referee: Ben Blain (SRU, 26th competition game)
Assistant: Cwengile Jadezweni, Griffin Colby (both SARU)
TMO: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
Did you know?
• Bulls have won their last two fixtures since their 17-31 defeat at Munster in Round 5.
• Bulls have won their last ten matches at Loftus Versfeld in the United Rugby Championship since the Cell C Sharks beat them there 29-22 in February.
• Bulls have won all four previous matches they have played against Welsh regions in the URC. • Ospreys only victory in the United Rugby Championship since May was 32-17 at home to Glasgow Warriors on 1 October.
• Ospreys have won only once away from home in any competition in the last twelve months: 22-6 over Cardiff at the Arms Park on 23 April.
• Ospreys have not beaten a South African opponent since a 43-7 victory over Southern Kings in port Elizabeth in April 2019.
• The two sides only previous encounter was at Swansea.com Stadium in May with the visitors running out 38-31 victors.
Key statistics
Bulls
Bulls fly-half Chris Smith is the URC’s top points scorer, currently sat on a haul of 65. He has also kicked the most metres from penalties in the league (1,221).
David Kriel beat as many defenders last weekend against the Sharks as any player managed in the round (six).
12-cap Springbok Cornal Hendricks looked threatening for the Vodacom Bulls in round seven, making a round-high three clean breaks. Back three partner Kriel also made two.
Ospreys
Trying to win the territorial battle, the Ospreys have put boot to ball more times than any other team (193).
Fullback Max Nagy kicked the Ospreys’ first 50/22 of the season last weekend against Connacht.
Constantly sniffing around the breakdown for a chance at a turnover or to cause disruption to opposition ball, Jac Morgan has made more entries to defensive rucks than any other player in the league (47).
Sunday 27 November
EMIRATES LIONS v DRAGONS RFC
At Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg, 4pm
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 29th competition game)
Assistant: Cwengile Jadezweni, Griffin Colby (both SARU)
TMO: Ben Blain (SRU)
Did you know?
• Lions have lost their last two United Rugby Championship matches, both at Emirates Airline Park, against Ulster and the Stormers.
• The Lions have not tasted success in Johannesburg in the Championship since beating Benetton Rugby there on 30 April.
• Lions only defeat to a Welsh opponent is 13-36 to Scarlets in Llanelli in October 2021.
• Dragons have won their last two United Rugby Championship matches, both at home to Ospreys and Zebre, and have not won three in succession in the Championship since April 2021.
• Dragons have won only once away from home in the last twelve months, beating Scarlets in Llanelli on 16 April.
• Dragons most recent success against a South African opponent was beating Toyota Cheetahs 13-10 at Rodney Parade in February 2020.
• Dragons are yet to taste victory in five previous visits to South Africa.
• The two sides have met just once before at Rodney Parade in May with the Lions winning 21-11.
Key statistics
Lions
The Lions have made the fewest entries to the 22 of any team, entering the opposition red zone just 39 times.
Ruan Dreyer may have conceded the most penalties in the league so far (ten), but he did win a round-high total of three turnovers against the Stormers in round six.
Connacht scored the first drop goal of URC in round seven. However, the Emirates Lions have attempted a field goal a league-high twice and missed both times.
Dragons RFC
Stifling their opposition at first phase, the Dragons have made more steals in the lineout than any other team (13). Their lineout on their own throw is also very strong, currently operating at a 90% success rate, second only to Ulster.
However, the Dragons’ scrum is far shakier. They have only retained possession from 76% of their own feeds.
Rhodri Williams produced a rare try assist with a kick last weekend. Just 11 players in the league have done so this season.
CELL C SHARKS v CARDIFF RUGBY
At Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban, 6.10pm
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU, 69th competition game)
Assistant: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Stephan Geldenhuys (both SARU)
TMO: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Did you know?
• Sharks record so far in the United Rugby Championship is won three, lost two, but just one of those matches was played at home, beating Glasgow 40-12 in Durban in Round 5.
• Sharks have won their last five matches at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in the Championship since their 5-21 defeat there to Edinburgh in March. • Sharks only previous loss to a Welsh region was to today’s opponents, Cardiff Rugby, at the Arms Park in October 2021.
• Cardiff’s three game winning run ended with their 17-25 defeat at home to Edinburgh in Round 7.
• Cardiff have not won outside of Wales in the United Rugby Championship since a trip to Benetton in March 2021.
• Cardiff have won on two of their six previous visits to South Africa, both against Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth in 2018 and 2019.
• The two sides have met only once before, at the Arms Park thirteen months ago with the home side taking the spoils.
Key statistics
Sharks
Despite being second bottom for carries per 80 minutes (85), the Sharks are second-best for metres made per 80 (394.4). Key to this is their gainline success when they do carry, which currently stands at 63% - unrivalled in the league.
The Sharks have been effective at maintaining possession when they’ve had the ball, only conceding 45 turnovers – the fewest in the league.
Setting up another in round seven, Boeta Chamberlain has now produced six try assists this season, more than any other player.
Cardiff Rugby
Cardiff have had to absorb a lot of pressure so far this season. Testament to this, they have made a league-high 1,070 tackles. A workhorse in defence, Thomas Young is the top tackler in the URC currently, having made a total of 109.
Young and James Botham are also fiendishly adept at winning turnovers, sitting at one and two in this leader board. They have won ten and seven turnovers respectively so far this season.
Fly-half Jarrod Evans was a weak link in the Cardiff defensive line last weekend, missing a round-high five tackles (= Jack Carty).