There was drama galore in the 18th and final round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship as Irish side Munster finished top of the log, the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers confirmed their places in the quarterfinals and the Emirates Lions were ousted in the last game of the weekend.
It says a lot about the final round of an 18-week championship that all URC teams that were contesting the top eight positions - and the seven available Investec Champions’ Cup positions had to wait until the last game to be completed, showing what good health the URC is actually in.
But while the quarterfinalists were confirmed, there was heartbreak for the Emirates Lions, as they looked to have done enough to take the eighth spot despite their loss to the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday. However, the Lions were overhauled by the Welsh side Ospreys, whose 33-29 win over Cardiff in the final game of the weekend saw them get the crucial bonus point that would draw them level with the Lions.
The competition rules, however, state that wins, and not points difference determine which side will finish above the other, and the Lions, with nine wins, were one short of the Ospreys’ 10.
SECOND SPOT FOR BULLS
The Bulls won a tense battle in Durban 26-14, with two late tries by hooker Akker van der Merwe confirming a crucial bonus point that would keep them in second spot, after Munster rallied to beat a game Ulster side 29-24 later in the evening to snatch top spot from Jake White’s grasp.
Munster finishing top will see them face Ospreys in the first quarterfinal while Benetton’s big win over Edinburgh in the shootout for qualification means the Italian side will have to return to Loftus Versfeld for a quarterfinal this week, where they lost 56-35 to the Bulls a fortnight ago.
The Italian side were class in their demolition of Sean Everitt’s side, so much so that they knocked them down to 10th spot, and out of qualification with their 31-6 victory at the same time the Bulls were playing in Durban.
Leinster, who lost the Champions Cup final last weekend against Toulouse, bounced back on Friday night with a solid win over Connacht, but will face Ulster - the side that beat them a fortnight ago in Belfast - at the Aviva Stadium in the third quarterfinal.
Ulster, who finished behind Leinster in the Irish shield, will feel more than confident of repeating the Ravenshill performance as they travel to Dublin and could be looking to cause more heartache against a desperate Leinster side that now needs to win the URC to make their season a success.
Franco Smith’s Glasgow, who struggled against lowly Zebre on Friday night, but still picked up a bonus point, will face the Stormers in Scotland. While Glasgow have been one of the form sides of the tournament, the Stormers will be hoping their recent wins abroad will continue and they can buck their poor overseas record in a quarterfinal.
URC Quarter-finals
(Kickoffs still to be determined)
Munster (1) vs Ospreys (8)
Vodacom Bulls (2) vs Benetton (7)
Leinster (3) vs Ulster (6)
Glasgow Warriors (4) vs DHL Stormers (5)
URC Shield winners
South Africa: Vodacom Bulls
Ireland: Leinster
Scotland/Italy: Glasgow Warriors
Wales: Ospreys
Standings - Top eight (top 7 qualify for Champions Cup)
Munster 68
Vodacom Bulls 66
Leinster 65
Glasgow Warriors 65
DHL Stormers 59
Ulster 54
Benetton 54
Ospreys 50