URC PREVIEW: Chance for Bulls and Lions to cement challenge

The international season has ended but that does not mean the Springboks won’t still be part of many thought processes as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship resumes with a solitary round this weekend before we head into two rounds of EPCR European competition.

One thing that has emerged this year is that Bok coach Rassie Erasmus is rewarding the form shown by South African players in both the URC and the Investec Champions Cup/EPCR Challenge Cup. There are of course still many overseas-based players in the Bok squad, but it appears to have become harder for expats who aren’t already fixtures in the Bok team to force their way into Erasmus’ plans. Which is as it should be.

The message appears to have sunk home too, with the likes of the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ new lock Jason Jenkins, formerly of the Vodacom Bulls and Leinster, admitting this week that it was partly his Bok aspirations that prompted him to return to South Africa. The Bulls’ former DHL Stormers and Sale Sharks lock Cobus Wiese has said something similar, and another lock, JD Schickerling, had a similar reason for returning to the Stormers from Japan.

COMPETITION IS BECOMING BOK AUDITION

The flow back to South Africa is encouraging for South African rugby, and it is also encouraging that the franchise games are being couched as opportunities for prospective Boks to make a point. The big game locally this weekend is the one at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, where the Sharks and the Stormers have four Bok flyhalf contenders between them.

But it is the two Gauteng teams, the Bulls and the Emirates Lions, who are the local sides styling right now, and they have a golden opportunity this weekend to record statement wins that will be hugely significant to their respective URC challenges.

They are both in Ireland, which is good timing for them as this week coincides with an out-of-the-international window test match between Ireland and Australia in Dublin. It will of course be Leinster who will be most impacted, as they have two-thirds of the Irish starting team, but Connacht, who host the Bulls, and Munster who face the Lions, also have some key players missing.

GAUTENG SIDES CAN BALANCE OUT DISADVANTAGE

The South African teams are at a disadvantage in the URC in the sense that they have to play more under-strength games due to the timing of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, but this is an opportunity for the Bulls and Lions to balance that out.

On top of the absence of Irish internationals such as Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen from Connacht and some key players from Munster, there has also been some coaching upheaval at Munster, who are currently struggling on the log. The Lions didn’t contribute any Boks to the November tour and have the advantage of having trained together for the past month so this is one occasion where it is reasonable to assume they go to Thomond Park, where no South African team has won in the URC, as favourites.

Wins for the two Gauteng sides will cement their places in the top four as they head into the derby phase of the competition in the second half of December.

Weekend Vodacom United Rugby Championship fixtures

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets (Glasgow, Friday 21.35)

The champions recovered from their defeat to the Hollywoodbet Sharks by scoring an impressive win over one of their predecessors as URC winners, the DHL Stormers, in Stellenbosch just before the break. The Scarlets have punched above their weight so far this season and are sixth on the log, but traveling to the Scotstoun should be a bridge too far for them.

Prediction: Warriors to win by 12

Ulster v Leinster (Belfast, Friday 21.35)

Leinster will be missing the bulk of their team to Ireland duty this weekend, which does introduce a bit of a curve ball for them as they head to the Ravens Hill for this Irish derby. Ulster don’t have nearly as many players in the Ireland squad. But we know about the Leinster depth, and the squad they will take to Belfast will have been training together over the past three or four weeks. It’s a lottery picking the winner. Ulster did win twice in the league against Leinster last season.

Prediction: Ulster to scrape a narrow win.

Hollywoodbets Sharks v DHL Stormers (Durban, Saturday 17.00)

All the opinion appears to be in favour of a Sharks win, and there’s good reason for that. The Sharks have the bulk of their Boks back, and they were in better form before the international break than the Stormers were. Plus, and this is significant, the Stormers have almost half a team of key players out injured. But people shouldn’t underestimate the depth that John Dobson has built up, and the Stormers will be in a desperate mood. The absence of Eben Etzebeth in particular but also Bongi Mbonambi means the Sharks are also without two influential figures. So while the Sharks must be strong favourites, don’t be too surprised if the Cape team produces a shock result. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve gone to Durban with an under-strength team and low expectations and won.

Prediction: Sharks to win by 7

Cardiff v Dragons (Cardiff, Saturday 19.15)

Cardiff are eighth on the log after six games to the Dragons’ second last. The Dragons have also experienced some coaching upheaval, and for them, this is an away game. So put your money on Cardiff.

Prediction: Cardiff to win by 14

Connacht v Vodacom Bulls (Galway, Saturday 19.30)

Connacht don’t have nearly as many players missing to Ireland duty as Leinster do, but still, there are some important players, such as Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen, who will be missing for the hosts. By contrast, the Bulls will have their Boks back in tow, and the Pretoria team had momentum before the break. Connacht beat the Sharks in Galway at the start of the season, but it was a weird game with a dramatic momentum shift. The Sportsground was a bogey venue for South African teams, but the Emirates Lions changed that last season and the Stormers also won there.

Prediction: Bulls to win by 8

Munster v Emirates Lions (Limerick, Saturday 21.35)

This is definitely an opportunity for the Lions to make a statement as they continue their quest for the top four spot that they have stated as their target for the URC season and which they currently hold on the log. The Lions didn’t have any players away on international duty over the November window, so they would have prepared well for this game. Munster parted ways with their URC winning coach Graham Rowntree after their big defeat to the Sharks and are currently 12th, only ahead of the 13th-placed Stormers because the Cape side has played one less game. With Connor Murray and others away with Ireland, this is an opportunity the Lions should take.

Prediction: Lions to win by less than 7

Edinburgh v Benetton (Edinburgh, Saturday 21.35)

This is a derby in terms of it being between two teams in the same group. Edinburgh, as they showed in their big win over the Stormers, are a different proposition at The Hive than they are when they play away from home. It could be an exciting and competitive game, depending on the team that Benetton select as most of their players have been away with Italy. But Edinburgh should win.

Prediction: Edinburgh by 9

Zebre v Ospreys (Parma, Saturday 21.35)

The Ospreys beat the Stormers in the opening round but otherwise haven’t been as flush so far this season as they were when they managed to secure a place in the playoffs in the last match of the league phase in 2023/24. They do know how to win away from home though, as they showed in Cape Town in April, so they should edge it against an admittedly improved Zebre outfit.

Prediction: Ospreys to edge it.