Four franchise clubs from South Africa—Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, and Lions—intend to maintain their flawless start in the United Rugby Championship (URC). Although the tournament is viewed as a marathon rather than a sprint, the upcoming weekend will be crucial for these teams to confirm their initial victories and remain undefeated in the competition.
In the first round of the new season, all four teams secured wins: Stormers won 29-15, Sharks 41-24, Lions 27-26, and Bulls 47-13. Only the team from Johannesburg failed to secure a win with bonus points at Ellis Park stadium.
This success gives the South African quartet significant confidence heading into the second round, but it also creates added pressure as the teams strive to gain early momentum in the URC. Specifically, Stormers and Bulls want to demonstrate that their first away wins were not coincidental.
UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
Stormers, playing against Edinburgh in Scotland on Friday (match starts at 20:45), noted their performance in Galway, but assistant coach Rito Hlungwani pointed to the need for improvements, especially when the team is close to the opponent's try line. In Galway, Stormers lost Evan Roos and Marcel Theunissen due to injuries on the 4G surface. Hlungwani confirmed that the forwards have been sent home for assessment of their injuries. He also did not disclose information regarding the possible participation of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi in the match against Edinburgh.
In an online press conference on Monday, Hlungwani stated: 'We got quite effectively into the 22-meter zone of Connacht, but we will have to improve our conversion rate.' He added that they liked how they reached the 22-meter zone in various ways—kick, run, or maul—and that now they need to polish this conversion rate before facing Edinburgh. He also noted that the team was satisfied with how they gained advantage in the maul, which, in his opinion, affects the opponent's psychology.
Despite losing one Springbok player, Stormers can strengthen their squad with three others. Kolisi is training with the team alongside forward Ben-Jason Dixon, and prop Ntuthuko Mchunu from Cape Town has joined. However, Springboks players who participated in the match against Australia will not play in the UK.
Bulls earned deserved five points in Parma, but they face a different challenge in the match against Munster on Saturday evening in Ireland. Head coach Johan Ackermann insists that the team needs to improve its scrum play. They will face a serious test in securing possession against the Irish giant. It will be harder for the Bulls to reach that height if they want to play twice in a row, and the battle at Thomond Park will be an early indicator of their away form against stronger clubs.
Although a convincing victory over Zebre started the campaign, Munster presents a real obstacle that must be overcome before returning to Pretoria. The team cannot afford a slow start against former champions, as happened in Italy, and must be extremely precise from the first whistle if they want to remain undefeated.
On South African soil, Lions intend to face Ospreys, who lost in Durban in the first round. The Johannesburg team failed to earn five points against the relatively young Leinster, losing 27-26, and barely avoided defeat in the first match. Lions have many areas for improvement, especially in defensive play, as Leinster scored four tries, limiting the hosts to three points.
After winning with bonus points in their first URC match in Kings Park, Sharks hope to continue their success and achieve a double victory by hosting Leinster. The defending champions will aim to conclude their tour with a win after being close to surpassing the strong Lions.
Sharks might receive support from some Springboks players who participated in the match against the Wallabies. However, changing a proven game plan could prove counterproductive for the Durban team, and they risk losing the momentum gained in the first match.
