SA rivals brace for brutal derbies
The Vodacom URC returns this weekend with two blockbuster South African derbies at Cape Town Stadium and Kings Park.
The table-topping Stormers host the Lions on Saturday, while the Vodacom Bulls travel to Durban to take on the Sharks.
The STORMERS carried their superb URC form into the Investec Champions Cup where they saw off Bayonne and La Rochelle to stretch their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight matches.
Last time out in the URC, the Stormers claimed a stirring 27-21 comeback win over Munster in Limerick.
The Stormers sit pretty on 27 log points from six games and have steadily reintegrated their Springbok stars. But enviable squad depth is the team’s greatest strength and ensures there is little to no drop-off in quality and intensity when first-choice players are not available.
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The LIONS delivered the surprise of round six with a superb 43-33 win over the Bulls at Loftus.
However, the Joburg-based team failed to build on that momentum and suffered back-to-back EPCR Challenge Cup defeats to Benetton and Newcastle.
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Ivan van Rooyen’s men will look to bounce back in the URC and there is no better opportunity than a South African derby to get the blood boiling again.
The Lions sit seventh in the standings on 16 points, having opened with three consecutive losses to Cardiff, Zebre and Benetton, before claiming impressive victories over the Scarlets, Ulster and Bulls.
The BULLS sit a point and one place behind their Jukskei neighbours and will look to reassert some local dominance when they travel to Durban to face the Sharks.
Anything to forget about two Champions Cup defeats to Bordeaux Begles (46-33) at Loftus and the Northampton Saints (50-5) at Franklin’s Gardens.
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Things have gone slightly better in the URC where Johan Ackermann’s side have notched up wins over the Ospreys, Leinster and Connacht, but also slumped to dispiriting losses to Ulster, the Glasgow Warriors and Lions.
“Turbulent” barely captures the SHARKS’ season. They are third from bottom on the URC log after losses to Glasgow, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht, with a lone win over the Scarlets and a draw against the Dragons.
Bok lock Eben Etzebeth has since copped a lengthy ban and John Plumtree stepped aside early as head coach.
In Plumtree’s last match in charge, a youthful Sharks side were caned by Toulouse in the Champions Cup, but bounced back in interim coach JP Pietersen’s first match to see off Saracens.
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Pietersen will be hoping for improved form and results in the URC, starting with the visit of the Bulls.
Round 6 results:
Ulster 47 Benetton 13
Dragons 10 Leinster 24
Bulls 33 Lions 43
Zebre 14 Cardiff 29
Munster 21 Stormers 27
Edinburgh 19 Ospreys 17
Connacht 44 Sharks 17
Scarlets 23 Glasgow 0
Round 7 fixtures:
Friday, 19 December:
Leinster vs Ulster, 9:45pm
Cardiff vs Scarlets, 9:45pm
Saturday, 20 December:
Stormers vs Lions, 3:30pm
Benetton vs Zebre, 4pm
Glasgow vs Edinburgh, 5pm
Sharks vs Bulls, 6pm
Ospreys vs Munster, 7:30pm
Dragons vs Connacht, 9:45pm
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
Crédito: Link de origem