Arendse was among those most lauded on the night.

Kurt-Lee Arendse dominates awards ceremony

The evening was graced by more than 600 guests that make up the Vodacom Bulls, Vodacom Bulls Juniors and Bulls Daisies family as well as other stakeholders to the Blue Bulls Company (BBCo) coming together to celebrate rugby excellence.

“Once a year, we take time to pause and take stock of how well our athletes have done and this year is particularly special because we celebrate our teams as a collective for carrying the badge with pride and excellence,” says Chief Executive of the BBCo, Edgar Rathbone.

“Our ladies have gone on to achieve a remarkable feat in being crowned back-to-back champions as they define what professional women’s rugby looks like in South Africa, whilst the senior men have made us all proud with Grand Final and Quarterfinal appearances in the European-based competitions.

“The junior system continues to be the best in the country, producing quality rugby players who have featured for the Junior Springboks and also outstanding graduates who feature prominently in our senior teams,”

“Congratulations to all the winners and their teammates because they all have done themselves and everyone under this franchise proud.”

Springboks honoured

Firstly, Springbok duo, Arendse and Cilliers walked away with three awards each on the night. The latter, who enjoyed a stellar season with the Daisies, set the record for the most points scored in the SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division, walked away the backline Player of the Year and the amalgamated MVP and player of the year award brought to you by GP Consult. Meanwhile, the former walked away with the Investec Champions Cup Players Player of the Year, the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Player of the Year and the Senior MVP award, brought to you by Vodacom.

Secondly, Vainah Ubisi walked away with the Daisies Forward Player of the Year with her teammate and sprint queen, Patience Mokone taking the team’s Player’s Player of the Year crown.

In the Investec Champions Cup, David Kriel was also voted as the best Backline Player of the Year. Kriel also won a second, the Team Man of the Year award, which he shared with Gerhard Steenekamp. Wilco Louw was also crowned as the Forward of the Year whilst Embrose Papier walked away with Players Player of the Year in the category.

URC

In the Vodacom United Rugby Championship category, Johan Goosen then took the Backline Player of the Year prize with Elrigh Louw etching his name of the Forward of the Year trophy. Cameron Hanekom was then voted as the Players Player of the Year with Arendse the tournament’s Player of the Year.

The under-21s saw Philip-Albert van Niekerk walking away with the Backline Player of the Year award whilst recent graduate, Juann Else took the Forward of the Year prize. Earlier, Neels Volschenk was voted for, by his teammates, as the Player of the Year.

Later in the special awards category, Bandise Maku was celebrated for his outstanding work off the field as the Brightrock Employee of the Year winner. Meanwhile, Cameron Hanekom bagged his second award of the evening, walking away with the Newcomer of the Year award whilst Merwe Olivier was celebrated as the Junior MVP of the Year, to round off a wonderful evening of celebration.

FULL AWARDS WINNERS

Under 21 (2023 season)

Back of the year: Philip-Albert van Niekerk

Forward of the year: Juann Else

Players player of the year: Neels Volschenk

** celebrated in 2024 due to the competition season schedule

Bulls Daisies

Back of the Year: Jackie Cilliers

Forward of the Year: Vainah Ubisi

Players player of the Year: Patience Mokone

Investec Champions Cup

                Back of the Year: David Kriel

                Forward of the Year: Wilco Louw

                Players player of the Year: Kurt-Lee Arendse

                Player of the Year: Embrose Papier

Vodacom United Rugby Championship

                Back of the Year: Johan Goosen

                Forward of the Year: Elrigh Louw

                Players player of the Year: Cameron Hannekom

                Player of the Year: Kurt-Lee Arendse

Special awards

Employee of the Year (Brightrock): Bandise Maku

Newcomer of the Year: Cameron Hanekom

Team man of the Year: David Kriel and Gerhard Steenekamp

Bulls Daisies MVP and Player of the Year (GP Consult): Jackie Cilliers

Junior MVP (Afgri): Merwe Olivier

Senior MVP (Vodacom): Kurt-Lee Arendse

Is Kurt-Lee Arendse the Bulls biggest star?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.

Kolisi is wildly popular in South Africa and elsewhere, but it seems the Springbok skipper is being made to bear the impact of French sour grapes over the Rugby World Cup.

Siya Kolisi set to seal Sharks return

Racing owner Jacky Lorenzetti unleashed a stinging public attack on the flanker which was seen as over the line by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.

Lorenzetti stated in June that the 33-year-old had “gained weight, lost shape, and yesterday [against Bordeaux] he was transparent.”

Erasmus, addressing at a press conference after Kolisi was confirmed as captain for the Test series against Ireland, backed the two-time World Cup-winning skipper.

“Yeah, no, Siya will be captain and Siya will play No 6 flank,” Erasmus said.

“Siya’s fit and got no injury and Siya’s not fat and Siya’s not transparent,” the Bok coach added, with a smile.

Sources claim Racing 92 owners bizarre rant not the reason for Siya Kolisi return

However, Kolisi’s desire to return to South Africa is motivated by personal motives. According to Rapport, the back-rower and his family do not want to stay in France, but the departure from Racing is “amicable”.

“It is done practically and on good terms based on what is best for all parties,” that source added.

“The transfer will be immediate if the talks are successful.”

Although the agreement has not been concluded, the publication stated that it might be completed “within days”.

Air cleared?

Kolisi and the Racing 92 owner have had the opportunity to ‘clear the air’ since Lorenzetti’s statements, but the outcome of the discussion is unknown.

“It was a private conversation between the two of them. Only a handful of people know what was said,” a source told Rapport.

According to RugbyPass, Racing 92 paid the Sharks R17 million (approximately £726,200) for Kolisi’s services in 2023, but the Durban club will also have to spend millions to lure him back.

It was believed that SA Rugby was in negotiations and would pay a portion of the price, but the governing body strongly refuted this on Saturday.

“Media are advised that speculation that SA Rugby is involved in the ‘buy-out’ of the club contract of Siya Kolisi is without any basis in fact,” the governing body said in a statement.

“SA Rugby also wishes to make clear that it is not in any way involved in any conversations relating to such an outcome should they, in fact, be taking place.

“For clarity, when national players return to play in South Africa, they may be added to the category of players of national interest at the discretion of SA Rugby. At such point their union remuneration is supplemented by SA Rugby,” they added.

Are the Sharks the best place for Kolisi?

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The VURC has also maintained its position as the rugby competition with the fastest growth rate on social media, in addition to the league’s phenomenal rise on YouTube.

United Rugby Championship keeps fans on the edge of their seats

The 2023/24 URC season was the most competitive and unpredictable in the league’s history and this level of jeopardy proved to be a huge attraction for fans as the total audience figure of 47.7million shattered the previous high mark of 37.4million set in 2023.

The most eye-catching metric of this new total was the Round 11 audience of 3.4million who tuned in to the action that took place on a break week in the Guinness Six Nations.

This was one of seven rounds that achieved an audience of over 2.5million while a further 4.7million tuned into the seven-game Play-Off series where the average audience per game was 671,428.

Bulls are the URC draw

The Vodacom Bulls proved a key draw in the Play-Offs with close to a million viewers (947,589) tuning into their epic Semi-Final clash with Leinster, while the Grand Final game against Glasgow Warriors was watched by 1.1million.

There are also impressive figures to report in the URC’s audience beyond its core markets with overseas audiences growing by 138% to 6.2million.

Speaking about these impressive broadcast milestones, Martin Anayi, CEO of United Rugby Championship, said: “There is an incredible array of international stars and next-gen talent taking to the pitch every single week in the URC and that is a major attraction.

“Selected by some of the sharpest minds in rugby, these teams are also competing in a format that is designed to deliver drama.

“In three seasons the Grand Final has produced two away winners, our Play-Offs continue to deliver surprise results and nearly half of our games are decided by seven points or less – a feat no other club competition can match in this past season.

“All of this feeds into the appeal of the URC as we aim to grow the competition and the sport. To break the previous broadcast record by 10million is a staggering achievement and pays testament to the superb product on the pitch and the high levels of coverage provided by our broadcasters. There has never been as much buzz about the VURC and our clubs, players, coaches and broadcasters deserve huge appreciation for making it what it is today.”

Attendances keep rising

Staying connected to match days, the URC also recorded a 3 per cent rise in overall attendances. The total attendance of 1.69million provides a new record in this area with average attendances clocking in at 11,200 per game. Round 9 also saw a new record set for the most fans attending a single round with 146,000 taking in the action across eight games in Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

Speaking about the new attendance record, Anayi, added: “There is more collaboration happening between the clubs, the league, the broadcasters and commercial partners to promote our games and attract fans to venues. Across the board all of our clubs have made strides to innovate and improve their match-day experiences and as a result supporters are now enjoying a day out that goes beyond the 80 minutes of play.

“With a number of teams upgrading their stadiums over the next 18 months we believe that these numbers will continue to rise in the long-term with some great examples of best practice being deployed across all of our territories.”

A core component of the URC’s launch and continued growth has been the stellar performance of the league’s social media channels. Having hit the 1million total follower mark one year ago, the URC is now ranked as the fastest growing rugby competition across social media with the previous season showing a 29% increase to 1.3million while engagement improved by 22%.

United Rugby Championship wins social media

TikTok (33%), Facebook (21%) and Instagram (17%) were key drivers in this growth while the 16 teams within the competition also showed a combined increase in the rate of new followers that surpasses clubs in other European leagues.

Addressing the success in social media, Anayi, said: “Our channels are the key connection to our fans and an incredible shop window to draw in new supporters. We preach about the power of collaboration and our growth is due in great part to the energy that our clubs, players and broadcasters invest in content. We have a vibrant, highly-engaged community of fans who are so much more interested in athletes and personalities than ever before so our job is to meet those expectations while also highlighting their extraordinary moments on the pitch.”

One of the most outstanding achievements of the URC’s off-field performance in the 2023/24 season has seen the league’s official YouTube channel increase views from 8.7m to an incredible 40.6million. This 336 per cent rise year-on-year is also backed up by an 84 per cent increase in subscribers (140k) as rugby fans seek out fresh content in between match days.

Commenting on the YouTube growth, Anayi, said: “It’s so important that sport is free to access outside of match days and we have been blown away by the scale of the audience we have developed on YouTube.

“The availability of YouTube as a platform across mobile, smart TVs and desktops means it’s available across a huge number of households and these type of numbers will only increase our ambitions to be a key rugby destination in that space.”

Will the URC keep growing

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.

You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.

29-year-old Manjezi – who was with the herd between 2020 and 2021 – returns to the capital after spending the last two seasons with the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland.

URC-winner comes home to the Bulls

“Coming back home was a definite easy decision, I have lots of good memories from my first stint at the club and now I look forward to working hard to create more,” comments the Ngqushwa native.

The NMMU alma mater adds: “Being abroad was good, getting to experience different cultures, people and a way of life. Glasgow is a wonderful club and I enjoyed being challenged and learning in a different environment. The identity there was speed of play and mauling which I’ve added to my game,”

“I hope I can use those learnings and others to help the club as we go into the new campaigns.”

The first weekend of the Currie Cup sees all eight teams in action.

The St Andrew’s College former captain says that returning to the Vodacom Bulls is made even easier considering that the club is involved in both European-based competitions.

“I am looking forward to continuing to play in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and the Investec Champions Cup because both leagues are considered to be the best club competitions in professional rugby,”

“That has also made this move all the better because I have enjoyed both competitions, the quality of rugby in them and the calibre of players we get to play against and test our skills week in and week out. It will be good to get to do it once more with the daisy over my heart.”

Tying down the skipper

Captain Ruan Nortje has extended his contract with the Vodacom Bulls until 2027.

Nortje says Loftus and the franchise have given him purpose and he looks ahead to the exciting years ahead.

“The decision was easy for me; I still feel as though I have a purpose at the club and I am happy to be a part of such an awesome group of players and seasoned coaching staff,”

“My biggest highlight will always be playing in front of a packed Loftus; it has always been a special place for me and the crowd has always been a big motivation whenever we run out. It is exciting to think that I get to experience that over the next couple of seasons still,”

“It is equally exciting to also run along this group that we have, as a squad that has been together for a little while now, we get to continue with that. We have the opportunity to build continuity and depth within the squad and that can only do us well in being competitive across the board.”

Looking ahead, Nortje has his eyes set on being a part of the club’s success and hopes to don the famous green and gold some more ever since making his debut in 2022.

“I am so excited for the few years ahead, as mentioned earlier, the Vodacom Bulls have given me purpose and I will always strive to help the club do well. I look forward to having many more opportunities to play in our jersey and creating lasting memories with our incredible supporters,”

“Every player hopes to represent their country and I will always have the ambition of playing more tests for the Springboks and at a World Cup.”

Nortje gave a glowing appraisal of Loftus and the franchise.

Ruan Nortje signs new deal with the Bulls

The skipper said that the Bulls have given him purpose and he looks ahead to the exciting years ahead.

“The decision was easy for me; I still feel as though I have a purpose at the club and I am happy to be a part of such an awesome group of players and seasoned coaching staff,” Nortje commented.

“My biggest highlight will always be playing in front of a packed Loftus; it has always been a special place for me and the crowd has always been a big motivation whenever we run out. It is exciting to think that I get to experience that over the next couple of seasons still,” he added.

“It is equally exciting to also run along this group that we have, as a squad that has been together for a little while now, we get to continue with that. We have the opportunity to build continuity and depth within the squad and that can only do us well in being competitive across the board.”

Springbok ambitions for Bulls star

Looking ahead, Nortje has his eyes set on being a part of the club’s success and hopes to don the famous green and gold some more ever since making his debut in 2022.

“I am so excited for the few years ahead, as mentioned earlier, the Vodacom Bulls have given me purpose and I will always strive to help the club do well. I look forward to having many more opportunities to play in our jersey and creating lasting memories with our incredible supporters,” Nortje said.

“Every player hopes to represent their country and I will always have the ambition of playing more tests for the Springboks and at a World Cup.”

Nortje boasts a great record at Loftus, having played in all VURC matches since its start, barring the four he missed this season due to injury.

Pack bolstered

The Bulls have also signed Alulutho Tshakweni on an initial two-year deal.

Tshakweni, a loose head prop, is a capped junior Springbok who has represented Border at under-18 Academy Week and Craven Week. Later on in his senior career, he has played in the Pro14 and the EPCR Challenge Cup.

The 25-year-old Hudson Park High alumni is a Currie Cup winner and no stranger to the capital. He had a brief loan spell with the Vodacom Bulls under-21 side back in 2018 and now returns to join the herd permanently until July 2026.

“This is a huge privilege and honour for me to be here. I cannot wait to get to share what I have to offer with everyone,” he said.

“This club presents a wonderful opportunity for me to get experience in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and the Investec Champions Cup, both international competitions that will help me grow and become a better player over and above the most important competition in South Africa, the Currie Cup,”

The Scottish outfit defended and carried the ball tigerishly and were never intimidated by a partisan sell-out 50 388 crowd at Loftus Versfeld stadium.

Outplayed in the first half and trailing 13-0, Glasgow scored a pushover try in first half added time through Scott Cummings, and a George Horne conversion narrowed the gap to six points.

Warriors, making a fourth final appearance in the competition with one previous triumph, outplayed the Bulls after half-time with George Turner and Huw Jones scoring tries.

Horne converted both and his only blemish was a later long-range penalty attempt that fell short.

Bulls finished strong, but in vain

All the South Africans could manage in reply was a penalty from Johan Goosen, who finished with 11 points from three penalties and the conversion of a Marco van Staden try.

In a frenetic finish, the Bulls forced two lineouts five metres from the Glasgow tryline, but could not score the try that would have brought the teams level.

South Africans played pivotal roles for Glasgow with Kyle Steyn the captain and Franco Smith the coach.

“We had enormous belief and stuck to it when under pressure for most of the first half,” said Steyn, who set up the match-winning try for Jones on 63 minutes.

“Our first try at the end of the first half was key and we increased the intensity in the second half.”

Bulls captain Ruan Nortje said: “Credit to the Warriors, who are deserved champions. We have no excuses.”

By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse

The Bulls finished second on the table in the pool stages of the competition – two places above the Glasgow Warriors – but they will undoubtedly expect an epic battle as both teams have won 15 matches apiece this season.

This highly anticipated clash – which follows almost immediately after the Springboks’ season-opening Test against Wales – will kick off at 18:00 (SA time).

YOU CAN FOLLOW THE LIVE SCORING BELOW FOR THE URC FINAL BETWEEN THE Bulls AND Glasgow Warriors

The most important message for me was just to do what we did last week,” White said ahead of the title decider.

“Last week they showed in the way they played and the things they did that we were good enough to beat a team like Leinster. There is no secret remedy. For me last week was outstanding.

“We have had lots of guys come in. Bakkies Botha has come in and had a chat with them. Bakkies has won the European Cup, three times Super Rugby, French championships, Tri-Nations, and British and Irish Lions.

“Thys Lourens won seven out of eight Currie Cups as a captain. And the message is always the same, just do the things you do well. The rest of the game will look after itself.”

Match information:

Vodacom Bulls v Glasgow Warriors

Date: Saturday, 22 June

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Referee: Andrea Piardi

TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)

SA Time: 18h00

TV: SuperSport

Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simpiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Cornel Smit

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Sebastian Cancelliere, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Kyle Steyn (captain), 10 Tom Jordan, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Johnny Matthews, 1 Jamie Bhatti
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Oli Kebble, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Henco Venter, 22 Jamie Dobie, 23 Duncan Weir

Venue: Loftus Versveld Stadium, Pretoria
Kick-off: 18.00 (16.00 GMT; 17.00 IRE & UK time)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland) and Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)

In a major boost for Jake White’s charges, the coach has been able to confirm the selection of Springbok star Kurt-Lee Arendse on the left wing for Saturday’s final after missing the semi-finals due to a fractured facial bone he suffered in the quarter-finals.

Unfortunately, on the other hand, fellow Springbok ace Willie le Roux will miss the game due to HIA protocols, after suffering a concussion in the second half of the semi-final win against Leinster.

Le Roux’s place at fullback is taken by Devon Williams, who shifts to the No 15 jersey after an excellent performance on the wing in the semi-finals.

The clash will kick off at 18:00 (SA time).

THE BULLS ARE PACKED WITH TALENT FOR THE URC FINAL AGAINST GLASGOW

Bulls – 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, (c) 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Subs: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Chris Smit, 23 Cornel Smit.

A victory for the men from Pretoria will have extra significance for South African rugby as it will rubberstamp the country’s status as one of the top in the world following the Springboks second Rugby World Cup victory in a row in France last year and the Sharks’ victory in the EPCR Challenge Cup last month where they overcame Gloucester 36-22 to become the first domestic team to win the title.

The Bulls will enter the clash as favourites with home ground advantage and the fact that they finished second on the table in the pool stages of the competition – two places above the Glasgow Warriors – but they will undoubtedly expect an epic battle as both teams have won 15 matches apiece this season.

But fortunately for Jake White’s men, they will enter the match with good momentum after winning their last two playoff matches against Benetton and Leinster at home respectively.

The newly crowned SA Shield winners will also enter the match with the mental boost that they boast the best attack in the competition with 694 points scored to Glasgow’s 563, while they have also only suffered one defeat at home this season. Adding to this, they defeated Glasgow 40-34 in a repeat of this match during the pool stages.

They will, however, be mindful of the fact that Glasgow have been more effective on defence with 373 points conceded in their 20 their matches this season to 476 by the home team, and that they only beat the Scottish outfit by seven points in their last outing.

That said, the visitors have only beaten them once in their last three URC matches dating back to 2022 – with that win being at the Scotstoun Stadium.

Glasgow have also been effective on the road this season, winning six of their 10 away matches – although they suffered defeats in both their matches hosted in South Africa against the Lions and Bulls respectively.

History, however, will count for nothing going into this encounter with the title of United Rugby Championship champions at stake, which will set the scene for a gripping final.

Vodacom URC grand final match information:

Bulls v Glasgow Warriors (URC final)

Date: Saturday, 22 June

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Referee: Andrea Piardi

SA Time: 18h00

TV: SuperSport

The Bulls have confirmed the selection of Arendse on the left wing for Saturday’s final after missing the semi-finals due to a fractured facial bone he suffered in the quarter-finals a fortnight ago.

The untimely injury forced Arendse undergo emergency surgery, but the World Cup-winning outside back has been passed fit to play in the final in Pretoria.

Arendse’s return is one of two changes to the Bulls’ starting lineup for the final, as Springbok ace Willie le Roux will miss the game due to HIA protocols, after suffering a concussion in the second half of the semi-final win against Leinster.

Le Roux’s place at fullback is taken by Devon Williams, who shifts to the No 15 jersey after an excellent performance on the wing in the semi-finals.

BULLS STACK LINEUP WITH SPRINGBOKS

Bulls – 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, (c) 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Subs: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Chris Smit, 23 Cornel Smit.

Now, he is back.

Springbok speedster and fan-favourite Kurt-Lee Arendse is back in Bulls colours.

In a shock selection, coach Jake White named Arendse in his Bulls starting line-up for the URC final against Glasgow Warriors on Saturday, 22 June. Kick-off is at 18:00 (SA time).

Expected to miss Springboks vs Ireland Tests

Just a few days ago, Eramsus mentioned Arendse as one of the Springboks set to miss the opening Test against Ireland.

So, nobody could have imagined what would happen next (and has just happened).

The Springboks speedster was ‘supposed’ to miss the Springboks’ Test matches against Portugal and the start of the massive double-header against the Irish.

Now, a welcome surprise has struck SA rugby, the Bulls and the Springboks.

On the eve of the URC final, Arendse has been selected to start on the left wing.

Arendse was one of five Springboks recently hospitalised and who had to undergo surgery.

Meanwhile, Devon Williams will wear the No 15 jersey as he returns to his primary position ahead of the injured Willie Le Roux.

No other changes were made by Jake White from the team which beat Leinster in the semi-finals.

BULLS TEAM TO FACE GLASGOW WARRIORS IN URC FINAL 

15 Devon Williams, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, (captain) 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp

Substitutes: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Chris Smit, 23 Cornel Smit

Now the only way to witness this epic clash between the Bulls and Glasgow Warriors is to book your place in hospitality as the home seeks to win their first-ever VURC title.

Limited hospitality options open for URC final

“With general sale sold out, there are still limited places and options available in hospitality, for more information please visit www.ticketpro.co.za. Fans are advised only to purchase from Ticket Pro as the only authorised sales ticketing platform and not from third parties such as Viagogo,” The Bulls said in a statement.

Having earned home advantage for the VURC Grand Final, Jake White’s Bulls are counting on every supporter to show their colours and make their voices hear in what promises to be an absolutely stellar occasion among 51,000 people.

With kick-off at 18:00 local the party at Loftus Versfeld promises to be an all-day affair with fan parks broadcasting the Wales versus South Africa test match from London at 15:30.

It will be the first the Bulls have hosted a major international final since their victory over the Chiefs in 2009 when they won the Super Rugby title.

For the Bulls, this will be their second appearance in a VURC Grand Final after contesting the game against the DHL Stormers in 2022 where they lost by just three points.

PREVIOUS SOLD OUT MATCHES AT LOFTUS

• 2013 – Bulls vs Brumbies [SR]

2019 – Springboks vs All Blacks [IT]

• 2022 – Springboks vs Wales [IT]

2023 – Springboks vs Australia [IT]

• 2024 – Bulls vs DHL Stormers [URC, R11]

2024 – Springboks vs Ireland [06 July, IT]

• 2024 – Bulls vs Glasgow Warriors [URC Grand Final]

SR – Super Rugby

IT – International Test

URC – United Rugby Championship

Let the children come

Charlene Grobler, CEO of the Jakaranda Kinderhuis which gives a future to children placed in their care by the Children’s Court, was overwhelmed when told that 30 of their children had been asked to take centre stage in front of 50 000 fans at the first ever Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final at Loftus Versfeld. They will also be treated to a Vodacom RED Suite Experience on match day where they will watch the game like rugby VIPs and alongside other rugby legends.

“I’m so grateful for this opportunity from Vodacom for our children. You know, life is not easy for them and I’m so grateful for something positive to come their way. People underestimate the weak ones in our society, and that’s something our children are not. I feel they deserve this so much, and for them to have been chosen for this moment is just such a gift,” she says.

Michelle van Eyden, Head of Sponsorship for Vodacom, says they are equally delighted to be able to host these children at the Grand Final.

“At Vodacom we live out our purpose in our communities. Our communities shape us as a business, so it’s a privilege for us to be able to then give back to our communities. The Jakaranda Kinderhuis is a cornerstone of support in our community and embodies our own vision of going Further Together. They do the vital work of giving these children a future, and it’s an honour for us to be able to add to this by also giving them the memory of a lifetime.”

The fact that these children are Bulls supporters will make the moment even more special for them.

“We have 20 homes on site with 12 children in each. For our Christmas Lights Festival one of the homes actually asked to be made blue in support of the Bulls. When the Bulls are playing, they’ll often get together at one of the houses to watch the matches like a real family. It’s such a treat because that’s when we can spoil the children with a bit of biltong or chips and popcorn. I can’t wait for them to now not just watch their team on TV but actually be there and to be a part of history.”

Grobler says that rugby and sport in general is a lifeline for the children in their care, and allows them to create a spirit of community that these children desperately crave.

“As a result of the trauma our children have been through, they often struggle academically. But sport is what pulls them through, and a lot of them play rugby. It’s so important in giving them that team spirit and sense of community – of playing for a team and supporting a team. Sport is a coping mechanism for our children.”

True blue Bulls

With a history dating back to 1987, the home has always been a proud supporter of the Bulls. One of their children, Ntando Ntuli, grew his passion for rugby and went on to become a referee for the union.

“We always say that none of them chose this life. Plan A is to grow up with your parents, so we try and make it the best Plan B for them.

“We’ve been blessed with so many children who have gone on to make a wonderful success of their lives and who are living testimonies.

“We had one boy who was a street child. He came to us with nothing. We taught him how to be a part of a family, and how to swim. Can you believe that today he’s a qualified scuba dive master and instructor and runs his own dive school. He also runs a swimming academy in Mamelodi. And his main job in the week is working for an IT company.”

Grobler still remembers the day when one of the home’s children was selected to be a ball boy at a Bulls match and the impact it made on him.

“I went to the match to support him. I’ll never forget the look on his face and what that moment meant for him.”

This Saturday, Grobler will be able to see that same look on the faces of 30 of their children.

“I’m going to cry so much. I’m so happy for these children. We try so hard to give them positive memories, and what a memory they’ll be able to make this Saturday.”

The Bulls will host the Glasgow Warriors in the URC final at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, 22 June.

Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Andrea Piardi

Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy, Craig Evans

Television Match Official: Matteo Liperini

Split Screen: Christie du Preez

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Springboks will take on Wales at Twickenham in London.

Kick-off is at 15:00 (SA time).

Little-known Irishman Chris Busby will referee that match.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Chris Busby

Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley, Adam Leal

Television Match Official: Mark Patton

Springboks v Wales | Everything you need to know!

Here we take a look at how the Bulls reached the final.

How the Bulls reached the URC Final

Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White savoured the win over Leinster that booked, the final.

“This is one of the biggest wins I’ve ever had as a coach,” White said.

“I was lucky enough at the Brumbies to beat the British and Irish Lions. I was lucky at the Bulls to beat South Africa A in Cape Town [17-14 in 2021].

“But I would say man for man and with the pressure that comes with a game like this and especially because Ireland are coming here in three weeks.

“That’s probably the bonus that I feel that this would rank this as one of the best club [franchise] results I’ve had.

“This Irish team has beaten the All Blacks and the Springboks. So for a club [franchise] team, and I say club team without Canan [Moodie], no Kurt-Lee [Arendse], no Marcell Coetzee. It must rank for me as one of the best wins we’ve ever had.”

Round 1: Vodacom Bulls 63-21 Scarlets

The Bulls opened their season with a nine-try victory stroll against the Scarlets at Loftus Versfeld, with Cameron Hanekom and Stedman Gans both collecting doubles.

Round 2: Ulster 26-19 Vodacom Bulls

Despite outscoring Ulster 3-2 on tries, the Bulls were undone by Nathan’s Doak precision goalkicking as he booted 16 points to steer his team home.

Round 3: Zebre Parma 29-54 Vodacom Bulls

A high-scoring contest at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi went comfortably the Bulls’ way, with David Kriel scoring three tries.

Round 4: Cardiff 12-18 Vodacom Bulls

It proved a far tighter affair at the Arms Park a week later, with the Bulls having to withstand Cardiff’s fightback following tries for Embrose Papier and Sebastian de Klerk.

Round 5: Edinburgh 31-23 Vodacom Bulls

The Bulls had Marcell Coetzee sent off one minute into the second half and the home side took advantage by scoring three tries. There were also yellow cards for Hanekom and Sergeal Petersen.

Round 6: Vodacom Bulls 53-27 Connacht

The Bulls ran in seven tries on their return to Pretoria and there were 16 points for Jaco van der Walt as they bounced back strongly from defeat in Edinburgh.

Round 7: Vodacom Bulls 44-10 Hollywoodbets Sharks

Jake White’s team encountered few problems against their South African rivals, with Gans and Akker van der Merwe both scoring two tries as the Bulls dominated.

Round 8: DHL Stormers 26-20 Vodacom Bulls

It was a much different story to the Sharks game in Cape Town, where the Bulls faded after a strong start to the game. Canan Moodie was among their try-scorers.

Round 9: Vodacom Bulls 30-28 Emirates Lions

Goosen’s penalty two minutes from time gave the Bulls a thrilling victory as the Lions tried to hold out for a memorable win on the road.

Round 10: Emirates Lions 10-25 Vodacom Bulls

Any chance of the Lions avenging their loss in Pretoria was undone by the Bulls’ second-half show of strength as van der Merwe, Coetzee and Kriel scored second-half tries.

Round 11: Vodacom Bulls 40-22 DHL Stormers

The Bulls were in no mood to suffer a second defeat against the Stormers, powering home on the back of hooker Johan Grobbelaar’s try double and 20 points from Goosen.

Round 12: Dragons 10-31 Vodacom Bulls

The Bulls had few concerns in Newport as Papier and Grobbelaar featured among the try-scorers to give their team a fourth successive URC win.

Round 13: Leinster 47-14 Vodacom Bulls

Any hope of backing up the win against Dragons by challenging fellow competition heavyweights Leinster was dashed on a sobering night in Dublin. The Bulls conceded five second-half tries.

Round 14: Vodacom Bulls 22-27 Munster

There was more misery for the Bulls against Irish opposition as they were undone by scrum-half Conor Murray’s 73rd-minute try. Goosen had earlier been sent off.

Round 15: Vodacom Bulls 61-24 Ospreys

There was no stopping the Bulls as they moved effortlessly through the gears to run in eight tries, including doubles for Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse.

Round 16: Vodacom Bulls 40-34 Glasgow

The teams shared eight tries at Loftus Versfeld in an outstanding game as the Bulls withstood a strong second-half fightback from Glasgow. Chris Smith’s 20-point haul proved crucial.

Round 17: Vodacom Bulls 56-35 Benetton

Another high-scoring encounter comfortably went the Bulls’ way, with Moodie claiming a hat-trick among the nine tries his team posted against adventurous opponents.

Round 18: Hollywoodbets Sharks 14-26 Vodacom Bulls

The Bulls completed their regular-season fixtures with a win in Durban. Van der Merwe scored two second-half tries as they warmed up for the quarter-finals.

Quarter-final: Bulls 30-23 Benetton

Tries from Arendse (2) and Kriel and 15 points from the boot of Goosen helped the Bulls overcome a dogged display from the Italians.

Semi-final: Vodacom Bulls 25-20 Leinster

The Bulls overcame losing a player to a pedantic yellow card and seeing the referee fail to protect their players from late hits galore.

Video courtesy United Rugby Championship.

As the highest-ranked team to qualify for the Grand Final, the Bulls have won the right to host the big match.

What time is kick-off?

The Grand Final will kick off at 18:00 South Africa (17:00 UK & IRE) on Saturday.

The game will be the 17th final in the league’s history, when previous versions of the competition are taken into account.

The Bulls are making their second appearance in the decider in just three seasons while Glasgow Warriors have returned to qualify for their fourth final after reaching the showpiece game in 2014, 2015, 2019.

For the third season in a row, there will be a new winner of the URC as Glasgow Warriors defeated defending champions Munster to secure a date against the Vodacom Bulls.

For the Bulls, it will be their first home final in franchise rugby since 2009 where they defeated the Chiefs in the Super Rugby decider.

Those not in attendance can stay in touch with the action on TV. SuperSport will act as host broadcaster with RTE (Ireland), Premier Sports (UK & Ireland), SuperSport (South Africa), Sky Italia (Italy), Flo Rugby (USA) and URC.tv. (Ireland and worldwide) providing coverage.

Bulls group effort

Jake White said that while he would like to take all the credit for the Bull’s great season it has been a team effort.

“I’d like to take all the credit, but it’s a group effort,” White said.

“I’ve got Edgar Rathbone (the CEO) contracting, we know who we want, and we know the kind of player we need to get. We don’t have strange guys in our squad; they are good guys, solid kids. There’s an ethos about who we try and recruit at the club.

“The coaches, the game plan has been spot on. The board, the CEO, the coaches, we all understand what kind of player we want.”

Furthermore, the Bulls will face Glasgow in what will be the third final under the URC name.

At least one South African team has contested each of those finals. The Stormers beat the Bulls in the first and the men from the Cape would host again in 2023 but came up short against Munster in a tight final.

Glasgow have visited the Bulls at Loftus this term, losing to the hosts in a high-scoring match.

The Springboks kick-off their 2024 test rugby campaign against Wales in Twickenham on Saturday, 22 July.

Meanwhile, the Bulls host Glasgow Warriors in the United Rugby Championship final on the same day. So, to help you prepare for this epic super Saturday, here are the official confirmed kick-off times for both clashes.

SPRINGBOKS RETURN TO ACTION

The Springboks return to action for the first time since their famous 12-11 Rugby World Cup final triumph over the All Blacks. They take on old rivals, the Welsh in the early kick-off.

Kick off is at 15:00 (SA time).

Additionally, this is Rassie Erasmas’ first match during his second stint as Springboks coach. He will be without over 20+ members of RWC-winning squad due to injuries, club commitments and a suspension. However, when one door closes another opens. Therefore, this match will serve as a huge opportunity for several exciting youngsters to stake their claim in the green and gold of the Springboks.

BULLS TO HOST GLASCOW IN HISTORIC URC FINAL

The Bulls will host Glasgow in the URC final later, on the same day.

Kick-off is at 18:00 (SA Time).

Furthermore, this is the Bulls first international home final since the famous 2009 Super Rugby demolition job against the Chiefs. On that day, they won 61-17, dismantling the New Zealand outfit in the final.

Now, they are strong favourites but they know it will not be easy. After all, Glasgow just knocked out the reigning champions, Munster – on their own turf. Thus, setting up this final at Loftus. Interestingly, a couple of South Africans will be returning as well. Head coach, Franco Smith (ex-Cheetahs coach) and Henco Venter (Former Sharks flanker) are not on the plane to SA. Meanwhile, SA-born Scottish international Kyle Steyn is returning too.

The Bulls will be without two key Springboks. Kurt-lee Arendse and Canan Moodie are on the list of 10 injured Springboks ruled out of the first Ireland test.

The defending champions and log-leaders Munster’s 17-10 defeat to the Warriors in the second semi-final at Thomond Park later in the evening handed the Pretoria side a first ever URC final at home.

Bulls to host the final at Loftus Versfeld

The Bulls fought tooth and nail against Leinster, with three tries to two by the Pretoria outfit – two of which were scored by Sergeal Petersen – and overcame a first-half yellow card to snatch the victory.

Glasgow’s two tries to one by Munster saw them knock the Irishmen out of the competition and deny them a home final after finishing the pool stages as the top ranked team.

The grand final will play out at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 22 June at 18:00.

The Bulls showed true grit and an immense fighting spirit to hold out Leinster in a humdinger of a United Rugby Championship semi-final at their fortress Loftus Versfeld to book a valuable spot in the grand final next week. 

It was a battle of inches as both teams threw everything at one another on attack and defence, but the Bulls’ three tries to two by Leinster saw them take the honours for a rewarding victory.

The win for the Bulls was a sweet reward for the team after dropping out in the quarter-final stages last season, and they will enter the final as motivated as ever after suffering a heart-breaking 18-13 defeat against the Stormers in the 2021/2022 grand final in Cape Town.

The first half in the country’s capital was tense with both teams scoring a try a piece, but a penalty goal by the Bulls’ Johan Goosen on the stroke of halftime saw them hold a narrow three-point lead at the break.

Both teams created try-scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes, which they failed to convert into points, while Leinster’s Ross Byrne also pushed a penalty goal attempt wide 10 minutes later.

Deliberate knock-down

The hosts came close to breaking through the defence in the 18th minute as Devon Williams cruised through in the corner after some good passing out wide with a clear tryline in front of him, but the try was denied after an infringement leading up to the touchdown.

The Bulls were dealt a big blow soon after as Petersen received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-down, reducing them to 14 men.

Leinster capitalised on the extra man almost immediately as they found space out wide to score compliments of James Lowe and the successful conversion pushed them 7-0 up.

Their lead, however, was short-lived as the hosts pounced back with a try by Johan Goosen, who spotted a gap in the defence to dart through, and he levelled the scores as he landed the conversion.

Goosen added to this magic by kicking a valuable three-pointer on the stroke of half-time to nudge them into a 10-7 lead going into the break.

The Bulls wasted no time increasing their lead in the second half with Petersen dotting down the ball two minutes after play resumed for an encouraging 17-7 lead, and unfortunately for the home side they were held out by the strong defence close to the tryline shortly after, which would have extended their lead.

Leinster hit back hard with their second try by Caelan Doris from a strong forward drive minutes after an earlier try attempt, and they added a penalty goal minutes later to level the scores once again with 21 minutes left to play.

The Pretoria side, however, showed their fighting spirit as the match progressed with Goosen kicking his second penalty goal, and this was followed by another by Leinster, before Petersen wrapped up his brace after gathering a great chip kick to dart over the chalk with 13 minutes left on the clock.

The Bulls had an opportunity to extend their lead with a minute left to play, but Goosen’s attempt at goal went wide, and they kept on fighting until the final whistle to snatch the 25-20 victory, which saw them claim a spot in the top two.

SCORERS

Bulls

Tries: Johan Goosen, Sergeal Petersen (2)

Conversions: Goosen (2)

Penalties: Goosen (2)

Leinster

Tries: James Lowe, Caelin Doris

Conversions: Ross Byrne (2)

Penalties: Byrne (2)

They had the extra motivation of knowing that should they register a victory, and Munster suffer a defeat against the Glasgow Warriors in the other semi-final final a few hours later in Limerick, the Bulls will earn the right to host the grand final next weekend – which will mark an historic first for the union.

Look back at the Bulls v Leinster URC live scoring below:

Teams:

Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Devon Williams, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Cornel Smit.

Leinster: 15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Jordan Larmour, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 James Lowe, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 James Ryan (captain), 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter.
Replacements: 16 Rónan Kelleher, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Michael Ala’alatoa, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Ciarán Frawley, 23 Jamie Osborne.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Mike Adamson (Scotland) and Adam Jones (Wales)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

Munster v Glasgow Warriors
Date: Saturday, 15 June
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick
Referee: Andrea Piardi
SA Time: 19h00
TV: SuperSport

Teams:

Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Shane Daly, 13 Antoine Frisch, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Jack O’Donoghue, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Tadhg Beirne (captain), 4 Fineen Wycherley, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Jeremy Loughman.
Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 John Ryan, 18 Oli Jager, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Gavin Coombes, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Seán O’Brien, 23 Alex Kendellen.

Glasgow: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Sebastian Cancelliere, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Kyle Steyn (captain), 10 Tom Jordan, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Richie Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Johnny Matthews, 1 Jamie Bhatti.
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Murphy Walker, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Henco Venter, 22 Jamie Dobie, 23 Ross Thompson.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) and Federico Vedovelli (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Lipirini (Italy)

Munster defeated Ospreys at Thomond Park and will again be at home in the last four when they face the Warriors, who edged the Stormers at Scotstoun in tricky conditions.

In the second semi-final, the Bulls welcome Leinster to Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, a rivalry quickly becoming a URC highlight.

Beaten finalists in 2022, the South African side saw off Benetton while Leinster came out on top against Irish rivals Ulster as they chase a ninth title.

Both games will take place on Saturday 15 June.

Bulls (2) v Leinster (3)

When: Saturday June 15

Where: Loftus Versfeld

Time: 1500 (UK & IRE); 1600 (SA)

Referee: Sam Grove-White

AR 1: Adam Jones ; AR 2: Mike Adamson ; TMO: Ben Whitehouse

TV: SuperSport, RTÉ, Premier Sports, URC.tv

Did you know?

• Since their defeat to Munster in Round 14 – their only home loss this season – the Bulls have won their last five URC matches.
• The Bulls reached the final in 2022 when they lost to the Stormers in Cape Town.
• The Bulls have won their two previous URC play-off fixtures at Loftus Versfeld – both quarter-finals, against the Sharks in 2022 and Benetton last week.
• This is just the fourth Leinster play-off game to be played outside of Dublin. The three previous ones were all finals, Leinster winning against Glasgow at Celtic Park in 2019.
• Leinster’s only victory in South Africa since 2018 was against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg in April 2023.
• If named in the squad, Robbie Henshaw is in line to make his 100th URC appearance

URC record 2023/24: Bulls (W13 D0 L5 = 66 points); Leinster (W13 D0 L5 = 65 points)

Form guide: Bulls (LWWWWW); Leinster (LLWLWW)

Top try scorer:  Bulls (Akker van der Merwe – 12); Leinster (Rob Russell – 7)

Top points scorer: Bulls (Johan Goosen – 141); Leinster (Ross Byrne – 65)

Munster (1) v Glasgow Warriors (4)

When: Saturday June 15

Where: Thomond Park, Ireland

Time: 1800 (UK & IRE); 1900 (SA)

Referee: Andrea Piardi

AR 1: Federico Vedovelli; AR 2: Gianluca Gnecchi; TMO: Matteo Liperini

TV: TG4, SuperSport, Premier Sports, URC.tv

Did you know?

• Munster have won their last 10 URC matches since Connacht beat them in Galway on New Year’s Day – their best run since 2011.
• Munster have played in 12 previous URC semi-finals, winning six and losing six. However, they have been successful in all four played at Thomond Park.
• Munster’s only defeat in Limerick in the URC this season was to Leinster on St Stephen’s Day.
• Glasgow have played in nine previous URC semi-finals, winning three.
• The Warriors have lost all five semi-finals they have played away from home.
• Glasgow won on their most recent visit to Thomond Park (38-26 in March 2023) – their first victory at the venue since 2014.

URC record 2023/24: Munster (W13 D1 L4 = 68 points); Glasgow (W13 D0 L5 = 65 points)

Form guide: Munster (WWWWWW); Glasgow (WWLLWW)

Top try scorer: Munster (Shane Daly and Tom Ahern – 6); Glasgow (Johnny Matthews – 14)

Top points scorer: Munster (Jack Crowley – 110); Glasgow (George Horne – 76)

Here we take a look at how the Bulls reached the last four.

How the Bulls reached the URC semi-finals

Front rower, Wilco Louw says it is good to see a packed Loftus as he calls for local support to turn up on Saturday for what should be a great rugby spectacle.

“It is lovely to play at a full Loftus, we are hoping that there will be a lot of people here on the weekend so that we can play a great game for the Loftus faithful, our families and this team,” Louw said.

“The VURC has such a healthy competition where most weekends feel like a test match. This will be a big game, like any other knockout game and it is also a great opportunity for us to measure ourselves against the best.”

Round 1: Vodacom Bulls 63-21 Scarlets

The Bulls opened their season with a nine-try victory stroll against the Scarlets at Loftus Versfeld, with Cameron Hanekom and Stedman Gans both collecting doubles.

Round 2: Ulster 26-19 Vodacom Bulls

Despite outscoring Ulster 3-2 on tries, the Bulls were undone by Nathan’s Doak precision goalkicking as he booted 16 points to steer his team home.

Round 3: Zebre Parma 29-54 Vodacom Bulls

A high-scoring contest at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi went comfortably the Bulls’ way, with David Kriel scoring three tries.

Round 4: Cardiff 12-18 Vodacom Bulls

It proved a far tighter affair at the Arms Park a week later, with the Bulls having to withstand Cardiff’s fightback following tries for Embrose Papier and Sebastian de Klerk.

Round 5: Edinburgh 31-23 Vodacom Bulls

The Bulls had Marcell Coetzee sent off one minute into the second half and the home side took advantage by scoring three tries. There were also yellow cards for Hanekom and Sergeal Petersen.

Round 6: Vodacom Bulls 53-27 Connacht

The Bulls ran in seven tries on their return to Pretoria and there were 16 points for Jaco van der Walt as they bounced back strongly from defeat in Edinburgh.

Round 7: Vodacom Bulls 44-10 Hollywoodbets Sharks

Jake White’s team encountered few problems against their South African rivals, with Gans and Akker van der Merwe both scoring two tries as the Bulls dominated.

Round 8: DHL Stormers 26-20 Vodacom Bulls

It was a much different story to the Sharks game in Cape Town, where the Bulls faded after a strong start to the game. Canan Moodie was among their try-scorers.

Round 9: Vodacom Bulls 30-28 Emirates Lions

Goosen’s penalty two minutes from time gave the Bulls a thrilling victory as the Lions tried to hold out for a memorable win on the road.

Round 10: Emirates Lions 10-25 Vodacom Bulls

Any chance of the Lions avenging their loss in Pretoria was undone by the Bulls’ second-half show of strength as van der Merwe, Coetzee and Kriel scored second-half tries.

Round 11: Vodacom Bulls 40-22 DHL Stormers

The Bulls were in no mood to suffer a second defeat against the Stormers, powering home on the back of hooker Johan Grobbelaar’s try double and 20 points from Goosen.

Round 12: Dragons 10-31 Vodacom Bulls

The Bulls had few concerns in Newport as Papier and Grobbelaar featured among the try-scorers to give their team a fourth successive URC win.

Round 13: Leinster 47-14 Vodacom Bulls

Any hope of backing up the win against Dragons by challenging fellow competition heavyweights Leinster was dashed on a sobering night in Dublin. The Bulls conceded five second-half tries.

Round 14: Vodacom Bulls 22-27 Munster

There was more misery for the Bulls against Irish opposition as they were undone by scrum-half Conor Murray’s 73rd-minute try. Goosen had earlier been sent off.

Round 15: Vodacom Bulls 61-24 Ospreys

There was no stopping the Bulls as they moved effortlessly through the gears to run in eight tries, including doubles for Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse.

Round 16: Vodacom Bulls 40-34 Glasgow

The teams shared eight tries at Loftus Versfeld in an outstanding game as the Bulls withstood a strong second-half fightback from Glasgow. Chris Smith’s 20-point haul proved crucial.

Round 17: Vodacom Bulls 56-35 Benetton

Another high-scoring encounter comfortably went the Bulls’ way, with Moodie claiming a hat-trick among the nine tries his team posted against adventurous opponents.

Round 18: Hollywoodbets Sharks 14-26 Vodacom Bulls

The Bulls completed their regular-season fixtures with a win in Durban. Van der Merwe scored two second-half tries as they warmed up for the quarter-finals.

Quarter-final: Vodacom Bulls 30-23 Benetton

Tries from Arendse (2) and Kriel and 15 points from the boot of Goosen helped the Bulls overcome a dogged display from the Italians.

Video courtesy United Rugby Championship.

However, due the the Bulls URC run they won’t take part.

Accelerating the Bulls to victory over Benetton in last week’s URC quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld pumped the brakes on Grobbelaar and Kriel’s dream of a Bok debut in London, but the duo can justify the sacrifice with a performance against Leinster that drives the Highveld heavyweights into the Grand Final.

Grobbelaar on target to become Springbok hooker

Grobbelaar has been a model of consistency at hooker in nine starts for the Bulls, including the quarter-final against Benetton.

The 26-year-old packs a punch as a ball-carrier and his set-piece work is of a very high standard – the Bulls boast the league’s second-ranked lineout.

The hosts are this season’s most prolific try-scoring team, and Grobbelaar has equalled Springbok phenomenon Kurt-Lee Arendse’s tally of eight touchdowns, illustrating the power and efficiency of the Bulls’ maul.

Grobbelaar earned a first Springbok call-up during the 2021 Rugby Championship, but has since had to bide his time for a Test debut behind a talented core of hookers including Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx.

“I think every South African player dreams of playing for the Springboks,” he said.

“But my focus is to play well every weekend and if I can do that week in and week out, and if I deserve a chance, I will get one.”

Bulls making a push

Competing for the Bulls’ No 2 jersey, against all-action veteran Akker van der Merwe and up-and-comer Jan-Hendrik Wessels, has kept Grobbelaar on his toes.

“The three of us are a good combination,” he said. “We are pushing and learning from each other. It makes for a good environment.”

Kriel has mirrored Grobbelaar’s consistency in the Bulls backline. Deployed as a utility back after moving to Pretoria from Cape Town for the 2021-22 campaign, Kriel has this season specialised as a centre, exclusively playing in the No 12 or 13 jerseys and scoring 11 tries in 18 appearances.

“I really enjoy centre – either 12 or 13,” Kriel said.

“I don’t mind either of the two centre jumpers, and it is my favourite position because of the involvement in attack and defence.

“Especially 12 is a more physical position, but at 13 I get a bit more freedom and get to make better reads, which I also feel is very good for the growth of my game.”

Both Grobbelaar and Kriel earned plaudits when they helped the Bulls produce one of the biggest upsets in the history of the URC by beating Leinster in Dublin in the 2021-22 semi-finals.

The dynamic duo has built on that memorable day, emerging as serious contenders for a place in Rassie Erasmus’ long-term plans to guide the Springboks towards a third successive World Cup title, and short-term objectives of beating Wales before hosting Ireland for two Tests in July.

While Grobbelaar and Kriel have given up the chance to join the Boks in London next week, they are relishing the spotlight that will be cast on Loftus Versfeld on Saturday against the world-class Leinster.

The 26-year-old Dayimani will not turn out for the Stormers in front of their faithful supporters in Cape Town again now that his four-year active stint with the union is over.

The versatile loose forward, who can play across the back row, is still contracted to the Stormers until the end of the 2024/25 season, but the union is believed to have waived a fee for any buyout for him in good faith.

Dayimani played an integral role in the Stormers’ run to back-to-back Vodacom URC finals in 2022 and 2023 and was the standout performer in the first half of the recently concluded season, which led many to assume that he might make the Springbok cut this year.

STORMERS ACE WAS OVERLOOKED FOR SPRINGBOK DUTY

Unfortunately for Dayimani, he has missed out on a place in the Springbok alignment camps and the latest training camp in Pretoria, which has prompted his soon to be confirmed move abroad.

Dayimani has been linked with a move to Top 14 giants Racing 92, who also has current Springbok captain Siya Kolisi on their payroll.

Other high profile players who are set to leave the Stormers are Nama Xaba, Junior Pokomela, Tristan Leyds and Godlen Masimla.

Loose forwards Xaba and Pokomela have both been linked with shock moves to Jake White’s Bulls, who have also already signed Cornel Smit from their rivals ahead of next season.

DAYIMANI LEADS STORMERS PLAYER EXODUS

• Hacjivah Dayimani
• Nama Xaba
• Junior Pokomela
• Tristan Leyds
• Lee-Marvin Mazibuko
• Leon Lyons
• Kwenzo Blose
• Mnombo Zwelendaba
• Cornel Smit
• Chris Hollis
• Chad Solomon
• Godlen Masimla
• Kade Wolhuter
• Jarrod Taylor
• Simon Miller

A total of 11 individual prizes are up for grabs, and it’s now been revealed that the Bulls duo of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cameron Hanekom are up against the Lions’ versatile Sanele Nohamba for the coveted URC Player of the Season Award for 2024.

The Gauteng-based trio garnered the most votes in the nomination process, with Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus, the four South African franchises and local media selecting their star players of the season.

The fleet-footed Arendse, 27, has been in sublime form for the Vodacom Bulls, making 15 clean breaks and scoring eight tries so far this season, but he’s also been brilliant fielding high kicks – both on attack and defence – and he’s made his presence felt with a number of proper defensive hits.

The 22-year-old Hanekom, a former Junior Springbok star, has been a revelation at the back of the Bulls’ scrum, with the young No 8 proving his worth as ball carrier and in defence, while he is second overall for offloads with 22, and sixth for turnovers won, with 13.

The nippy Nohamba, in turn, has underlined his value as utility player by shining for the Lions at scrumhalf and flyhalf, while he has also proved himself to be a very useful kicking option by slotting 32 conversions, 14 penalty goals and a drop goal through the uprights. The 25-year-old’s 119 points scored during the campaign places him fourth overall.

The winner will be announced on Tuesday, 18 June, as part of the series of Vodacom URC Awards for the season (click here for all the categories).

Vodacom URC Player of the Season
Criteria: Awarded to a player from one of the four South African franchises. This will form as part of the annual SA Rugby Awards and will be determined by votes from the South African media, the four South African franchise coaches, and the Springboks head coach.
Winner announced: Tuesday June 18.

Here is a full list of the URC awards on offer, the winning criteria and when the winners will be announced:

Tackle Machine
Criteria: Players who have made 150 or more tackles during the regular season will be eligible for the award, with the individual who boasts the highest accuracy taking home the prize.
Winner announced: Tuesday 11 June

Turnover King
Criteria: This award will be heading home with the player who has won the most turnovers during the regular season, with jackal turnovers used as the tie-breaker.
Winner announced: Tuesday 11 June

Gilbert Golden Boot
Criteria: The Gilbert Golden Boot is awarded in recognition of the most accurate place-kicker, with all kickers who have attempted a minimum of 30 ranked by their success percentage.
Winner announced: Tuesday 11 June

OFX Top Try Scorer
Criteria: Awarded to the player who has scored the most tries during the regular season.
Winner announced: Wednesday June 12

Ironman
Criteria: Given to the player who has racked up the most minutes in the regular season.
Winner announced: Wednesday June 12

Next-Gen Player of the Season
Criteria: This award is open to players who were aged under 23 at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, and had earned no more than five international caps by the end of the 2022/23 season (incorporating the fact that it was a Rugby World Cup year).
Determined by a media vote and the nine-appearance threshold also applies here. This award is to recognise young up-and-coming talent.
Winner announced: Thursday June 13

Try of the Season powered by URC.tv
Criteria: A shortlist of six of the top tries of the season will be put out to a fans vote on social media. The try which receives the most votes from the fans will be the winner.
Winners announced: Thursday June 13

Elite XV
Criteria: Determined by a media vote, players must have made at least nine appearances to be considered, with the media panel provided a shortlist of 10 per position by URC StatMaster.
The player with the most votes in each position earns a place in the team.
Winners announced: Friday June 14

Elixirr Innovation Award
Criteria: Determined by a Panel appointed by Elixirr, a club will be rewarded for innovation by growing the game through digital fan engagement, match day experience, and social purpose.
Clubs who break the mold and demonstrate driving a real by increasing following and revenue will be considered.
Winners announced: Friday June 14

Vodacom URC Player of the Season
Criteria: Awarded to a player from one of the four South African franchises. This will form as part of the annual SA Rugby Awards and will be determined by votes from the South African media, the four South African franchise coaches, and the Springboks head coach.
Winner announced: Tuesday June 18

BKT Coach of the Season
Criteria: The Vodacom URC’s top coach will be voted for by the competition’s head coaches.
Winner announced: Wednesday June 19

Players’ Player of the Season
Criteria: This prestigious award will be voted on by the Captain and Vice-Captain of all 16 teams, with all nominees again required to have made a minimum of nine appearances.
Winner announced: Thursday June 20

Arendse scored the first two tries for the Bulls but took a knock to the head while tackling a Benetton player and went off for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).

Kurt-Lee Arendse gets injured but Bulls win

The exciting winger wouldn’t return to the match after that but it is unclear how severe his knock was.

While The Bulls led for the entire match they weren’t able to put Benetton away completely.

A crucial TMO call in the first half saw a Benetton try that would have given the visitors a lead ruled out for an offside play in the build-up.

Benetton’s Onisi Ratave was on fire all game and he nearly created another score but Alessandro Garbisi couldn’t hold his pass.

The Bulls took a 17-8 lead into halftime with Goosen adding the extras to Arendse’s tries and slotting a penalty. Meanwhile Rhyno Smith kicked a penalty to put Benetton on the board and Ratave eventually got his try.

In the second half it was a lot tighter and the Bulls used the scoreboard pressure and the boot of Goosen to stay just about in touch.

Benetton got over through Tomas Albornoz but would then see the Bulls hit back almost straight away through David Kriel, after some great play in the build-up by Goosen.

A tight finish

The grandstand finish was set up when Malakai Fekitoa dived over in the corner with just under 15 minutes to play. However, Smith couldn’t convert the try and crucially Benetton would infringe under pressure.

Goosen slotted a penalty with just over five minutes to go that meant Benetton would have to score a converted try to force extra time.

Benetton put the Bulls on their heels with a concerted attack but the hosts did well to keep their composure.

The Bulls’ defence held and the last two minutes were mostly consumed by a scrum which referee Mike Adamson struggled to control.

Eventually, the Bulls did enough to get the win and will play at home in the semi-finals as well.

The Bulls will host the winners of the all-Irish clash between Leinster and Ulster.

Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks will be concerned with the injuries being picked up by Bulls players who are important to the national cause.

John Dobson’s team will enter their clash against Franco Smith’s Warriors as the underdogs – a tag they will be determined to shake off – mainly due to the fact they will be travelling after a hard-fought victory against the Lions last week, and with the hosts boasting a better attacking record this season.

Glasgow, however, will be careful to write off the Capetonians, who have been marginally better on defence. The Stormers’ confidence will also be boosted since they bagged losing bonus points in three of their six overseas matches, and came away with victories against Connacht and the Dragons in their last two tour matches.

The Warriors, who topped the regular season stats for carries (2417), defenders beaten (458) and metres made (7846), will also be cognisant of the fact that in the last outing between the teams earlier this season in Glasgow, they won by 20-9 thanks to three tries – two of which were scored in the first half and one early in the second half – and there is no doubt the visitors would have placed a big emphasis on their defence during their preparations this week.

Making the match even more unpredictable, Glasgow only registered one more victory than the Stormers this season, and given the high stakes in the match, it is expected to be humdinger.

YOU CAN FOLLOW THE STORMERS V WARRIORS URC LIVE SCORING BELOW:

QUARTER-FINAL MATCH INFORMATION:

Warriors v Stormers (URC playoff)
Date: Saturday, 8 June
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Referee: Chris Busby
SA Time: 20h35
TV: SuperSport

Teams

Glasgow: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Sebastian Cancelliere, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Kyle Steyn (captain), 10 Tom Jordan, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Richie Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Johnny Matthews, 1 Jamie Bhatti.
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Oli Kebble, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Henco Venter, 22 Jamie Dobie, 23 Ross Thompson.

Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 11 Ben Loader, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Willie Engelbrecht, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Brok Harris.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Connor Evans, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Jean-Luc du Plessis.

Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland) and Peter Martin (Ireland)
TMO: Mark Patton (Ireland)

Saturday, 8 June:
15h30: QF2 – Bulls (2) v Benetton (7) (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
18h00: QF3 – Leinster (3) v Ulster (6) (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
20h35: QF4 – Glasgow Warriors (4) v DStormers (5) (Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow)

Semi-finals: Winner of QF1 v winner of Q4; Winner of QF2 v winner of QF3 (match details TBC).

Competitive competition

For the first time all five participating nations will feature in the eight team quarter-final phase, with the Welsh getting their first representation in this phase of the competition since it morphed from being the PRO14 into the VURC three seasons ago. With Benetton beating Edinburgh last week in what was effectively a playoff game, Italy will also be featuring in the playoffs for the first time.

Although the cross-hemisphere nature of the competition made it unique, in the first two seasons only three nations were represented in the playoffs. In the first season there were three South African teams, three Irish teams and two Scottish teams, whereas last year there were four Irish teams, three South Africans and the sole Scottish representative, the Glasgow Warriors.

This year the national representation is three from Ireland, two from South Africa (the Hollywoodbets Sharks drop out for the first time) and one each from Scotland, Italy and Wales.

The Welsh representatives, the Ospreys, snuck into the last eight by a whisker, with their bonus point win over Cardiff in their last regular season game enough to break the hearts of the Emirates Lions, who’d moved into the playoff bracket courtesy of a losing bonus point against the Stormers in their final match in Cape Town.

Jake White’s team will start as strong favourites against the Italian team as they won comfortably when the two teams played a league game at Loftus a few weeks ago.

Whereas Benetton were on a two match tour when they were in Pretoria in May, and had hit their target by beating the Sharks the week before, this time it is a one off and they will be seeking a win rather than a consolation albeit ultimately important bonus point as was the case last time.

The Bulls, who impressively finished second on the log, will have the luxury of home ground advantage against the seventh-placed Benetton in Pretoria.

You can follow the Bulls v Benetton URC live scoring below:

Quarter-final match information:

Bulls v Benetton (URC playoff)
Date: Saturday, 8 June
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Mike Adamson
SA Time: 15h30
TV: SuperSport

Teams

Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Jannes Kirsten, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Sergeal Petersen.

Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Tommaso Menoncello, 13 Ignacio Brex, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Onisi Ratave, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Toa Halafihi, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Edoardo Iachizzi, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Bautista Bernasconi, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosué Zilocchi, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Niccolò Cannone, 21 Lorenzo Cannone, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Jacob Umaga.

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Sam Grove-White (Scotland) and Adam Jones (Wales)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

Saffa impact

Earlier this week, United Rugby Championship chief executive Martin Anayi said there was no doubt that South Africans appear to have brought into the URC.

“We have noticed that South Africans have latched onto the URC ahead of the Champions Cup in terms of audience numbers and match day attendances, but that may be due to the success the country has already attained in the URC,” he said during a media round table.

“The Stormers win in the first year, where they beat fellow South African team the Bulls in the final, and then making the final again last year where they lost to Munster, would have helped drive the interest and perhaps that success for SA teams transfers across from Super Rugby. I guess it is just a lot clearer.

“Our job, because I am also on the board of the EPCR and the way it is set up is that the three leagues co-own the Champions Cup as shareholders, is to make it sell because it is in our interests for it to do so. Education is needed in SA on what the two competitions are. You never had that in Super Rugby (the commitment to two competitions).

“Hopefully the Sharks making it into the Champions Cup (by winning the Challenge Cup) will give it a bit more of a push. SA teams are becoming a lot more competitive in Europe, which is to be expected as they are getting used to it. It is new to them to play in three competitions, as they have the Currie Cup as well. There will become a greater awareness of EPCR in time.”

SA Rugby will become full shareholders in the EPCR next June.

“There is a pathway they are on and there is no reason to believe they won’t become full partners (by this time next year). They are effectively treated as full partners already,” said Anayi.

Round 18 produced a scintillating final round of games, with elation and disappointment touching almost every match-up.

This was especially true for the Lions as they missed out on the playoff places after losing to the Stormers in the final minute at Cape Town stadium.

They had to watch as the Ospreys snatched the final playoff place with a 77th-minute penalty try, securing a bonus-point win and marking a miraculous turnaround in fortunes.

With four mouthwatering fixtures lined up, the URC looks set for more drama, upsets and excitement. Who will overcome the odds and make it to the semi-final showdown?

SOUTH AFRICAN TEAMS’ QUARTER-FINAL PREVIEWS

Bulls vs Benetton

The Bulls host Benetton in the quarter-finals in what promises to be a blockbuster match-up.

The Bulls finished the season with four wins on the bounce, comfortably defeating the newly crowned Challenge Cup champions, the Sharks, in the final round. They reached this position in style with the highest-ranked attack in the league this season, scoring the highest number of points in the league with 639, including a league-leading 85 tries.

However, the South Africans will have their hands full as they face an incredibly well-drilled and disciplined Benetton side. The Italians gave away just 150 penalties and 6 yellow cards across their URC campaign this season and boast an array of young stars in their side, including Six Nations Player of the Tournament, Tomas Menoncello, and Italy captain Michele Lamaro.

Benetton have already made history by becoming the first Italian team to reach the URC playoffs. They will be wanting to continue rewriting the history books by upsetting the Bulls in Pretoria this weekend.

Glasgow Warriors vs Stormers

The final match-up of the quarter-finals sees Glasgow Warriors host last season’s runners-up in what is expected to be a highlight of the weekend.

The Warriors have thrived on a free-flowing attacking game, supported by their strong scrum, which is ranked third-best in the league this season. In contrast, the Stormers’ scrum, ranked 14th with just an 88% success rate, has at times hindered their ability to showcase their backline’s champagne rugby.

While both sides are renowned for their attacking rugby, the scrum is set to be a critical battleground at the Scotstoun Stadium. It is an intriguing clash, with the Stormers improving their away form with three consecutive wins and the Warriors having lost two of their last three games against South African sides.

Saturday night’s match is certainly one to watch.

BEST OF THE REST OF URC QUARTERS

Munster vs Ospreys

Munster enjoyed a fruitful URC campaign during the regular season, finishing at the top of the overall standings.

Remarkably, with just four games remaining, they had less than a 25% chance of securing the top spot. They will feel confident heading into their quarter-final against Ospreys, having beaten them in round 12 away from home.

However, they must be wary of their opponent as Ospreys have finished the season by defying the odds, overcoming just a 5% chance of reaching the URC playoffs heading into round 18.

They finished the URC season strong with four wins in six matches including two victories against South African opposition, which should serve as a warning to Munster that the Ospreys have thrived as the underdog this year.

Leinster vs Ulster

Our third quarter-final is an old Irish rivalry as Ulster takes a trip to the Aviva Stadium to face Leinster.

While Leinster started the season strong, they have faltered slightly towards the end of the regular season, with three losses in their last five games. Despite this, our simulations give them the highest chance of winning the overall championship (35%).

In order to do this, they will have to topple an old foe in Ulster, who they recently lost to in a tightly fought contest at Kingspan Stadium, 23-21.

Ulster have proven to be a gritty side this season, grinding out victories throughout with an average winning margin of just six points.

It will be a fascinating contest between the sides, who have already battled for the Irish Shield this season, with Leinster coming out victorious by just six points.

Who will take the spoils this weekend in Dublin?

This tournament has been one that the Stormers have enjoyed great success in as they have hosted both the finals to date.

With Franco Smith in charge of the Glasgow Warriors they have become a different prospect to face.

Stormers have a plan to upset Warriors

However, the Stormers believe that they can find a way to come through if their scrum functions at optimum level.

“The scrum has been operating nicely for us this season, it is something that we take pride in and we are going to need it again on Saturday, playing on a 4G pitch which offers a different feel,” Fouche told the Stormers‘ official website.

“Play-offs often come down to small margins. From the first scrum to the last, we will have to front up because Glasgow also has a solid scrum. We will have to be at our best as a pack, tight and connected.”#

The Stormers have been a frustrating team to watch this campaign with moments of brilliance punctuated by sheer disbelief at some of the errors they have made.

Still they are in the hunt for URC glory and determined to keep rolling in this season’s event.

“One thing we’ve really got better these last couple of weeks, especially on tour, is our discipline,” said Fouche.

“We’ve tended to give away silly penalties which puts us under pressure.

“So it’s important to keep it simple, not giving away those little penalties that allow teams to kick into our 22. We must make teams work to get into our 22, which brings our defence into play.”

Have to be clinical

Fouche said that Scotstoun will be a cauldron that they find difficult tom play in but believes that if they take their chances they can come out on top.

“Scotstoun is not an easy place to play at. We’ve faced Glasgow there two times and lost two times. Both games were closely contested. The thing we can take away from those is that we are in the mix. It’s like I’ve said about putting everything together,” he said.

“You just have to be clinical when you are playing overseas, even more than when you are playing at home, where you get more chances. Overseas, you are only going to get so many chances to attack in the 22 and you have to come away with points.

“A problem for us this season has been not really taking our chances, but it has been better in these last two games. It’s hopefully something we can take into the play-offs.

“Glasgow are a quality side. They were competing to finish in the top two for most of the season. They are very well coached by Franco Smith. It’s not going to be easy. They will give us nothing.”

The quarter-final lineup will see Munster, the Bulls, Leinster and Glasgow hosting Ospreys, Benetton, Ulster and the Stormers respectively.

And when the competition organisers revealed the match official lineup for those four showdowns, the notable omissions were that of South African referees, who failed to make the cut.

SA TEAMS’ MATCH REFEREES REVEALED

The playoffs involving South African teams will be exclusively officiated by referees from Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Scotland’s Mike Adamson will blow the Bulls’ encounter at Loftus and will be assisted by Sam Grove-White and Adam Jones, with Ben Whitehouse serving at the TMO (all Welsh).

The Stormers have been handed an all-Irish officiating lineup, with Chris Busby the man in the middle, Frank Murphy and Peter Martin on the touchlines and Mark Patton in the TMO box.

OTHER UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF REFS

Scottish female referee Hollie Davidson will take charge of Munster’s clash against Ospreys, with Italians Andrea Piardi and Gianluca Gnecchi appointed as her sideline assistants. Scotsman Andrew McMenemy is the TMO.

The all-Irish quarter-final between Leinster and Ulster will be officiated by Irishman Andrew Brace, while his countryman Eoghan Cross and Wales’ Craig Evans will provide sideline assistance. Ireland’s Brain MacNeice will be the man making the tough decisions in the TMO box.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

United Rugby Championship Quarter-final 1

Game: Munster v Ospreys
Date: Friday, 7 June
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick
Kick-off time: 19:35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU, 14th league game)
Live on: RTÉ, S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

United Rugby Championship Quarter-final 2

Game: Bulls v Benetton
Date: Saturday, 8 June
Venue: Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
Kick-off time: 14:30 IRE & UK / 15:30 ITA & SA
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU, 82nd game)
Live on: SuperSport, Sky Italia, TG4, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

United Rugby Championship quarter-final 3

Game: Leinster v Ulster
Date: Saturday, 8 June
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off time: 17:00 IRE & UK / 18:00 ITA & SA
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 95th league game)
Live on: TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

United Rugby Championship quarter-final 4

Game: Glasgow Warriors v DHL Stormers
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Kick-off time: 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU, 43rd league game)
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

The Bulls, who impressively finished second on the log, will have the luxury of home ground advantage against the seventh-placed Benetton in Pretoria.

However, it’s a slightly different story for the Stormers as – for first time in seven playoff matches – they will not be in action in Cape Town.

URC quarter-final match information for the Stormers and Bulls:

Bulls v Benetton
Date: Saturday, 8 June
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Mike Adamson
SA Time: 15h30
TV: SuperSport

Warriors v Stormers
Date: Saturday, 8 June
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Referee: Chris Busby
SA Time: 20h35
TV: SuperSport

In the other quarter-final clashes, log leaders and defending champions Munster will host Ospreys at Thomond Park on Friday and Leinster will meet Ulster in an intense Irish derby at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

The semi-finalists as well as the dates and times of the matches will confirmed following Saturday’s matches.

Saffa impact

Earlier this week, United Rugby Championship chief executive Martin Anayi said there was no doubt that South Africans appear to have brought into the URC.

“We have noticed that South Africans have latched onto the URC ahead of the Champions Cup in terms of audience numbers and match day attendances, but that may be due to the success the country has already attained in the URC,” he said during a media round table.

“The Stormers win in the first year, where they beat fellow South African team the Bulls in the final, and then making the final again last year where they lost to Munster, would have helped drive the interest and perhaps that success for SA teams transfers across from Super Rugby. I guess it is just a lot clearer.

“Our job, because I am also on the board of the EPCR and the way it is set up is that the three leagues co-own the Champions Cup as shareholders, is to make it sell because it is in our interests for it to do so. Education is needed in SA on what the two competitions are. You never had that in Super Rugby (the commitment to two competitions).

“Hopefully the Sharks making it into the Champions Cup (by winning the Challenge Cup) will give it a bit more of a push. SA teams are becoming a lot more competitive in Europe, which is to be expected as they are getting used to it. It is new to them to play in three competitions, as they have the Currie Cup as well. There will become a greater awareness of EPCR in time.”

SA Rugby will become full shareholders in the EPCR next June.

“There is a pathway they are on and there is no reason to believe they won’t become full partners (by this time next year). They are effectively treated as full partners already,” said Anayi.

With a return of 12 wins and six defeats from 18 round-robin matches, the Stormers finished fifth on the URC table, putting them on a quarter-final collision course with the Glasgow Warriors, who secured fourth place on the overall log and thus a home playoff.

And with Scotstoun Stadium the designated venue for said knock-out encounter, the Stormers will have more to play for than just their survival in the competition; there’s also the small matter of avenging their horrid 20-9 loss to the Warriors last November.

At the time, it was a result that offset a disastrous four-game winless streak on tour for the Stormers, who were without several of their marquee Springboks on that particular trip.

Now sevens months later, a full-strength Stormers will travel to Glasgow, where they’ll look to settle the score against the hosts.

DOBSON’S STORMERS ON A MISSION

Speaking during his first press conference of the week, a poised Dobson admitted that there’s a lot of confidence in the Stormers camp ahead of their rematch with the Warriors.

“We were a bit thinned out when we were last there in November. In terms of our evolution, we are a better squad, considering that in November, we went zero from four on tour,” the Stormers boss explained.

“I feel like we are better equipped for this trip. Guys like Manie [Libbok] and Frans [Malherbe] are world-class players, so it is great for us [Stormers] to have them.

“When we were last there, everything went wrong, in terms of our set-piece, the yellow cards, we dropped a kick-off. It was just a car crash.

“We are not going there, daunted by our previous experience. In fact, there is a little bit of optimism. It’s four versus five, so there’s not much between us. It’s game on,” the Stormers coach confidently concluded.

Despite this, they achieved redemption in the Challenge Cup, as they became the first South African side to win an EPCR competition, and it has earned them a place in next season’s Champions Cup.

As squad planning continues to ensure a far more consistent set of results next season, the team will soon welcome a host of high-profile signings.

Incoming players at the Sharks

• Andre Esterhuizen
• Jason Jenkins
• Trevor Nyakane
• Jordan Hendrikse
• Emmanuel Tshituka

As much as the Sharks have identified key players who will add value to their squad, there have been a large number of players who they officially bid farewell to at a team function last night.

Below, we look at some of the leading players who are heading out of KZN:

• Anthony Volmink
• Lionel Cronje
• Werner Kok
• Le Roux Roets
• Curwin Bosch
• Aphiwe Dyantyi
• Boeta Chamberlain
• Sikhumbuzo Notshe

It shouldn’t be forgotten that Hyron Andrews also went out on loan earlier this year, while Rohan Janse van Rensburg left to join the Canon Eagles.

Good times ahead?

The Sharks certainly showed what potential they have during the Challenge Cup final, and received high praise from former Springbok star Bobby Skinstad during a recent URC round table.

“It was a magnificent performance. They were almost flawless. Their individuals really came to the party. I was very pleased for them. They delivered the performance when it was needed at the right time. After a difficult season, they will be really pleased with what they have been able to achieve.

“It means, despite all the losses in the league and the negativity around that, they are able to leapfrog into the Champions Cup. So they will be delighted and I bet you they will be very competitive at that level.

“If you look at the two finals on the weekend, I feel the Sharks, Leinster and Toulouse were on the same level. That’s got to be positive for the Sharks. They will feel they can be competitive home and away.”

The Bulls – who also secured the SA Shield for the first time – registered a bonus-point 26-14 victory against the Sharks in Durban to finish second on the log.

Meanwhile, the Stormers overcame a red card to earn a 29-24 victory against the Lions for fifth spot on the table.

What’s next for the Stormers and Bulls in the URC knockout phase?

The Bulls will now host Benetton at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday at 3.30pm, while the Glasgow Warriors will welcome the Stormers to the Scotstoun Stadium a few hours later at 8.35pm (SA time).

The two other quarter-finals are between Munster and Ospreys in Limerick on Friday evening (8.35pm), while Leinster will host Ulster in Dublin on Saturday (6pm).

The Bulls could also host a semi-final

By finishing second on the log, Jake White’s Bulls team could guarantee home-ground advantage in the semi-finals, and the coach said he felt they had a “massive” chance to win the URC.

Speaking in a post-match conference from Kings Park on Saturday, White told reporters: “I cannot stress this enough, we’ve played really well and again, four tries, and even though we made so many mistakes.

“I’m very happy that we could score from mauls, but we also need to score when the pressure is on, which in the playoffs is probably going to be one of the areas which is important.

“People talk of a home semi but that means we still have to win a home quarter-final. The final in the first year [of the URC] we lost, the second year we caught the Stormers as the champions in the quarter-finals and we lost.

“This is an example of all the lessons we’ve learnt in the two seasons. We get a home quarter … [That’s] already a massive difference in the group, and all the coaches and the team want us to have a really good chance to win this competition.

“I couldn’t have asked for more than what we got today. I laid it out to the players: are we going to just win the game, and never know whether we could’ve gone for [a bonus-point win], or are we going to go for it? And I’m really proud.

“We got the four tries, and for the group it’s going to be massive for our confidence.”

SHARKS VS BULLS

URC Permutation:

A win for the second-placed Bulls over the Sharks and a Munster loss will give them first place. If they lose in Durban, and Munster, Leinster, and Glasgow win, they will finish fourth.

Teams for URC final round:

Sharks — 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Ethan Hooker, 12 Francois Venter (captain), 11 Eduan Keyter, 10 Siya Masuku, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 James Venter, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Corne Rahl, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Khwezi Mona, 19 Lappies Labuschagne, 20 Dylan Richardson, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Diego Appollis

Bulls — 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Subs: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Sebastian de Klerk.

URC Match Info:

Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off time: 16:10

STORMERS VS LIONS

URC Permutation:

The highest the inaugural champion Stormers and twice finalists can end is where they are now, and because they have won more games than the chasing teams, the lowest they can end is seventh.

The Johannesburg-based Lions need to win with a bonus point against the Stormers. They have fewer wins than the Stormers so even if they do get five and the Stormers none, the Stormers will finish ahead of them as they will have the same number of points. A loss will see the Lions ruled out as they have fewer wins than the two sides currently tied with them on 49, Edinburgh and Benetton.

Teams for URC final round:

Stormers — 15 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Evan Roos, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Sti Sithole
Subs: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Ben Loader

Lions — 15 Quan Horn, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Jordan Hendrikse, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Sanele Nohamba, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Willem Alberts (captain), 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Morgan Naude.
Subs: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 JP Smith, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Etienne Oosthuizen, 20 Reinhard Nothnagel, 21 Izan Eseterhuizen, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Gianni Lombard.

URC Match Info:

Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off time: 13:45

ALL URC PERMUTATIONS FOR ROUND 18

The Lions have scored more points than Edinburgh and Benetton and have a superior points difference but the URC rules don’t currently favour the team from South Africa.

Total points earned is the first URC log tiebreaker.

If teams are level on log points the first tiebreaker is the number of match wins that team has achieved and the Lions have won just 9 of their 17 clashes. Meanwhile, Edinburgh have 11 wins while Benetton have 10.

URC log tiebreakers

According to tournament rules: 

“The positions of the Clubs in the League Stage will be entered into the Standard League Table and will be based on the following, in order:

a) the number of League Points awarded to each Club;

b) if unresolved, the number of Matches won by each Club in the League Stage;

c) if unresolved, the difference between the total points scored and the total points conceded on the field of play for each Club in all Matches in the League Stage;

d) if unresolved, the number of tries scored by each Club in all Matches in the League Stage;

e) if unresolved, the number of points scored on the field of play by each Club in all Matches in the League Stage;

f) if unresolved, the difference between the number of tries scored and the number of tries conceded by each Club in all Matches in the League Stage;

g) if unresolved, the number of Players suspended by a Disciplinary Committee or Appeal Committee for incidents taking place in the League Stage (i.e. the Club with fewer will be positioned higher);

h) if unresolved, the number of yellow cards received by Players for each Club in all Matches in the League Stage (i.e. the Club with fewer will be positioned higher); and

i) if unresolved, the toss of a coin or as otherwise determined by the Pro Rugby Championship in its absolute discretion.

“For the purposes of this clause, what qualifies as a yellow card will be determined by Pro Rugby Championship in its absolute discretion.”

How do the URC rules impact what happens in round 18 for the Lions?

The Lions can avoid the impact of the tiebreakers if they win their final match of the URC season against the Stormers.

Edinburgh and Benetton as it happens play each other in the final round and cannot both win their match so the Lions have their playoff fate in their own hands.

There are also scenarios where the Lions could lose and still qualify.

If the Lions lose their match and achieve one or two bonus points and the side that loses the match between Edinburgh and Benetton fails to match that haul, they will reach the URC playoffs.

If the Lions lose the match and secure two bonus points but Benetton and Edinburgh draw their match, the Lions will be the side eliminated.

The best scenario for the Lions would be one where they take five points from the match and the winner of the Edinburgh vs Benetton match fails to secure a full complement which will secure the team from Johannesburg at least seventh place.

The team that finishes eighth in the URC will participate in the playoffs. However, they will not take part in the Champions Cup next season. This is a result of the Sharks winning the Challenge Cup.

With next weekend’s EPCR Challenge Cup Final against Gloucester in London, the Hollywoodbets Sharks side for this week’s match against the Welsh is a much-changed side, while the rest of the squad makes the trip north in preparation for the big final.

Experimental outfit takes on Cardiff

The Sharks said: “The emphasis this season has been on a squad effort rather than separate teams for different competitions, and the players who receive this opportunity have been part of the training squad throughout.

“They now get the chance to shine, having contributed positively and invaluably over the course of the last two campaigns. Their inclusion also adds depth for the future.”

Cardiff and the Hollywoodbets Sharks have both accumulated 25 log points, with the Durban side keen to put in a good showing in this, their penultimate home game of the tournament.

“We’ve given guys an opportunity to put their hands up and play well, to give the team that goes to Gloucester good momentum going forward,” explains Hollywoodbets Sharks defence coach Joey Mongalo.

“Hopefully, the way these guys account of themselves is a true reflection of where we are and how far we’ve come as a collective.”

Reniel Hugo leads the team against a side that Mongalo warns needs to be respected.

“They have specific individuals who have good ‘defenders beaten’ stats, which we’ve looked at, and that comes from a good set-piece. So, if your set-piece is dominant, the defence is going backwards, and you’re going forwards, you’re likely to gain momentum and line-breaks.

“Even though they’ve lost games, the losing margin has been narrow, even against top sides. They’re a solid unit and will want to impose their game on the opposition.”

Hollywoodbets Sharks team to face Cardiff

1. Dian Bleuler
2. Dylan Richardson
3. Khwezi Mona
4. Corne Rahl
5. Reniel Hugo (c)
6. Tino Mavesere
7. Simon Miller*
8. Sikhumbuzo Notshe**
9. Tiaan Fourie
10. Lionel Cronje
11. Aphiwe Dyantyi
12. Eduan Keyter
13. Diego Appollis
14. Yaw Penxe
15. Boeta Chamberlain

Replacements
16. Dan Jooste
17. Braam Reyneke*
18. IG Prinsloo*
19. Thomas Dyer*
20. Nick Hatton
21. Bradley Davids
22. Curwin Bosch
23. Anthony Volmink

*Denotes debut for the Hollywoodbets Sharks
** Denotes 50th cap for the Hollywoodbets Sharks in an international competition

Players not available for selection due to injury 
Coenie Oosthuizen
Emile van Heerden
George Cronje
Jaden Hendrikse
Marnus Potgieter
Muller du Plessis 
Nevaldo Fleurs 
 Zee Mkhabela

The blonde bombshell picked up his second successive Player of the Match award as he took a key role in the Lions’ eye-catching 44-21 victory over recent URC league leaders Glasgow in Johannesburg.

With fellow flanker Ruan Venter being red-carded just before the break, swiftly followed by the sin-binning of No 8 Francke Horn, Pretorius was a one-man back row for a spell, but nothing seems to be beyond this tireless breakaway.

The 26-year-old from the Mpumalanga Province was into everything and had not one, not two, but three involvements in the try of the match on 57 minutes.

He produced a pair of exquisite one-handed passes out of the side door in the build-up, and then, there he was, providing textbook openside support to take the inside scoring pass from centre Erich Cronje.

The highly skilled Pretorius was part of the South Africa team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and he is now really making his mark in the 15-a-side version of the sport.

CAN HE BE THE NEXT KWAGGA SMITH FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Following his transition from sevens to fifteens rugby, Smith forced his way into the Springbok set-up and now he is a two-time World Cup winner.

That is no small feat, and yet Smith remains the unsung hero of South Africa’s recent successes and one of the most underrated players in all of Test rugby.

A breakdown king second to none, the ex-sevens star is renowned for his work on the ground in terms of turnovers and complete jackals; according to statistics he tops across all major club and international competitions.

He also boasts the best average per 80 minutes in both categories, averaging 2.8 turnovers won and 1.9 jackals.

Pretorius boasts a similar skillset, and should he continue his current run of form for the Lions, his career path could follow the same trajectory as Smith’s: from Blitzboks ace to Springbok superstar.

At 30 years of age, Smith is unlikely to feature for the Springboks at another World Cup, meaning South Africa is in the market for a versatile loose forward with the ability to jump in and play in the backline if the need arises without derailing the team’s highly controversial but effective 7-1 bench split selection.

Pretorius has all the makings to be the player that can fulfil that role.

The Sharks — admittedly — did field a second-string side in the round 17 match against Cardiff at Kings Park; but even so, they failed to put up a valiant fight after an early red card put them on the back foot and allowed Cardiff to run riot and ultimately seal a 36-14 bonus-point win to climb above their victims in the standings.

Prior to the game, the Sharks had sent a group of senior players to London in preparation for their historic Challenge Cup final against Gloucester at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday night.

SHARKS WERE THEIR OWN WORST ENEMIES

“We started really well. We built a lot of pressure with the ball, and we looked positive,” Plumtree was quoted in the media following Saturday’s defeat.

“The red card had a massive effect on the game. We were one forward short against a really big Cardiff pack.

“We conceded a couple of pretty soft tries and that brought the scoreboard pressure. From then on, we were always going to struggle a bit,” the Sharks boss added.

“I was really pleased with the second half. We got ambitious and we moved the ball a little bit more and attacked in the wide channels and tried to do something a little bit different.

“However, on the day we weren’t quite good enough and there are quite a few guys in the squad that haven’t played in a while.

“It was a disappointing evening. I am disappointed for the boys. They wanted to do a bit more than that, but with 15 against 14 for 60 minutes, it was never going to be an easy task against a URC team.”

The Sharks head coach also revealed that flank Tino Mavesere has unfortunately lost out on a ticket to London for the Challenge Cup final due to the red card he received.

“I thought Tino was playing really well until he got his red card. I am excited about his future. It’s really disappointing for Tino. He was coming to London with us, and I guess he won’t be now,” the Sharks big boss confirmed.

The Stormers managed to just about hang onto their fifth-place position on the URC log following their nervy 16-12 win against a plucky Connacht side in trying weather conditions in Galway.

The result wrapped up the Stormers’ two-match two of Europe. Like the rest of the teams in the URC, they’ll now enjoy a welcome bye-week before the last round of regular season action scheduled for 31 May and 1 June, before the playoffs commences.

On the back of an inconsistent and erratic performance, the Stormers have Libbok to thank for pulling them through to a hard-fought victory, which was enough to see them advance to the quarter-finals. Libbok knocked over a conversion and three penalties for a personal haul of 11 points.

DEFENCE WAS CAPE SIDE’S BEST ATTACK

Speaking after the match against Connacht, Dobson hailed his team for their character and excellent game management even when they were playing their best rugby.

“There’s a sub-narrative to that, because we are established now,” Dobson said. “We’ve got guys who are two or three years in, like Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse, so maybe we shouldn’t be relying on our character as much as we do.

“We aren’t putting away teams like we should. Saying that, there is an amazing culture and work-ethic across this group of players,” Dobson said of the Stormers’ effort. “Connacht were playing the last game at home, they had to win it, the stands are getting pulled down and there was a lot of emotional stuff before the game with people who had passed away.

“For us to defend like that is not something we coach, it’s in the group. There is a very special caring for each other.

“It’s frustrating that it’s a game that is so close, but at the end how we shut it down speaks volumes of the character of this team.”

STORMERS’ PLAYOFF ROAD FILLED WITH AWAY TESTS

Dobson explained that his charges know they’re most likely to play every single playoff on the road if they want to make the final, because they misfired throughout the season.

“From where we were, the important thing was to make the quarter-finals,” the Stormers boss explained in reference to their nightmarish European tour earlier this season which resulted in four defeats in as many games.

“We put ourselves under pressure with that tour and the Ospreys loss. So it’s been a very nerve-racking thing for us to get two wins on tour.

“They were tough wins. These aren’t games we would’ve won a while ago. So it’s a nice feeling. It was tougher than we thought it was going to be, but it’s still a nice feeling.”

“Every one of the Stormers’ playoffs has been at Cape Town Stadium, so it might be good for our growth to try and win a quarter-final away. In fact, I have no doubt it would be.

“That’s not a justification for us not qualifying for a home playoff, of course we wanted to do that. But I think it’s going to be good for us to do it. The Stormers’ goal was that we at least wanted to get to the semi-finals.

“We have to win that quarter-final, no matter where we go. All of them are tough, whether it’s in Glasgow, Dublin, Limerick or at Loftus. But this will be good for us. We need to go through this experience,” the Stormers director of rugby concluded.

The Bulls were on the rampage at Loftus as they crossed for a whopping nine tries to seal a 56-35 bonus-point win over the Benetton and thus officially book their place in the playoff.

The result also propelled the Bulls up to second in the log standings with one round of regular season action to go before the knockout stage of the competition commences.

After finishing fourth in the inaugural tournament in 2021-22, the Bulls finished seventh last season, but will be South Africa’s best-placed team on the URC log this season.

WHITE DELIGHTED BY HIS CHARGES’ PERFORMANCE

Speaking after the match against Benetton, White said that he is confident that the Bulls will put in a strong challenge to win the URC title.

“Last year we came seventh. This year, the worst we can finish is fourth. That means it’s already a quarter-final. That’s an improvement on where we were last year,” the Bulls boss said.

“We are there. There’s this thing of you can’t win the lotto if you don’t have the ticket. We still got a ticket and while you have a lotto ticket, there’s hope.

“Are we where I would like us to be? No, if we had beaten Munster, we would be top of the log. That’s the margins of what we sit with. If we won that game with a bonus-point, we would be first or second. That’s how close it is. But there’s no doubt in my mind about the improvement.

“The Bulls players have grown massively over the last year. We’ve still got youngsters in our group. So having them signed for another three years, the age profile and experience you have in three year’s time is over 100 URC games and an average age of 26 or 27.

“I am very excited about where we are. The four games we have left, if we go according to how it is now, would be Sharks, Stormers, Glasgow and Leinster. I really believe we are good enough to beat any of those teams. If we can get that right over four consecutive weekends, is what we will get challenged on.”

BULLS DEFENCE STILL UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

One big talking point from the Bulls’ last two wins against Benetton and Glasgow Warriors has been their defence. Despite securing early four-try bonus points against both teams, the Bulls also conceded a combined nine tries from the two games.

“It’s no different to the great Brumbies side, that had great Wallabies like [George] Gregan, [Stephan] Larkham and [Stirling] Mortlock. That’s what happens to really great teams, the longer they train together, the longer they play together, the better they become.

“It’s not like next week, when we are off, I can have a meeting with the boys and suddenly fix it. We have to coach it. We have to create scenarios where we try and get situations where we are under the same pressure. But you can’t replicate game in front of a crowd in a training session. The pressure is very different.

“So I’m not concerned. I’m excited about the way we play now. Can you imagine if we become the best defensive team in this competition? It’s going to be a very difficult team to beat.”

In a must-win game, the Lions suffered an early setback when Ruan Venter received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle in the first half.

But that didn’t deter the hosts, as the 14-man Lions outfit kept their United Rugby Championship playoff hopes alive with a remarkable 44-21 bonus-point victory at Ellis Park.

Heading into the break with a slender 8-7 lead and a man-disadvantage, the Lions scored five tries in the second 40 minutes while replacement playmaker Sanele Nohamba banked 16 points in the penultimate-round clash of the league phase in the URC.

The result left Van Rooyen’s charges in ninth position on the overall standings and level on points (49) with eighth-placed Benetton before the last match of this weekend’s action.

LIONS WENT OFF SCRIPT AND IT WORKED A CHARM

Speaking during the customary post-match press conference in Johannesburg, Van Rooyen told reporters: “We knew that discipline was one of our focus points during the week.”

“I don’t want to elaborate on the red card, but what I can say is that when our backs are against the wall, we do free up a little bit mentally and we just focus and stick to the process and plan,” he added.

“At half time, we felt that we were really in this and when we stuck to the plan, we felt that it was working and we were putting them under pressure.

“It was great character, great fight and great discipline to stick to what we want to do.”

PLAYER DISRUPTIONS NOT ENOUGH TO DERAIL TEAM

The Lions were forced to chop and change their lineup after skipper Marius Louw was a forced to withdrawal moments before kick off due to an injury, which saw Jordan Hendrikse start at inside centre.

Additionally, flanker Emmanuel Tshituka was forced off early with a suspected head knock. But even those setback were not enough to derail the roaring Lions from their mission to stay in the hunt for playoff qualification.

“[Louw’s] knee swelled up on Wednesday and we tried to get him ready for the game.

“We wanted him to play but we knew that we had a good plan with Willem [Alberts as captain] and you can’t ask for any better than that. We knew leadership-wise we were good there.

“Jordan has probably been training 60 to 70 percent at No 12 in the last month anyway.”

The Stormers and Bulls are both still harbouring hopes of pushing all the way through to the title decider, while the Lions stand an outside chance of reaching the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Sharks have picked an experimental side as they rather prioritise resting players ahead of the Challenge Cup final.

You can see how the United Rugby Championship log standings look by clicking here.

United Rugby Championship MATCH INFORMATION:

Bulls v Benetton
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Hollie Davidson
SA Time: 14h00
TV: SuperSport

Teams:

Bulls: 15 Willie Le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Sebastian de Klerk.

Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Ignacio Brex, 11 Onisi Ratave, 10 Leonardo Marin, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Sebastian Negri, 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Eli Snyman (captain) 4 Scott Scrafton, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Destiny Aminu, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Edoardo Iachizzi, 20 Toa Halafihi, 21 Alessandro Garbisi, 22 Tomas Albornoz, 23 Marco Zanon.

Lions v Glasgow Warriors
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Craig Evans
SA Time: 16h05
TV: SuperSport

Teams:

Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Sibahle Maxwane, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Morgan Naudé.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 JP Smith, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Ruan Venter, 21 Hanru Sirgel, 22 Sanele Nohamba, 23 Jordan Hendrikse.

Glasgow: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Kyle Steyn (captain), 13 Stafford McDowall, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Kyle Rowe, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 George Horne, 8 Henco Venter, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Euan Ferrie, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Gregor Brown, 3 Murphy Walker, 2 Angus Fraser, 1 Oli Kebble.
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Matt Fagerson, 21 Jack Dempsey, 22 Jamie Dobie, 23 Duncan Weir.

CONGESTED SCHEDULE

Connacht v Stormers
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
SA Time: 18h05
TV: SuperSport

Teams:

Connacht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 John Porch, 13 David Hawkshaw, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Byron Ralston, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Caolin Blade, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 6 Cian Prendergast, 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Joe Joyce, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Dave Heffernan (captain), 1 Peter Dooley.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Tierney-Martin, 17 Jordan Duggan, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Oisín Dowling, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Colm Reilly, 22 Cathal Forde, 23 Santiago Cordero.

Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Evan Roos, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Brok Harris.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Sharks v Cardiff
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Frank Murphy
SA Time: 18h15
TV: SuperSport

Teams:

Sharks: 15 Boeta Chamberlain, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Diego Appollis, 12 Eduan Keyter, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Tiaan Fourie, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Simon Miller, 6 Tino Mavesere, 5 Reniel Hugo (captain), 4 Corne Rahl, 3 Khwezi Mona, 2 Dylan Richardson, 1 Dian Bleuler.
Replacements: 16 Dan Jooste, 17 Braam Reyneke, 18 IG Prinsloo, 19 Thomas Dyer, 20 Nick Hatton, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Curwin Bosch, 23 Anthony Volmink.

Cardiff: 15 Cameron Winnett, 14 Josh Adams, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Willis Halaholo, 11 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 10 Ben Thomas, 9 Ellis Bevan, 8 Alun Lawrence, 7 James Botham, 6 Ben Donnell, 5 Rory Thornton, 4 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 3 Rhys Litterick, 2 Liam Belcher (captain), 1 Corey Domachowski.
Replacements: 16 Evan Lloyd, 17 Rhys Carré, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Seb Davies, 20 Mackenzie Martin, 21 Tinus de Beer, 22 Jacob Beetham, 23 Mason Grady.

Most particularly, it is the Bulls and Stormers that will have plenty at stake as the knockout stage looms on the horzon.

Jake White’s team from Pretoria still have a chance of finishing in the top two for a home quarter-final, and possible home semi-final. The Bulls will enter their clash against Benetton at Loftus Versfeld as the favourites, on form, and with home ground advantage.

In addition, the Bulls can also do their Gauteng neighbours a big favour when they host Benetton in Pretoria in the first outing for the SA sides on a jam-packed Saturday. That’s because Benetton currently occupy the last qualification berth in eighth place on the standings, four log points ahead of the Lions.

Having said that, the Lions face a massive task against the log-leading Glasgow Warriors in Johannesburg, and so their playoff dream may well come to an end this weekend.

The Stormers and Bulls are likely to represent South Africa in the URC playoffs

As it is, the Stormers still harbour hopes of a top four finish for a home quarter-final. John Dobson’s charges will have their work cut out for them, though, in a repeat of their semi-final last season against Connacht in Galway.

The Capetonians, however, will take confidence from the fact that they outplayed the Dragons in Newport last week, and with the stakes high for both teams, neither side is expected to give an inch.

You can see how the log standings look by clicking here

Match information:

Vodacom Bulls v Benetton
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Hollie Davidson
SA Time: 14h00
TV: SuperSport

Emirates Lions v Glasgow Warriors
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Craig Evans
SA Time: 16h05
TV: SuperSport

Connacht v DHL Stormers
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
SA Time: 18h05
TV: SuperSport

Hollywoodbets Sharks v Cardiff
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Frank Murphy
SA Time: 18h15
TV: SuperSport

In the latest bit of good news, loose forward Evan Roos has signed a contract extension that will see him continue to play for the Stormers until at least 2027.

The announcement follows similar extensions for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Dan du Plessis and Ruben van Heerden.

Roos joined the squad in early 2021 and already has over 50 Stormers caps to his name. The burly back-rower is enjoying another good season. He has made the second-most successful carries in the URC this season with 88 and is also fourth on the list of turnovers won with 14.

The 24-year-old has five Test caps to his name, and will be hoping to cement his place as a Springbok regular over the next four-year World Cup cycle.

Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson said that adding a player of Roos’ quality to the growing list of long-term extensions is another vote of confidence in the direction the squad is heading in.

“Evan has been simply sensational since joining us three years ago, and at just 24, there is still plenty more to come from him in a DHL Stormers jersey.

“He brings physicality, pace and most of all a fantastic attitude to everything he does and we look forward to watching him continue to grow in our system.

“These extensions and a few more that will be announced soon show that the key players in this squad are committed to our vision and have bought-in to build something special over the next few years, which is very exciting,” he said.

Rising Springbok star happy to be staying with the Stormers

Roos said that the decision to sign a three-year extension was an easy one.

“My rugby career has been transformed here at the DHL Stormers, and playing for this team means a lot to me.

“We have still got so much that we can achieve together and I want to play a central role in the future success that is to come,” he said.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN CAPE COUNTRY?

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the Red Disa Consortium had concluded its equity deal to secure a controlling shareholding in WP Professional Rugby (Pty) Ltd, and with it has come a major cash injection.

JD Schickerling is the latest Stormer to make his return to Cape Town, having signed a three-year deal. The 28-year-old made his Stormers debut back in 2016 and earned 40 caps before making the move to Japan in 2021.

In huge news last year, it was also confirmed that Steven Kitshoff will be coming home to Cape Town next season, having signed a two-year deal to return to the fold.

The powerful loosehead prop, who has 138 Stormers caps to his name, will return to Cape Town in July after being released from his current contract with Irish side Ulster.

It was a decision somewhat forced upon South Africa after New Zealand decided it was time to cut ties with their long-time domestic foes in Super Rugby.

Ever since then, though, South Africa’s teams have largely made a huge impact in the northern hemisphere, while the standard of Super Rugby has undeniably plateaued.

Former All Blacks superstar Ma’a Nonu has now shared his views on the Kick Offs and Kick Ons podcast, acknowledging the move has undoubtedly benefited South Africa the most.

“I think the Top 14 edges Super Rugby two notches. For one, you’ve got the best players in the world in that competition,” he said. “I hadn’t mentioned the Prem (English Premiership) and the URC because I haven’t played there, but I would say they come second and third, or maybe second equal.

“Super Rugby is still good footy because you’ve got the Australian and Kiwi players, but they haven’t got the exposure to all the other players from other countries.

“South Africa have hit the jackpot. They left because of SANZAAR, but their teams have gotten better and better. The Stormers played the first year in the URC and won the competition.

“Super Rugby’s maybe suffering, I don’t know how long it’s going to be around. The level’s still there, but I believe the Top 14 is ahead.”

South Africa again have two teams competing for top honours in the URC this season

Currently, the URC is heading into its penultimate pool round, and there is plenty to play for. 

The Bulls still have a chance of finishing in the top two for a home quarter-final and possible home semi-final, while the Stormers still harbour hopes of a top four finish for a home quarter-final. Both sides, however, must win both their remaining games and hope that a few other results go their way to assist their cause.

Match information:

Bulls v Benetton
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Hollie Davidson
SA Time: 14h00
TV: SuperSport

Lions v Glasgow Warriors
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Craig Evans
SA Time: 16h05
TV: SuperSport

Connacht v Stormers
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
SA Time: 18h05
TV: SuperSport

Sharks v Cardiff
Date: Saturday, 18 May
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Frank Murphy
SA Time: 18h15
TV: SuperSport

To the average local sports fan, the Tshituka’s are just a set of brothers casually dominating rugby games for the Lions and Sharks, respectively.

But there’s way more to their story and in order for them to reach their potential on the rugby field, the South African government in general, and the Department of Home Affairs in particular, need to come to the party.

THE BACKSTORY

Vincent Tshituka was born in Kinshasa, the capital city of conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of the Congo, and two years later his brother Emmanuel came into this world.

But because the resource-rich country was — and still is — ravaged by a decades-long conflict which has led to the deaths and displacement of the majority of its indigenous people, the Tshituka family decided to make the arduous and dangerous 2825km trek from Kinshasa to Johannesburg in search of a better life in 2002.

Fast forward to 2024, and the Tshituka brothers have managed to not only integrate perfectly into South African life but they have become two of the most recognisable and adorned sporting heroes in the country. And yet, after 22 years in South Africa, they are still officially documented as Congolese refugees, despite numerous attempts to gain citizenship.

DEAR HOME AFFAIRS: LET THE TSHITUKA BROTHERS PLAY

The fight with the South African government has just taken on another dimension and a new meaning now that there is more on the line than just official citizenship.

Tshituka’s are playing some of the best rugby of their careers this season for the Sharks and Lions, respectively, and based on form alone, they could well have been in the conversation for Springbok selection had it not been for Home Affairs’ bureaucratic procedures.

And with Emmanuel set to leave the Lions and link-up with his brother at the Sharks later this year, the Durban-franchise has already indicated that will be anything in their power to help expedite the process in order to allow the duo to push for inclusion in Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks squad this year.

If, by some miracle, the Tshituka brothers are granted South African citizenship soon, they could well become the players in the greatest storyline in Springbok history.

Dear Home Affairs, please let it happen.

Give the people what they want and rubber-stamp the Tshituka’s paperwork.

The South Africans were made to work hard for their bonus-point victory as they trailed until the final quarter before blowing Dragons away with three late tries.

While the match had hung in the balance for the majority of the 80 minutes, the Stormers replacements made all the difference as the visitors pulled away in the final stages courtesy of Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu’s late brace.

MATCH RECAP

The home side dominated territory and possession in the early stages and opened up an 11-0 advantage thanks to an unconverted try and two penalties. The Stormers fought back, but it wasn’t enough to give them the lead just yet as they went into the break trailing 11-10.

The Dragons outscored the Stormers 10 points to three in the early stages of the second half to put the visitors 11 points adrift on the scoreboard.

But that was as good as it got for the Dragons, as the Stormers got their act together and piled on the pressure and points to get into a match-winning position.

Angelo Davids sped over for his second try of the game before Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s two-try heroics put the contest to bed in favour of hte visiting side.

Apart from the tries scored, Manie Libbok’s flawless seven from seven display off the kicking tee played a huge role in the Stormers’ success on the night.

URC PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Stormers full-back Warrick Gelant was central to his side’s attacking efforts in the final quarter but crucially it was his alertness that created their first try which buoyed them after a miserable start.

DRAGONS V STORMERS SCORERS

Stormers — Tries: Angelo Davids (2), Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Conversions: Manie Libbok (4). Penalties: Libbok (3).
Dragons — Tries: Harri Keddie, Aaron Wainwright. Conversion: Will Reed. Penalties: Reed (3).

PLAYOFF PERMUTATIONS AND MATCH PREVIEW

It would be tempting to suggest that the plum fixture and most important one this coming weekend is the early Saturday afternoon shoot-out in Pretoria between the Bulls and the Glasgow Warriors. It pits the first-placed team against the fourth.

The Bulls have an inside lane for a top-four finish as they are currently in fourth place on the standings with 51 points – six ahead of the fifth-placed Stormers – and they will certainly want to make the most of their home ground advantage against log-leaders, Glasgow, who hold a seven-point lead over them on the table.

The hosts will be bracing themselves for a gruelling encounter against the Warriors, but they will draw inspiration from the fact they have only suffered one defeat at home this season. A victory would not only bolster their chances of hosting a quarter-final, but it would also keep them in the race for a top spot, which is still entirely possible.

The visitors have to win to stay ahead of Leinster and Munster in the race for top spot on the final log.

The Pretoria side have been superior on attack this season, but they will go up against the best defensive team in the URC, which sets the scene for a thrilling encounter.

The bottom line is that there is a lot on the line for the Bulls, not least because defeat will leave them vulnerable to the chasing Stormers in the race for four spots. Or for that matter, a clutch of other teams – the Stormers are six behind the Bulls, but Connacht, Ulster, and Benetton are tied together just one point further back.

Spit the dummy now and the Bulls, who finish off their campaign with a potentially tricky trip to Durban to play the resurgent Sharks, could find themselves not in the top four, but sixth or seventh.

MATCH DETAILS: BULLS V GLASGOW WARRIORS

Date: Saturday, 11 May
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Ben Whitehouse
SA Time: 14h00
TV: SuperSport

The crucial showdown will be played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, 11 May. 

Jake White makes five changes to Bulls’ lineup

Two changes are positional, while three are personnel changes ahead of the vital match.

Akker van der Merwe and Johan Grobbelaar have swapped places, with the former slotting into the front row at hooker.

Van der Merwe is flanked by Gerhard Steenekamp (loose-head) and Wilco Louw at tight-head to form the front row. 

Nortje comes into the second row to pair up with name-sake Ruan Vermaak at lock, which sees Reinhardt Ludwig move to the bench alongside Nizaam Carr, who makes way for Marco van Staden at blind-side flank. 

Elrigh Louw starts at openside once more as does Cameron Hanekom at eight.

The backline

Behind the forwards will be the halfback duo Embrose Papier and Chris Smith, with Papier at scrumhalf and Smith at flyhalf. The two will link the forwards with a retained backline from round 15. Kurt-Lee Arendse will run at left wing with Canan Moodie on the right side of the park whilst Harold Vorster and David Kriel are at centre and Willie Le Roux at fullback.

White has gone with a five-three, which sees Grobbelaar and Francois Klopper as the other two personnel changes in the matchday 23. Simphiwe Matanzima, Reinhardt Ludwig, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Jaco van der Valt and Devon Williams complete the 23 men reporting for duty.

The Warriors top the table heading into the weekend. Meanwhile, the Bulls are in fourth, seven points back.

While the Bulls cannot drop out of the top four this week, this match is one they will want to win.

Victory will enhance the Bull’s chance of securing a home advantage in the last four should they reach that stage.

Bulls team

VODACOM BULLS vs GLASGOW WARRIORS STARTING XV: 1. Gerhard Steenekamp, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 3. Wilco Louw, 4. Ruan Vermaak, 5. Ruan Nortje (c), 6. Marcon van Staden, 7. Elrigh Louw (c), 8. Cameron Hanekom, 9. Embrose Papier, 10. Chris Smith, 11. Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12. Harold Vorster, 13. David Kriel, 14. Canan Moodie, 15. Willie Le Roux

VODACOM BULLS IMPACT SQUAD: 16. Johan Grobbelaar, 17. Simphiwe Matanzima, 18. Francois Klopper, 19. Reinhardt Ludwig, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Zak Burger, 22. Jaco van der Valt, 23. Devon Williams

PLAYOFF PERMUTATIONS AND MATCH PREVIEW

With the log battle continuing to play out like it was scripted by someone with an appetite for high drama and suspense, a Stormers defeat (coupled with favourable results in this round for other playoff hopefuls) could see the Cape side lose its spot in the top eight on the log.

The Stormers may face a tough assignment playing away from home, but they will take comfort from the fact that the Dragons are second-last on the log with only three victories in their 15 matches so far this season.

The visitors will enter their clash against the Dragons as favourites on form and based on their log position, especially with their track record showing nine wins this season to three by the Dragons, which includes a morale-boosting 42-12 victory against Leinster two weeks ago.

That said, they will be careful about writing off the hosts, whose three wins were all at home in Newport.

With the Capetonians having scored 128 points more than their opposition this season and conceding 218 points fewer, they will target this match for a bonus point victory. The fact that they face a daunting task next week against Connacht in their second tour game will also certainly fuel their determination.

John Dobson’s men will be strong favourites, but they haven’t been great in Wales recently. A defeat now would seriously threaten their Champions Cup status, apart from ending any hope of a top-four finish, so the pressure on them is red hot.

The Stormers play on Friday night, as do Edinburgh, who are just outside the top eight currently, in ninth. Their South African coach Sean Everitt will be expecting full points against Zebre to launch them back into the top eight and a final push over the last two games.

‘WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE’, SAYS STORMERS SKIPPER

Speaking in during an online conference on Thursday, Salmaan Moerat reiterated the importance of the match in the context of their campaign.

“We haven’t been in this position before, where we’re on a tour and it’s a must-win tour for us, so we’ll treat it like a playoff. We know what’s at stake,” the Stormers skipper told reporters.

“We made it a bit hard for ourselves losing that Ospreys game but looking forward, it’s a very important tour for us.

“We all understand – players and coaches – the magnitude of this tour and what the possible permutations can work out to, so we know the importance of this game.

“Ultimately we want to host a quarter-final but the only thing that’s in our hands is getting the result. If we’re going to worry about this team having to lose or that team having to win and depend on other teams, then we’re in the wrong place.

“We’re in the right space of mind and focusing on ourselves knowing that we need the four points, worst-case [scenario] the five points.”

MATCH DETAILS: DRAGONS V STORMERS

Date: Friday, 10 May
Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
Referee: Chris Busby
SA Time: 20h35
TV: SuperSport

MATCH PREVIEW

The 11^th placed Lions will want to make up for their defeat against Munster in their last outing when they host the 12^th placed Cardiff, and with the team trailing Benetton by only five log points and the prospect of edging close to a possible playoff spot, they will have all the motivation they need to come away with a home win at on Saturday.

The Lions will also feel particularly confident of getting the desired result against Cardiff, because their home win record this season is far better than that of the Welsh side (the Lions have four more home wins).

The Lions’ attacking statistics will also boost their confidence as they have scored 424 points to Cardiff’s 311, which will also count in their favour as only two points separate the teams in terms of defence.

With the visitors out of the running for a playoff spot, they will, however, be driven by pride – something the Lions will be wary of when they take the field.

The Lions will be favourites, but the Ospreys showed on their recent tour that Welsh teams can no longer be trifled with, even on South African soil.

IT’S ALL ABOUT KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE FOR LIONS

Speaking in a Lions conference in the lead-up to the all-important game, assistant coach Barend Pieterse highlighted the importance of putting in a big performance this week while addressing the team’s inconsistency.

“We need to get as many points out of this week’s game, and then again next week. But the top-eight dream is still alive for us, and that’s genuinely something that we talk about and train for every day,” he told reporters.

“I mentioned it a few weeks ago before the Leinster game, we’re up and down and that’s been our season. Good game, bad game, good game, bad game…

“That’s something we have to look at, and something that needs improvement like yesterday already because if we want to be successful as a union and want to play in the Champions Cup, that’s something we need to be better at.”

MATCH DETAILS: LIONS V CARDIFF

Date: Saturday, 11 May
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Eoghan Cross
SA Time: 18h15
TV: SuperSport