Moment of truth for three SA teams in URC quarterfinals
South Africa's three United Rugby Championship (URC) quarterfinalists face their biggest task of the season as they line up against top opposition this weekend.
The Stormers arguably face the toughest task of them all as they travel to Scotland to face the defending champions, Glasgow Warriors, on Friday. The Bulls and Sharks will have the luxury of home ground advantage against Edinburgh in Pretoria and Munster in Durban.
With the playoff stages wrapped up, there will be no room for error as all three teams eye semifinal places.
The Bulls, runners up in 2022 and 2024, will secure themselves a home semifinal if they emerge victorious, which will fuel their motivation immensely as they cast an eye further ahead as they attempt to reach the Grand Final for the second season in a row.
The Stormers will have unfinished business in their clash against the Warriors after suffering a defeat against them at Cape Town Stadium in the league stages — their third straight loss against the Scottish team, with the Cape side having last managed to win this encounter in 2022.
Inside the Monday morning gym session with Marcell 😅 never a dull moment 🔥
Prep is going well & we can't wait to see everyone at LOFTUS this weekend for our VURC Quarter Final clash against Edinburgh 🏆
🗓️ 31 May | ⏰ 13:30 | 📍LOFTUS
🎟️TICKETS ➡️ https://t.co/m0aR7qpPm9 … pic.twitter.com/C4LYQgiOB6
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) May 26, 2025
That the Stormers have won their last four URC games in a row will bolster their confidence, while Glasgow have lost their last three matches and will certainly look to bounce back.
The Warriors will draw inspiration from winning seven out of nine of their home matches this season, but the Stormers will draw comfort that three of those victories were by three points or fewer.
Glasgow have only won one more match than the Stormers this season, but the South Africans boast a better attacking record, with 39 more points scored than the opposition in their 18 pool matches. Glasgow have the second-best defensive record, with 17 fewer tries conceded than their opponents.
However, history has proven that anything can happen in playoff matches and the team that makes the most of its opportunities can emerge victorious.
Quarter-final incoming 💪
Beat the FOMO and get your #SHAvMUN tickets now at https://t.co/ZfYk916qw8 or from The Sharks Ticket Office. @vodacom #URC #SHAvMUN pic.twitter.com/sUqcftuG9M
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) May 28, 2025
The matchup between the Bulls and Edinburgh is expected to be hugely competitive, given the close contest between the sides earlier in the season where the Pretoria outfit emerged 22-16 victors at home in the second round. The Scots turned the tables with a 34-28 win in the EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinal.
With seven straight URC victories to their name and the team having suffered only four defeats this season, the Bulls enter the clash as favourites. However, they will be wary of underestimating Edinburgh, who, added to knocking the Bulls out of the Challenge Cup, have had a fair run of form too, losing only one of their last five matches, with one a draw.
In fact, their only defeat among those was against the Sharks in Durban by one point. However, Edinburgh will have to enter the match strong-willed to break their disappointing away record, which shows six defeats in nine outings.
Etzebeth's return after concussion concerns a boost for Sharks, Boks
'It was good to get that first 80 minutes against Scarlets under the belt.'
Sport
1 day ago
In stark contrast, the Bulls have suffered only one home defeat in the competition this season. The Pretoria team have won six more games than the Scots in the pool stages and have a better record on attack and defence.
At Kings Park, the Sharks will have to lift their quality immensely to come away with a victory and book their first URC semifinal berth when they line up against 2023 champions Munster. This despite the Irish giants having finished the pool stages three places below the Durban side in sixth place.
With the Sharks occupying third place and having suffered only one defeat at home this season, many would have punted them as outright favourites. However, they struggled to a 12-3 victory against the Scarlets two weeks ago and were under pressure to deliver a strong second-half performance against Ospreys a week earlier after entering the break 10-3 up.
The Sharks will be mindful that Munster have been marginally more effective on attack, though the Durbanites have been better on defence, which will set the scene for a gripping encounter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
8 hours ago
- The South African
Handre Pollard comes home, gears up for Bulls, Boks games
Handre Pollard has finally returned to South Africa, where he will be gearing up to join the rest of the Springbok squad and return to his home club, the Bulls. The flyhalf has been living and playing abroad for the last 5 years. He officially ended his season with Leicester Tigers last week, after he joined the UK club in 2022. On Instagram, Handre Pollard's pregnant wife revealed that he had finally returned to South Africa. The family – who are expecting their second child – are currently living with fellow Springbok RG Snyman and his wife, Saskia, at their Paarl home. Handre's contract with the Bulls kicks off on 1 July. This week, he will report for duty with the Springboks as they gear up for their July test series. Handre Pollard reunites with his son Hunter in Paarl. Image via Instagram: @marisepollard Meanwhile, fellow Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has praised Handre Pollard for his achievements in national rugby. He told the media: 'I know Handre is the GOAT, he's No 1. Handre has led us to two World Cup titles. That in itself is a statement. The calmness he brings to the group and the impact he has is unparalleled. It gives him GOAT status.' Sacha added that while he, Handre Pollard, and fellow Bok Mannie Libbok all hoped to don the number 10 jersey, there was no 'hierarchy' within the national squad. He continued: 'We don't really have a ranking, and we don't necessarily know what the planning looks like for the whole year in terms of who's going to play when. Who plays depends on the opponents and the game plan. It's nice because there's no hierarchy.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Jake White no longer in favour at the Bulls? — report
It would appear that the Pretoria-based team have already identified a possible replacement. Jake White, Director of Rugby at the Bulls, has led the team to three URC finals. Picture:Is Jake White's head on the chopping block at the Bulls? According to Afrikaans Sunday publication Rapport, the 2007 World Cup-winning coach, who has guided the Bulls to three United Rugby Championship finals without winning the trophy, has fallen out of favour with several players and coaches at Loftus Versfeld. White joined the Bulls in 2020, initially until the end of 2023, but he extended his contract beyond his initial stay. He helped the team win the Super Rugby Unlocked competition during Covid and also coached the side to three URC finals, against the Stormers, Glasgow and Leinster. White also oversaw the side winning the Currie Cup in 2020 and 2021. Rapport revealed on Sunday several players and coaches in the Pretoria team's structures are unhappy with White's leadership. The publication also stated that former Lions coach Johan Ackermann could be next in line to take charge of the Bulls. Ackermann is currently employed by SA Rugby, working with the Junior Boks. The former Springbok lock previously coached the Lions in Super Rugby and guided the team to finals in 2016 and 2017. He then coached at Gloucester in England before taking up a position in Japan. Ackermann and current Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone worked together at the Lions, when the coach turned the team into South Africa's strongest Super Rugby side after they struggled for years to make an impact in the competition.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Bok lock Lood de Jager still happy with his decision to play in Japan
The 32-year-old Springbok said he is very happy to have signed up for five years of rugby in Japan. Springbok lock Lood de Jager is still enjoying playing rugby in Japan after three seasons there, and is excited for the two more seasons on his contract. The 32-year-old said he has developed his game and gained invaluable experience in his time at the Wild Knights, which followed three seasons at Sale Sharks in England. Finances and family He explained that the financial prospect of playing overseas and the well-being of his family were factors in his decision to leave our shores after several successful years at the Cheetahs and Bulls. 'Especially with the wife and kids… If you aren't happy off-field, it really translates to on the field,' De Jager said. 'For me, I am happy with the decisions I made. I always wanted to experience playing in Europe, playing Champions Cup, playing Premiership, testing myself against the best over there. And before that, it's Super Rugby over here. You get to play against the best of Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.' He said the variety of experience had done much for his game and his spirits. That is why he is still open about his future, saying anything could happen in two years and he could stay in Japan, return to SA, or play elsewhere. He would go wherever he could still develop his game and keep his family happy. ALSO READ: Damian de Allende would love to end his career at the Stormers De Jager says rugby standard increasing in Japan 'Then Japan, I am really enjoying it over there. You get to develop different parts of your game around the world. Rugby is played differently. Everyone thinks a bit differently about the game and I think if you can take the best of all of that it helps you be a more complete player. He said while the standard of rugby has picked up in Japan, with world-class players and coaches pushing a more running-focused game, he would encourage upcoming players enjoying their rugby in South Africa to appreciate the United Rugby Championship as a platform to make a name for themselves. Still, he said it was great being back in the Springbok fold after being out since July 2023 because of injury. 'The easy part was being with good friends again. Seeing them again and being able to train with them, spend day to day in camp. It was great seeing the guys again and talking about old stories.'
