Stormers, Lions, And Bulls Chase Home Quarter-Finals
The DHL Stormers, Fidelity Securedrive Lions and Vodacom Bulls will all be hunting crucial victories in what promises to be a thrilling penultimate pool round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this weekend, with all three South African teams still in contention to host quarter-finals when the playoffs begin.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks, who are out of playoff contention, will meanwhile look to give their supporters something to smile about in Durban after a challenging two-week tour.
With only seven points separating the teams in fifth to ninth place, and eight of the nine teams still in playoff contention facing one another this weekend, there will be no room for error.
The action gets underway on Friday night when the log-leading DHL Stormers take on eighth-placed Ulster in Belfast.
Three fixtures will follow on Saturday: the seventh-placed Vodacom Bulls host bottom-placed Zebre Parma in Pretoria; the Hollywoodbets Sharks (10th) face Benetton (13th) in Durban; and the third-placed Fidelity Securedrive Lions take on fourth-placed Leinster in Dublin in what could be regarded as the match of the weekend.
While a victory for the DHL Stormers (56 points) would go a long way towards ensuring they enter the final pool round in pole position, the Fidelity Securedrive Lions, who are level on 53 log points with Investec Champions Cup finalists Leinster, face one of their toughest tests of the campaign as they look to keep their hopes of hosting a home quarter-final alive.
The Vodacom Bulls (49 points), who trail Leinster by only four points, will meanwhile look to capitalise on their home-ground advantage at Loftus Versfeld against Zebre Parma in their bid to break into the home quarter-final positions.
The DHL Stormers will be well aware that a slip-up against Ulster at the Affidea Stadium could see them tumble down the table, with only three log points separating them from Leinster. Adding to the pressure on the Capetonians, Ulster will be high on confidence after booking their place in the EPCR Challenge Cup final last week.
With a stronger attacking record and a significantly better defensive record than the hosts, combined with their desperation to finish the pool stages as the top-ranked team, the DHL Stormers will back themselves to build on their impressive showing against the Glasgow Warriors in their last outing.
John Dobson’s side will also be mindful that, although Ulster have won five of their seven Vodacom URC matches so far, they suffered disappointing defeats in their last two home games. The hosts will be eager to make amends after securing a valuable EPCR Challenge Cup home victory against the Exeter Chiefs last week. All of this sets the stage for an epic battle.
In Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls, who are on a four-match winning streak, will back themselves to beat Zebre Parma at Loftus Versfeld, especially considering the Italians have won only two of their 16 pool matches.
However, Johan Ackermann’s charges will certainly not underestimate the visitors, who have pushed some of the competition’s top sides all the way and will be eager to bounce back after heartbreaking defeats in their last two matches.
Adding to the Vodacom Bulls’ confidence is the fact that they will be playing at altitude at their fortress, while also boasting superior attacking and defensive records to their opponents. However, with the pressure of needing strong results in the final two rounds to force their way into the top four, they will need to be sharp and effective across the board while hoping a few other results go their way.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks, meanwhile, return to Hollywoodbets Kings Park to host Benetton in what will be their second-last appearance of the campaign. Although both teams have only pride to play for, the match should still produce a hard-fought contest.
The KwaZulu-Natalians, coached by JP Pietersen, will draw confidence from their superior attacking record. However, the teams are level on 402 points conceded, which could make for a tightly contested encounter.
The most significant South African fixture of the round will take place at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday when the in-form Fidelity Securedrive Lions, who have won their last six matches in the competition, face Leinster in a crucial battle for a home quarter-final spot.
The two sides are level on 53 log points, and a victory for Ivan van Rooyen’s men could see them secure a place in the top four heading into the final round, while a Leinster win would leave the visitors facing a far more anxious final week.
This match also pits the Vodacom URC’s most prolific attacking side, the Fidelity Securedrive Lions, against one of the competition’s strongest defensive teams in Leinster, who have proven dangerous throughout the tournament and have qualified for the Investec Champions Cup final.
Adding further intrigue, both sides have won 10 matches this season. For the Johannesburgers, however, this represents the perfect opportunity to deliver on the form that has propelled them up the standings in recent rounds.
A statement performance in Dublin would not only strengthen their chances of securing a home quarter-final, but would also send a strong message to the rest of the competition that the Johannesburgers are genuine playoff contenders.
Match Information
Ulster v DHL Stormers
Date: Friday, 8 May
Venue: Affidea Stadium, Belfast
SA Time: 20h45
Referee: Andrea Piardi
TV: SuperSport
Vodacom Bulls v Zebre Parma
Date: Saturday, 9 May
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
SA Time: 13h45
Referee: Ben Whitehouse
TV: SuperSport
Hollywoodbets Sharks v Benetton
Date: Saturday, 9 May
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
SA Time: 16h00
Referee: Ben Breakspear
TV: SuperSport
Leinster v Fidelity Securedrive Lions
Date: Saturday, 9 May
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
SA Time: 18h30
Referee: Hollie Davidson
TV: SuperSport
