After a historic weekend for the Sharks in European cup motion, the South African sides will renew hostilities within the final spherical of the league part of the Vodacom URC.
The Sharks turned the primary group from the Republic to win a Problem Cup ultimate, in addition to guide protected passage again to the Champions Cup subsequent season, with a 36-22 win in opposition to Gloucester in London on Friday evening.
Out of the race for a playoff spot within the URC, John Plumtree’s costs will deliver the curtain down on their season once they host the Vodacom Bulls at Kings Park on Saturday afternoon, after the DHL Stormers and Lions cross swords within the Mom Metropolis.
The Stormers held off a Lions fightback to win 35-33 at Ellis Park in spherical 1, whereas Akker van der Merwe and Stedman Gans scored two tries apiece because the Bulls hammered the Sharks 44-10 on 2 December.
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The SA Protect champion will likely be decided by this week’s derbies, with the Bulls main the cost on 20 factors, carefully adopted by the Stormers with 17.
In the meantime, the outcomes previous to every week’s break within the URC confirmed a top-four end for the Bulls who, after a bonus-point win in opposition to Benetton together with the Glasgow Warriors and Leinster’s defeats, are second on the general standings and will likely be enjoying for high spot once they head to Durban.
It additionally confirmed playoff in addition to Champions Cup qualification for the fifth-placed Stormers, as John Dobson’s males can not end decrease than seventh, and there could possibly be 4 SA sides within the 2024-25 version of the EPCR competitors if a collection of outcomes fall the Lions’ approach this week.
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If Ivan van Rooyen’s troops, at present in ninth spot on the desk, decide up a full home of factors in Cape City they are going to nonetheless end behind the Stormers as they gained’t have as many wins because the Capetonians within the occasion of a tie (at present 11 wins in opposition to 9).
However they are going to carry themselves forward of the loser between Benetton and Edinburgh, which can give them playoff qualification – and Champions Cup qualification will come their approach if Ulster are denied any factors by defending champions Munster in Limerick.
Spherical 17 outcomes:
Edinburgh 26 Munster 29
Zebre 18 Scarlets 32
Bulls 56 Benetton 35
Lions 44 Glasgow Warriors 21
Sharks 14 Cardiff 36
Ospreys 26 Dragons 13
Connacht 12 Stormers 16
Ulster 23 Leinster 21
Spherical 18 fixtures:
Friday, 31 Might
Leinster vs Connacht (8:35pm)
Glasgow vs Zebre (8:35pm)
Saturday, 1 June
Stormers vs Lions (1:45pm)
Benetton vs Edinburgh (2pm)
Scarlets vs Dragons (4pm)
Sharks vs Bulls (4:10pm)
Munster vs Ulster (6:15pm)
Cardiff vs Ospreys (6:30pm)
Photograph: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Pictures
