The United Rugby Championship (URC) returned with a flourish over the past weekend after a two-week layoff due to the Investec Champions Cup.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) returned with a flourish over the past weekend after a two-week layoff due to the Investec Champions Cup.
There were some thrilling matches on display, epic derbies contested, and history made between long-standing rivals.
From a South African perspective, the Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks finished the round elated, while the Lions had to settle for a draw. The DHL Stormers were left licking their wounds after a mediocre performance on home soil.
ATR takes a look at the key talking points from the weekend and what they mean for each team.
Roos (38'), Mchunu (78')
Tries
Pollard (30')
Feinberg-Mngomezulu (33')
Penalties
Pollard (43')
JP Pietersen: The Sharks savior
The Sharks produced arguably their best performance so far this season to topple the Stormers 30-19 in Cape Town.
It was a first win in four attempts for the Durban franchise at DHL Stadium, and it broke the Stormers’ eight-match unbeaten run in the competition.
JP Pietersen’s men looked like a completely different outfit and played with flair and bravery and outsmarted the Stormers in almost every facet of the game. They dominated the set pieces (lineouts, mauls and scrums) but most importantly, conceded fewer penalties – 12 compared to the Stormers’ 15.
For the first time in a while, their Springbok stars stood up and were accounted for. Aphelele Fassi was magnificent alongside André Esterhuizen and the Hendrikse brothers (Jordan and Jaden), who were mature in their approach.
The forward battle was juicy. Both teams managed to win 100% of their scrum put-ins, but the Stormers struggled at lineout time, only retaining 12 of their 18 throw-ins.
Discipline was a massive issue for the hosts as well. They looked flustered and out of depth, and any attempt to penetrate the Sharks’ defensive line, more so in the second half, was battered away.
We learnt a couple of things about the Sharks this past weekend. They are a proper unit and will greatly improve under Pietersen. They’ve got players who are willing to go to war for the jersey. On their day, the Sharks can turn it up a notch, but they’ll need to back up that performance against the same opposition next Saturday.
Ackermann and Co. turning a new leaf?
Bulls supporters have every right to feel a sense of optimism after their side’s gritty 19-17 win over Edinburgh on Friday.
It was the Bulls’ second victory in all competitions and brought much-needed relief to head coach Johan Ackermann and his troops, who were facing heavy criticism.
I, myself, included, have been quite critical of the Bulls this season, but their last two performances, albeit not perfect, have shown promising signs.
Playing in tough and horrendous conditions, the Bulls had to come from behind for a second week running after trailing 5-17 at the halfway point.
They showed character and grit and played some smart rugby in the right areas of the field. Their scrum held up well, but defence is an area Ackermann will still be concerned about. The Bulls are still missing tackles too easily, and that needs fixing.
The penalty count was below 10 in this game, a key positive for the side considering the number of penalties they’ve given away in crucial matches this season. Awaiting them in round 10 will be the Lions in a Jukskei Derby. Revenge is on the cards after the Lions beat the Bulls 43-33 earlier this season.
The Bulls will ride the wave of momentum and look to right their wrongs on home soil after a successful fortnight on tour.
Lions must develop killer instinct:
Lions boss Ivan van Rooyen will be gutted with his side’s performance after they squandered an opportunity to seal a rare win against the Ospreys on Friday.
The Lions led late in the second half but allowed the hosts to level matters at 24-all with about 15 minutes remaining. It was a thriller of a clash in rough conditions, and Angelo Davids almost sealed victory for the South African side after the 80-minute mark.
It’s the second draw in as many weeks for the Lions after they were held to a 20-20 stalemate by Perpignan in the EPCR Challenge Cup a week ago.
There is a common trend, and it centres around the lack of killer instinct and the inability to close off games by this Lions team – something they need to address immediately.
They were poor defensively as well, missing 36 tackles to the Ospreys’ 26. The lineout and scrums functioned well, while the two yellow cards put a stain on their discipline sheet.
There are several work-ons for the Lions ahead of their clash with the Bulls on Saturday, and getting crucial log points, while claiming bragging rights, will be key.
| # | Team | PL | W | L | D | PD | BP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Glasgow Warriors | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 146 | 7 | 39 |
| 2 |  DHL Stormers | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 125 | 4 | 36 |
| 3 |  Leinster Rugby | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 59 | 7 | 35 |
| 4 |  Cardiff Rugby | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 7 | 35 |
| 5 |  Munster Rugby | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 34 |
| 6 |  Ulster Rugby | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 87 | 8 | 32 |
| 7 |  Emirates Lions | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | -8 | 6 | 24 |
| 8 |  Ospreys | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | -30 | 5 | 21 |
| 9 |  Vodacom Bulls | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | -30 | 4 | 20 |
| 10 |  Benetton Treviso | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | -65 | 3 | 19 |
| 11 |  Hollywoodbets Sharks | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | -48 | 5 | 19 |
| 12 |  Edinburgh Rugby | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 18 |
| 13 |  Dragons | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | -53 | 5 | 17 |
| 14 |  Connacht Rugby | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | -42 | 8 | 16 |
| 15 |  Scarlets | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | -66 | 1 | 13 |
| 16 |  Zebre Rugby | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | -138 | 4 | 12 |
