The United Rugby Championship (URC) returns with a full round of action this weekend, and in South Africa there will certainly be a massive focus on the battles between the Lions and Stormers, as well as the blockbuster clash between the Bulls and Sharks.
With the Bulls currently in third spot on the URC log, and the Sharks in fourth, this encounter is certainly one of the picks of the weekend.
Kick off in Pretoria is at 17:00 on Saturday, while the Lions and Stormers clash gets under way earlier in the day at 14:30.
This weekend of action is the start of the ‘Origin Round’, with the URC inviting teams, players and fans to celebrate the communities and people who helped launch the careers of hundreds of rugby players and coaches.
The URC will shine a spotlight on the identities of the clubs, schools and communities that do an incredible job of giving children the chance to first pick up a rugby ball and guide the lucky few good enough to reach the elite level.
HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LIONS-STORMERS & BULLS-SHARKS MATCHES:
Saturday, 15 February 2025
Lions vs Stormers at Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg – 14h30
Referee: Griffin Colby
Assistant Referees: Hanru van Rooyen, Stephan Geldenhuys
Television Match Official: Egon Seconds
Split Screen: Archie Sehlako
Bulls vs Sharks at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – 17h00
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: Morne Ferreira, Sean Muller
Television Match Official: Quinton Immelman
Split Screen: Christie du Preez
Lions
– Quan Horn and Henco van Wyk made five dominant carries apiece (joint-first) in Round 10. Henco van Wyk has made 14 dominant carries so far this season – more than any other Lions player.
– JC Pretorius won three turnovers (joint-first) in Round 10. He has won 12 (3rd) so far this season.
– The Lions have contested 20.8% (3rd) and retained 14.6% (2nd) of their restarts so far this season.
Stormers
– Leolin Zas has scored five tries (joint-second) so far this season. He has made 12 initial breaks (2nd), assisted four, and supported two.
– Ben-Jason Dixon has made the most tackles (91) for the Stormers so far this season – nine of which have been dominant (2nd).
– Warrick Gelant made 24 carries (1st) last weekend. He made more carry metres (127) and offloads (six) than any other Stormers players in a single match so far this season.
Bulls v Sharks
Bulls
– Cameron Hanekom beat nine defenders last weekend – the most in a single game by any Bulls player so far this season. He also made one line break and assisted another.
– The Bulls have averaged 28.7 kicks in play per game (2nd) so far this season. Of which, 8.3 have been contestable (3rd), and 4.4 have been retained (2nd).
– Harold Vorster made the second-most tackles (12) for the Bulls last weekend; two were dominant, and he missed none. He also won a turnover.
Sharks
– The Sharks conceded just three penalties in Round 10, the joint-fewest in a single game so far this season. However, they also conceded 14 unforced turnovers, the joint third-most in a single game.
– The Sharks had a ruck success rate of 97.6% (2nd) in Round 10; 51.8% of their rucks were in the opposition 22m (1st).
– 5.5% of the Sharks’ tackles have been dominant (1st) so far this season. They have made just 294 negative tackles (1st) and allowed just 81 offloads (1st).
HERE IS WHERE THE TEAMSS STAND ON THE LATEST URC LOG:
WHAT ARE YOUR SCORE PREDICTIONS FOR THE TWO SA DERBIES?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
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Src: TheSouthAfrican.com - https://rugga.co.za/rugby/urc-kick-off-times-for-lions-stormers-bulls-sharks/
