After a weekend of joy and dismay for the Sharks and Lions in Currie Cup action, all four South African sides will kick off their 2024-25 Vodacom URC this week.
It follows a delayed start due to the final of rugby’s oldest competition, where the Sharks edged the Lions 16-14 after Jordan Hendrikse’s last-gasp 59m penalty goal at Ellis Park secured the Durbanites’ first Currie Cup title since 2018.
The Vodacom Bulls, Lions, Sharks, and DHL Stormers now shift focus to round 2 of the fourth edition of the URC. The Lions will be eager to put last week’s disappointment behind them when the Pride host Ulster in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The Bulls follow with a clash against Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld, while the Sharks head to Galway to face Connacht. The Stormers, fresh off a 45-26 pre-season win over the Pumas, conclude the weekend against the Ospreys in Wales.
For the Herd, their 2023-24 URC campaign was a standout as the Pretoria outfit hosted the final, only to fall short against the Glasgow Warriors. Jake White’s charges also claimed the South African Shield with a second-place regular season finish.
HIGHLIGHTS: Saffas can’t save URC champs
The Lions endured an up-and-down season, finishing ninth overall after a strong resurgence despite early setbacks. The Sharks, however, struggled, with a dismal start that saw John Plumtree’s troops win just once in their first 11 games. They rebounded in the Challenge Cup, winning the EPCR tournament for the first time, but missed the URC playoffs.
The Stormers, South Africa’s strongest team in the first two URC seasons, had a tougher time last term, knocked out in the quarter-finals by Glasgow.
This week’s round 2 fixtures bring intriguing rematches. Last season, the Lions earned a losing bonus point at Ulster, the Bulls fell away to Edinburgh, Connacht narrowly beat the Sharks in Durban, and the Ospreys claimed a historic win over the Stormers in Cape Town.
The opening round of the 2024-25 URC season saw tight contests, with Ulster snatching an 85th-minute win against Glasgow, the Dragons getting the better of the Ospreys with a late converted try, while Benetton and Scarlets played to a 20-20 draw.
Munster held off Irish rivals Connacht in a 10-try thriller, Leinster secured a 33-31 win over Edinburgh, and Cardiff’s 22-17 victory against Zebre Parma was the biggest margin of the weekend.
Round 1 results:
Ulster 20-19 Glasgow
Benetton 20-20 Scarlets
Munster 35-33 Connacht
Dragons 23-21 Ospreys
Cardiff 22-17 Zebre
Edinburgh 31-33 Leinster
Round 2 fixtures:
Friday, 27 September
Glasgow vs Benetton (8:35pm)
Leinster vs Dragons (8:35pm)
Saturday, 28 September
Lions vs Ulster (12:55pm)
Bulls vs Edinburgh (3pm)
Zebre vs Munster (4pm)
Scarlets vs Cardiff (6:15pm)
Connacht vs Sharks (8:35pm)
Ospreys vs Stormers (8:35pm)
Photo: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
