Bulls loose forward Marcell Coetzee (right) rolled back the years with a superb performance against Munster.
Image: BackpagePix
The Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) delivered high drama and heart-stopping action in Round 15 as three of South Africa’s four franchises – the Vodacom Bulls, Hollywoodbets Sharks, and DHL Stormers – clinched thrilling victories to maintain their play-off hopes. But for the Emirates Lions, it was another bitter pill to swallow after suffering their fifth consecutive defeat.
Here’s how the weekend unfolded in one of the most pulsating rounds of the competition yet.
Friday night in Edinburgh brought a nail-biting finish, and once again, it was Springbok wing Makazole Mapimpi who played the hero.
With the clock in the red and the Sharks trailing 17-13, Mapimpi dotted down in the corner after a brilliant break and offload from Lukhanyo Am to snatch an 18-17 win at the Hive Stadium. The Durbanites had trailed 10-6 at the break and had to dig deep after yellow cards to Am and Eben Etzebeth in the second half saw them down to 13 men at one stage.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Sharks’ grit and composure saw them hang on – and ultimately break through – for their ninth win of the season. The victory keeps them in fourth place on the URC log with 49 points.
Scorers:
Hollywoodbets Sharks 18 (6): Tries – Aphelele Fassi, Makazole Mapimpi; Conversion – Jordan Hendrikse; Penalties – Hendrikse (2)
Edinburgh 17 (10): Tries – James Lang, Jamie Ritchie, Ewan Ashman; Conversion – Ross Thompson
It was a tough afternoon for the Lions at Emirates Airline Park as they crashed to a 42-31 defeat at the hands of a sharp and disciplined Benetton side.
The visitors flew out of the gates, scoring three tries in the opening 22 minutes and another just before halftime to take a commanding 32-17 lead into the break. The Lions did rally in the second half, scoring twice through Edwill van der Merwe and JC Pretorius, but it was a case of too little, too late.
Sloppy handling, poor decision-making, and missed opportunities cost the home side dearly. Even with three yellow cards shown to Benetton in the second half, the Lions couldn’t make their numerical advantage count.
The loss leaves the Lions languishing in 14th place with 31 points, and their playoff chances now hang by the thinnest of threads.
Scorers:
Emirates Lions 31 (17): Tries – Ruan Venter, Marius Louw, Edwill van der Merwe, JC Pretorius; Conversions – Kade Wolhuter (4); Penalty – Wolhuter
Benetton 42 (32): Tries – Jacob Umaga, Ignacio Mendy (2), Leonardo Marin, Federico Ruzza; Conversions – Umaga (4); Penalties – Umaga (3)
At the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, a blockbuster encounter between the Stormers and Connacht ended in dramatic fashion as the hosts held on for a 34-29 bonus-point win – thanks in part to a disallowed try in the dying seconds.
The standout performer? Springbok utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who delivered a man-of-the-match display and racked up a hat-trick of tries. His third, combined with tries from Evan Roos and Suleiman Hartzenberg, gave the Stormers the firepower they needed.
But it wasn’t smooth sailing. Connacht fought tooth and nail, matching the Stormers try-for-try, and nearly stole the win at the death, only to see their would-be equalising try chalked off for obstruction in the build-up.
The Stormers leapfrog into the top eight with the win, now sitting in eighth place with 40 points.
Scorers:
DHL Stormers 34 (26): Tries – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3), Evan Roos, Suleiman Hartzenberg; Conversions – Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3); Penalty – Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Connacht 29 (24): Tries – Shane Jennings (2), Conor Oliver, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Josh Murphy; Conversions – Jack Carty (2)
In arguably the most significant result of the weekend, the Bulls became the first South African side to beat Munster in Limerick. A late penalty goal from replacement flyhalf Keagan Johannes sealed a gritty 16-13 victory at Thomond Park.
The match was a fierce arm-wrestle. Marcell Coetzee muscled over for the Bulls’ only try early on, while Munster levelled the scores before halftime via former Sharks winger Thaakir Abrahams.
The second half remained cagey, with both teams exchanging penalties before Johannes stepped up with eight minutes to go and slotted the match-winner under immense pressure.
The win sees the Bulls consolidate their third-place standing with 54 points and adds to their growing confidence ahead of the play-offs. Impressively, they’ve now completed a rare "Irish Slam," having beaten all four Irish provinces this season.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls 16 (10): Try – Marcell Coetzee; Conversion – Johan Goosen; Penalties – Goosen (2), Keagan Johannes
Munster 13 (10): Try – Thaakir Abrahams; Conversion – Jack Crowley; Penalties – Crowley (2)
With just three rounds left in the regular season, the race for play-off spots is heating up. The Bulls, Sharks, and Stormers have momentum on their side, while the Lions will need something close to a miracle to crack the top eight.
Expect fireworks as the South African franchises head into the final stretch of the pool stages. The Bulls and Sharks look like sure bets for a play-off berth, while the Stormers are clinging to eighth place and can’t afford any slip-ups.
For the Lions, it’s time to dig deep, show their pride, and finish strong – even if the play-offs are now a distant dream.
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