SA teams aim for glory in what promises to be URC quarter-final thrillers
UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
Tighthead Wilco Louw and the Bulls pack will look to stamp their authority in the scrums early on against Edinburgh in their URC quarter-final on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld.
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A lot is at stake for the three South African United Rugby Championship (URC) sides in this weekend's quarter-finals.
After taking a backseat during the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup to focus on the URC, they must now deliver in the first round of knockouts to justify their decision to put their resources into winning this tournament.
For the Stormers, it’s a repeat of last year’s quarters at the Scotstoun Stadium (8.35pm start) where they’ll face defending champions, the Glasgow Warriors, for a place in the semi-final. They’ve been in Scotland for a full week of training and apart from the suspended Damian Willemse, the Stormers will have a full-strength side to compete.
It will be important for the Cape side not to go into their shells, but continue playing their brand of rugby even if they are not at home. They’ve been training in some cold weather, but fair weather is expected by kick-off. Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be a key player, but how the backline goes depends on what the forwards do on the day.
The Bulls and Sharks’ home play-offs will enhance their chances of booking their spots in the final four when they take on Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld and Munster at Kings Park, respectively.
It’s an early start in Pretoria (1.30pm kick-off) and could benefit the hosts against their less-fancied Scottish visitors. Their scrum, with Wilco Louw at the forefront, should be too much for Edinburgh, but if the Bulls get into a running game against their opponents, the Scotsmen will fancy their chances.
The Sharks owe their supporters a try-scoring play-off (6.30pm start) after some close games over the last couple of weekends. However, they are very aware of Munster’s play-off record and their ability to win games away from home.
They went three games in a row a couple of seasons ago to win the title against all expectations.
That makes them a dark horse for the clash and it’s something the Sharks must watch out for in the final knockout match of the weekend.