Bulls and Stormers march on as Sharks stall and Lions fall in URC

SOUTH Africa’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) teams produced mixed results over the weekend, with the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers claiming back-to-back home victories, the Hollywoodbets Sharks grinding out a rain-soaked draw in Wales, and the Lions falling just short in Italy.

On Friday evening in Cape Town, the Stormers continued their impressive start to the season by defeating the Ospreys 26-10 at the DHL Stadium. It was a hard-fought win, with the Capetonians trailing 10-8 at half-time despite dominating territory and possession. Two tries from scrumhalf Kieran Hardy gave the visitors early momentum, but the Stormers’ response in the second half was spearheaded by fullback Wandisile Simelane. His decisive 59th-minute try, sparked from deep inside his own half, swung the contest. Paul de Villiers added the final score from a maul, securing another clean sheet second-half performance for John Dobson’s men.

Meanwhile, the Sharks were left frustrated after drawing 17-17 with the Dragons at Rodney Parade in Newport. The Durban side had the edge in the scrums, winning an 11-3 penalty count, but failed to convert their dominance into points. Tries from Marvin Orie and captain Vincent Tshituka gave them a half-time lead, yet Tinus de Beer’s penalty levelled the game in the second half. The draw ended the Dragons’ 18-game losing streak, and the Welsh club came agonisingly close to snatching victory when a last-minute attack ended with a knock-on inches from the try line.

Saturday night belonged to the Bulls, who thrilled their Loftus Versfeld supporters with a 39-31 victory over defending champions Leinster. The Pretoria side avenged their loss in last season’s final with a powerful attacking display. David Kriel scored twice, including a match-winning intercept try three minutes from time, while Willie le Roux and Stravino Jacobs also crossed the whitewash. Leinster hit back with four tries of their own but could not break the Bulls’ resolve in the closing stages. The result propelled Johan Ackermann’s side to the top of the URC standings after two rounds.

The Lions ended the weekend with heartbreak in Parma, going down 22-20 to Zebre in a nail-biting finish. The Joburg team mounted a brave second-half comeback through tries by SJ Kotze, Eduan Keyter, and Morne Brandon, taking a narrow lead into the final minutes. However, Zebre replacement Matteo Nocera crashed over in the 78th minute, and Martin Roger Farias coolly slotted the conversion to hand the Italian side their first-ever victory against the Lions.

After two rounds, the Bulls lead the log with 10 points, just ahead of the Stormers with nine. The Sharks sit in 11th place on two points, while the Lions are 13th with one point.

Next weekend, all four South African teams head north for round three. The Stormers face the Scarlets in Wales on Friday evening, while Saturday’s fixtures see the Lions take on Benetton, the Sharks meet Leinster in Dublin, and the Bulls clash with Ulster in Belfast.