Sharks stun Stormers as Bulls and Lions grind out valuable URC results

SOUTH Africa’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign delivered plenty of drama over the weekend, highlighted by a statement victory from the Hollywoodbets Sharks, a gutsy away win for the Vodacom Bulls, and a frustrating draw for the Lions on tour.

The biggest shock came in Cape Town on Saturday, where the DHL Stormers saw their unbeaten home record come to an abrupt end. A disciplined and physical Hollywoodbets Sharks outfit produced one of their best performances of the season to claim a bonus point 30–19 victory at DHL Stadium, outplaying the hosts in key areas and silencing a packed crowd.

Friday night action saw the Vodacom Bulls dig deep in Scotland, staging an impressive second-half comeback to edge Edinburgh 19–17, while the Lions were left ruing missed opportunities after settling for a 24–24 draw against the Ospreys in difficult conditions in Wales.

The results had a noticeable impact on the standings. The Stormers dropped to second place on 36 points, with Glasgow Warriors moving to the summit on 39, although the Cape side still holds a game in hand. The Lions remain seventh on 24 points, the Bulls climbed to ninth on 20 points, just outside the playoff places, and the Sharks surged from 14th to 11th on 19 points.

Bulls show resilience in Edinburgh

The Vodacom Bulls produced a spirited second-half performance at the Hive Stadium to overturn a 17–5 halftime deficit against Edinburgh. After struggling to contain the hosts’ powerful forwards early on, the Pretoria side found another gear after the break.

Edinburgh struck first through Duhan van der Merwe before Ruan Vermaak responded for the Bulls. Further tries by Pierre Schoeman and D’Arcy Rae saw the Scots take control at the interval, but the visitors emerged with renewed purpose.

Johan Grobbelaar crossed shortly after the restart to keep the Bulls in touch, and sustained pressure eventually paid off when Marco van Staden powered over from close range to hand his side a narrow lead. Strong defence in the final minutes ensured the Bulls held on for a crucial away win and back-to-back victories.

Lions denied late in Wales

In Llanelli, the Lions and Ospreys played out an entertaining draw in a match where both teams scored four tries apiece. The Lions struck early through Francke Horn but found themselves under pressure for long periods as the Ospreys dominated possession.

Despite yellow cards and shifting momentum, the Johannesburg side showed character, with Horn completing his brace before halftime to keep the contest alive. Second-half tries from PJ Botha and Quan Horn briefly put the Lions ahead, but Daniel Kasende’s effort brought the hosts level.

Both teams had chances to snatch victory late on, including a missed kick at goal and a last-gasp Lions grubber that went unfinished, leaving both sides frustrated but forced to share the spoils.

Sharks end Stormers’ home dominance

The Hollywoodbets Sharks delivered a clinical performance in Cape Town, exploiting Stormers' errors and asserting themselves up front, particularly at scrum time. Early tries from Jason Jenkins and Jaco Williams gave the visitors a flying start, while Damian Willemse responded with two tries for the hosts to keep them in the contest.

Discipline proved costly for the Stormers, especially after the break, with repeated infringements leading to a yellow card and sustained pressure from the Sharks. Phepsi Buthelezi and Andre Esterhuizen added tries in the second half, while Jordan Hendrikse kept the scoreboard ticking with penalties.

A late penalty try offered brief consolation for the Stormers, but it was the Sharks who left with a deserved bonus point win and renewed confidence ahead of the teams’ rematch in KwaZulu-Natal next week.

The weekend underlined the competitiveness of the URC, with South African sides showing grit on tour and reminding the competition that no venue is guaranteed to be a fortress.