South Africa’s die-hard rugby fans will be glued to their seats on Saturday as the four domestic franchises go head-to-head in gripping local derbies in round 11 of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, which could have a big impact on the teams’ log standings.
The Lions will host the Vodacom Bulls in Johannesburg at 14h30 in what is set to be a thrilling Jukskei Derby, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks will welcome the DHL Stormers to Durban at 17h00 in their second successive Coastal Derby, where the result from Cape Town last week will serve as a massive motivational factor for both teams.
As things stand, the DHL Stormers (36 points) are second on the table, trailing log-leaders the Glasgow Warriors by three points, with Leinster, Cardiff, and the fifth-placed Munster hot on their heels.
Only four points separate the seventh-placed Lions (24 points) and ninth-placed Vodacom Bulls (20 points), with the 11thplaced Hollywoodbets Sharks (19 points) trailing the Pretoria side by only one point, meaning there could be a shake-up on the standings depending on the results.
The Lions will be determined to break their disappointing cycle in which they registered back-to-back draws in the EPCR Challenge Cup and Vodacom URC competitions when they take on the Vodacom Bulls, who also come off two morale-boosting away victories over Section Paloise (Investec Champions Cup) and Edinburgh (Vodacom URC), at Ellis Park.
Spicing up the clash even more, both teams have registered four victories in their nine Vodacom URC matches to date, although the Lions’ draw last week and extra bonus points have seen them top the Pretoria side on the table, while they will also look to build on their more effective attack in the competition to date, in which they scored 250 points to the opposition’s 211.
They will, however, be wary of the fact that the Vodacom Bulls have leaked 17 points fewer than them in the competition so far, and with two wins out of two at home in the showpiece, they will bank on their home ground advantage to see them double up on their 43-33 victory against the Pretoria side in Round 6 – a result that will undoubtedly boost their confidence.
That said, the Pretoria side have only won two of their six matches away from home this season – the last of which was their nail-biting 19-17 victory last week in Scotland – which will bolster their confidence going into the match.
Interestingly, the Lions have only suffered one defeat against a local team this season, while the Vodacom Bulls have yet to win one, which will set the scene for an entertaining match at the iconic stadium in Doornfontein.
The clash at Hollywoodbets Kings Park between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and DHL Stormers will be equally exhilarating after the KwaZulu-Natalians surprised the Capetonians on their home patch last week with a 30-19 victory, which brought their unbeaten run in the competition to an abrupt halt and resulted in them losing their first-place standing on the table.
The victory marked the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ second in a row following their comprehensive 50-12 victory against Clermont in the Investec Champions Cup, while the DHL Stormers’ defeat marked only their second across both competitions this season.
The Cape side will draw inspiration from the fact that they have won all four of their away games in the Vodacom URC to date, but they will certainly not underestimate the hosts, who have everything to gain in the final stretch of the pool stages as the scramble for quarter-final places intensifies.
The statistics may favour the Capetonians, who have scored 250 points to 186 by the Durbanites, and conceded 125 points to 234 by the home side, but last week’s result rubberstamped the fact that anything could happen in derby matches, meaning neither team will feel that they are the firm favourites going into the clash.
Meanwhile, the URC has confirmed that the Round 13 fixture between the DHL Stormers and Dragons has been adjusted, and will now be played in Cape Town on Sunday, 22 March, rather than the original date on 21 March.
Match Information:
Lions v Vodacom Bulls
Date: Saturday, 31 January
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
SA Time: 14h30
Referee: Morne Ferreira
TV: SuperSport
Hollywoodbets Sharks v DHL Stormers
Date: Saturday, 31 January
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
SA Time: 17h00
Referee: Christopher Allison
TV: SuperSport
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