While the DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls, and Lions will look to kick on from their victories in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship last weekend to build on their campaigns, the Hollywoodbets Sharks will be desperate to end their winless streak in round five of the cross-hemisphere competition.
With the Springbok squad all set to report for duty in the UK on Monday for their five-week Castle Lager Outgoing Tour, the domestic franchises will be hoping to get the most out of their national players before the tour and build momentum in the competition.
The Vodacom Bulls will be the first local team to take the field when they line up against the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland on Friday, while three matches will play out on Saturday – the Lions take on Ulster in Johannesburg, the Hollywoodbets Sharks host the Scarlets in Durban, and the log-leading DHL Stormers are up against Benetton in Treviso.
The clash between the Vodacom Bulls and Glasgow Warriors is expected to be gripping, with both teams entering the match with three wins out of four so far in the competition, and only two points separating them on the standings.
The Scottish hosts, however, will back themselves to secure a victory after coming off an impressive 42-17 win against the Ospreys away last week, while the Vodacom Bulls had to work hard for a nail-biting 28-27 victory against Connacht in their second tour game.
The visitors from Pretoria, who return to South Africa next week, will draw inspiration from the fact that they have won three of the last five outings between the teams – the last of which was a 26-19 win at the Scotstoun Stadium.
Spicing up the clash, the Warriors have scored only 13 more points than the Bulls, but the visitors will have their work cut out on defence, in particular, as they have conceded 74 points more than Glasgow – an area that will be essential to keep alive their hopes of registering their fourth win in the series.
In Johannesburg, the Lions will be determined to build on their first win of the season, last weekend against the Scarlets at Ellis Park, but they will be wary of the threat Ulster pose as one of only three unbeaten teams in the competition following their morale-boosting 34-26 victory against the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban.
With Ulster in fifth place on the standings and the Lions on the lower end of the table in 11th place, and the Irishmen boasting a superior attack and defence – with the Lions having conceded more than double the points they have to date – they will enter the clash as favourites.
However, the home side will undoubtedly look to use the altitude factor to their advantage in their quest to recover from their disappointing start to the season, especially with the Lions having the luxury of playing back on SA’s shores in the next few weeks. The two teams have met four times before with Ulster’s only defeat being 22-35 at Ellis Park in September 2024.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks and Scarlets, meanwhile, will both enter their match in Durban with a sense of desperation after failing to win a match so far this season, which has seen them occupy 14th and 16th place on the log. This, however, will also fuel their determination going into the match, as one of the teams should finally break out of their losing cycle.
The Durbanites will draw inspiration from the fact that they have scored 67 points to only 39 by the Scarlets, while they also boast home ground advantage in the expected hot and humid conditions.
But they will have to deliver a solid defensive effort to shut out the visitors, who have conceded 20 points fewer in their campaign to date. The Sharks have only lonst once in the four previous clashes between the two sides, by 20-32 at Parc y Scarlets in March 2023.
The closing clash of the weekend between the in-form DHL Stormers and Benetton, is also expected to entertain as the Capetonians look to stretch their winning run to five matches, while the Italians will have their sights set on defending their winning run at home this season and bounce back from their heavy 43-0 defeat against Edinburgh.
But Benetton will have their work cut out as the visitors boast the third-best attack in the competition with 126 points scored in the first four rounds and only 23 points conceded to 72 and 98 points by Benetton, respectively.
That said, the DHL Stormers will be mindful of the fact that Benetton have won both the previous matches between the teams at Stadio Monigo dating back to 2021.
With a challenging encounter against the second-placed Munster lined up in Ireland next week in their final tour game, this match will also be vital for the Cape side to maintain their winning momentum.
Match Information:
Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls
Date: Friday, 24 October
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
SA Time: 20h45
Referee: Craig Evans
TV: SuperSport
Lions v Ulster
Date: Saturday, 25 October
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
SA Time: 13h45
Referee: Ben Connor
TV: SuperSport
Hollywoodbets Sharks v Scarlets
Date: Saturday, 25 October
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
SA Time: 16h00
Referee: Sam Grove-White
TV: SuperSport
Show Boat
Sport Trivia: In 2005, this South African made a record eleventh win at the Molokai World Surf Ski Championships, ten of which were consecutive wins. He has also won the South Africa Iron Man competition four times. Answer: Oscar Chalupsky – has also represented South Africa in the 1992 Olympics as captain and participant in the canoe team. He holds various South African and international titles.
Widow Curio
Jim Laker is the only bowler who took 19 wickets in a test match.