The DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls and Lions finished the first block of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in the top eight on the log, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks finally won their first game of the season as the competition takes a break for the November Tests.
The Capetonians are still at the top of the standings after a hard-fought 31-16 victory over Benetton in Italy on Saturday, with Jurie Matthee scoring 21 points for the visitors.
Earlier in the day, the KwaZulu-Natalians beat the Scarlets by 29-19 in Durban and while they were still not firing on all cylinders, Sharks fans would have been happy to see their team break their duck.
Jozi’s Pride were on fire as they dealt Ulster their first defeat of the season, scoring seven tries at Ellis Park on their way to a comprehensive 49-31 victory that moved the Lions into the top half of the standings.
The men from Pretoria came up short in a tough clash against the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland, where the hosts won 21-12 courtesy of a strong finish.
The DHL Stormers and Munster are the only unbeaten teams left in the competition and top the standings on 23 points apiece, with the men from the Mother City at number one courtesy of a better points’ difference.
The Vodacom Bulls (sixth on 14 points) and Lions (eighth on 11 points) are still amongst the top eight, while the Hollywoodbet Sharks (13th on eight points) have moved up on spot on the log.
The next round of Vodacom URC is on the final weekend in November, when the Vodacom Bulls and Lions clash in Pretoria, the DHL Stormers take on Munster and the Hollywoodbest Sharks face off against Connacht in Ireland.
Glasgow down Vodacom Bulls in competitive clash in Scotland
A costly final quarter denied the Vodacom Bulls the opportunity to finish their Vodacom URC tour with a second win in a row after they allowed a 12-7 lead to slip through their fingers with 30 minutes left on the clock, with the Glasgow Warriors winning this hard-fought encounter by 21-12.
The Vodacom Bulls defended well for most of the match to shut out the determined hosts, who came out guns blazing at Scotstoun Stadium as they strung together waves of attack early in the match.
Their efforts paid off with a try by Sione Tuipulotu in the fourth minute, but the men from Pretoria struck back strongly six minutes later with a stunning try by Stravino Jacobs from a well-timed pass by Willie le Roux. With the conversion attempt unsuccessful to add to two wayward penalty goal attempts, the visitors entered the break trailing by 7-5.
The 2024/25 runners up from Pretoria added their second try compliments of Le Roux eight minutes into the second half, with the conversion nudging them into a 12-7 lead.
They had a golden opportunity to extend their lead with a third try in the 60th minute shortly after Glasgow received a yellow card, but a knock-on in the lead-up to Kurt-Lee Arendse crossing the tryline denied them.
The momentum, however, swung in Glasgow’s favour in the final quarter as they were awarded a penalty try to reclaim the lead. A yellow card to Francois Kloppers handed the Scots a numerical advantage, and this paved the way for Nathan McBeth to touch down for a 21-12 lead with 10 minutes left on the clock.
With neither team able to add to the score in the closing minutes, Glasgow snatched the valuable victory.
Scorers:
Glasgow Warriors 21 (7) – Tries: Sione Tuipulotu, Penalty try, Nathan Macbeth. Conversions: Adam Hastings (2).
Vodacom Bulls 12 (5) – Tries: Stravino Jacobs, Willie le Roux. Conversion: Keagan Johannes.
Relentless Lions put Ulster away at Ellis Park
The Lions delivered their best performance of the Vodacom URC season with a 49-31 victory over Ulster at Ellis Park on a hot Saturday afternoon, handing the Irish province their first defeat of the campaign in round five.
The high-paced and entertaining match started with three tries in the first 10 minutes – two by the hosts’ SJ Kotze and Eduan Keyter, while Robert Baloucoune scored the first of his three five-pointers for the visitors – and although Ulster took at 19-17 lead at the break, the Lions refused to give up, despite losing Asenathy Ntlabakanye to the sin bin.
They took the lead a few minutes after the break courtesy of Ruan Venter’s try and a successful conversion and penalty goal by Chris Smith, and after that, the hosts never looked back.
Renzo du Plessis added his name to the score-sheet on the hour-mark after which the Lions put the foot down to score three tries in the last 10 minutes – by Henco van Wyk, Conrad van Vuuren and Morne Brandon – to ensure they leave with the victory.
Built on the foundation of a brilliant scrum and some enterprising attack, the Lions showed what they are capable of and will be keen to build on this performance after the international break in a month’s time.
Scorers:
Lions 49 (17) – Tries: SJ Kotze, Eduan Keyter, Ruan Venter, Renzo du Plessis, Henco van Wyk, Conrad van Vuuren, Morne Brandon. Conversions: Chris Smith (4). Penalty goals: Smith (2)
Ulster 31 (19) – Tries: Robert Baloucoune (3), James Hume, Dave McCann. Conversions: Nathan Doak (2), Jake Flannery.
Hollywoodbets Sharks break duck with gritty win over Scarlets
The Hollywoodbets Sharks finally secured their first victory of the 2025/26 Vodacom URC season, overcoming a resilient Scarlets side with a 29-19 bonus-point win in Durban on Saturday afternoon. They were leading 19-14 at the halfway stage.
The performance was far from perfect, marred by defensive glitches that kept the bottom-of-the-table Welsh side in the contest for over an hour, but the full five points will provide much-needed relief and momentum for the Durban outfit.
The match began with early promise for the home side when after just five minutes, a well-worked attacking move saw Vincent Tshituka crossing the line for the opening try.
Jean Smith, a late replacement at flyhalf for Siya Masuku, missed the conversion and the Scarlets swiftly responded, exploiting defensive frailties from their hosts as Johnny Williams set up a try for Springbok hooker Marnus van der Merwe, converted by Sam Costelow, to give them a brief 7-5 lead.
Soon afterwards Emmanuel Tshituka powered over for a try, converted by Smith, restoring the Durbanites’ lead at 12-7. However, a handling error allowed Scarlets Blair Murray to pounce on a loose ball and score, with Costelow’s conversion making it 14-12.
Before the break, the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ forward dominance, particularly in the set-piece, paid dividends as Lee-Marvin Mazibuko barrelled over, with Smith’s conversion giving them a five-point lead at halftime.
The second half mirrored the first, with Scarlets striking first. Tom Rogers slipped through few tackles to level the scores at 19-19 with his unconverted try.
Crucially, the Sharks finally broke the deadlock and secured the vital bonus point in the 48th minute when Springbok captain Siya Kolisi crashed over after sustained pressure.
Smith added the conversion for a 26-19 lead, while victory was secured in the 63rd minute when Smith slotted a long-range penalty goal, stretching the lead to a comfortable 29-19 margin and enough to secure them their first win of the campaign.
Scorers:
Hollywoodbets Sharks 29 (19) – Tries: Vincent Tshituka, Emmanuel Tshituka, Lee-Marvin Mazibuku, Siya Kolisi. Conversions: Jean Smith (3). Penalty goal: Smith.
Scarlets 19 (14) – Tries: Marnus van der Merwe, Blair Murray, Tom Rogers. Conversions: Sam Costelow (2).
DHL Stormers keep unbeaten run alive in Treviso
A personal haul of 21 points by Jurie Matthee paved the way for a first win for the DHL Stormers at Stadio Monigo in Treviso, with the three try 31-16 romp also keeping the South Africans at the top of the log after five Vodacom URC rounds.
Matthee kicked a penalty goal in the opening half, in which his team trailed 16-8 at the break and then scored 16 points in the second stanza, as the visitors recorded a deserving win on a heavy pitch.
The visitors started well, with Sazi Sandi scoring a second career try against the home side following a strong driving maul near the Benetton line. That good early start faded slightly though as the DHL Stormers started giving away penalties, two of which were converted by Jacob Umaga, handing his team a 6-5 lead.
Matthee claimed the lead back with his first penalty goal of the evening, but the ill-discipline continued for the visitors and Umaga kicked a third to take the lead back but when the Capetonians spilled a pass, a break-away try from the counter-attack by Louis Lynagh, followed by a successful conversion saw the hosts take a 16-8 lead at the break, with things looking ominous for the DHL Stormers.
They responded very well in an action packed second half, where new recruit Cobus Reinach showed some class and Zachary Porthenw showed why he was included in the Springbok tour squad last week.
The half belonged to Matthee though, who dispelled any fears that his side will struggle without Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. He kicked a second penalty goal and then stamped his authority with a try from a lineout move, with his conversion giving the DHL Stormers a lead they would never surrender.
In fact, they kept Benetton scoreless in the second half, with a fourth Matthee penalty goal and a converted try by Ruan Ackermann underlining fine win.
Scorers:
Benetton 16 (16) – Try: Louis Lynagh. Conversion; Jacob Umaga. Penalty goals: Umaga (3)
DHL Stormers 31 (8) – Tries: Sazi Sandi, Jurie Matthee, Ruan Ackerman. Conversions: Matthee (2). Penalty goals: Matthee (4).
Goatee Shield
In case of windy conditions during a match, the umpires may decide to have the bails removed to avoid having them blown off. They may also be replaced by heavier bails to keep them secure on the stumps. Although the bails may not be present, they are assumed to still be on the stump. It will then be up to the umpires to decide if the wicket had been broken or not.
Mental Prophet
Hanif Mohammad, a Pakistani player holds the record of longest innings for the test cricket match.