South African rugby faces a pivotal weekend in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship as three of the four franchises look to bounce back from defeats, while table-toppers DHL Stormers aim to maintain their perfect start to the campaign.
After a sobering Round 3 where only the Stormers emerged victorious, the spotlight falls on whether the South African contingent can reassert their dominance in what promises to be a defining fourth round of fixtures.
Stormers flying high in Italy
The DHL Stormers head into Saturday’s clash against Zebre Parma (20:45 SA time) as the tournament’s early pace-setters, boasting three wins from three matches. Their trip to Northern Italy presents an opportunity to extend both their winning streak and their perfect record against the Italian outfit.
The Cape Town-based side has been ruthless against Zebre historically, securing bonus-point victories in all four previous encounters. With their only defeat in the last eight URC matches coming in last season’s quarter-final against Glasgow Warriors, the Stormers appear well-positioned to maintain their momentum.
However, Zebre Parma arrive with confidence after winning their last two home fixtures and will be eager to bounce back from last weekend’s 24-0 defeat to the Ospreys.
Bulls face Galway test
The Vodacom Bulls confront arguably the weekend’s toughest assignment when they visit Connacht at Dexcom Stadium on Friday night (20:45). The Pretoria outfit, currently sixth on the log, carries painful memories of their previous Galway visit in October 2021, when they suffered a humbling 34-7 defeat.
Despite Connacht’s strong home record – losing just once in their last four URC home games – the Bulls can draw encouragement from their previous away victory against the Irish province, a convincing 28-14 triumph. The statistic that Connacht has won only one of their last seven fixtures against South African opponents provides further hope for the visitors.
Home advantage for Sharks and Lions
Both the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Lions return to familiar territory seeking their first victories of the campaign, with home advantage potentially proving crucial for their revival.
The Sharks welcome Ulster to Hollywoodbets Kings Park (16:00) carrying an impressive home record – just one defeat in their last 10 URC home fixtures. However, Ulster arrives as one of only three unbeaten teams this season, though their road record remains questionable after managing just two away wins last campaign.
The psychological edge may favour Durban, with Ulster having lost their last four visits to South Africa, despite their memorable 31-24 victory at Kings Park in February 2023.
Meanwhile, the Lions host Scarlets at Ellis Park (13:45) in what appears their most winnable fixture. Having struggled on the road in their opening three matches, the Johannesburg side has since reinforced their squad with loan signings from Suzuki Griquas and the Bulls.
The Welsh visitors arrive winless from two matches and with a poor recent record against South African opposition – just two victories in their last nine encounters. The head-to-head record stands perfectly balanced at 2-2, setting up an intriguing battle for supremacy.
Weekend fixtures:
Friday, 17 October
• Connacht v Vodacom Bulls, Dexcom Stadium, Galway (20:45)
Saturday, 18 October
• Lions v Scarlets, Ellis Park, Johannesburg (13:45)
• Hollywoodbets Sharks v Ulster, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban (16:00)
• Zebre Parma v DHL Stormers, Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma (20:45)
All matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport
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