Two captivating local derbies will have fans on fire on Saturday 31 January as round 11 of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) delivers fixtures that could dramatically reshape the log standings.
The Lions host the Vodacom Bulls at Ellis Park in Johannesburg at 14:30, for what promises to be a pulsating Jukskei derby, before the Hollywoodbets Sharks welcome the DHL Stormers to Durban at 17:00 in their second consecutive Coastal derby – last week’s result providing ample motivation for especially the Cape side.
The DHL Stormers currently sit second on 36 points, trailing Glasgow Warriors by three points, whilst Leinster, Cardiff, and fifth-placed Munster breathe down their necks. Meanwhile, only four points separate the seventh-placed Lions (24 points) from the ninth-placed Vodacom Bulls (20 points), with the 11th-placed Hollywoodbets Sharks (19 points) lurking just one point behind the Pretoria outfit.
The Lions will desperately attempt to break their frustrating cycle of back-to-back draws when they face the Vodacom Bulls, who arrive buoyed by consecutive away victories over Section Paloise and Edinburgh. Both teams have registered four wins from nine URC matches, though the Lions’ superior bonus-point haul elevates them above their rivals.
The Johannesburg side boasts a more potent attack, having accumulated 250 points to their opponents’ 211, yet they must respect the Bulls’ stingier defence, which has conceded 17 fewer points. The hosts will bank on their perfect home record, two wins from two, and their confidence-boosting 43-33 victory over the Bulls in Round 6.
However, the Bulls secured a crucial 19-17 triumph in Scotland last week, their second away win from six attempts. Intriguingly, the Lions have suffered just one defeat against local opposition this season, whilst the Bulls have yet to register a victory against South African rivals.
The Hollywoodbets Kings Park encounter promises equal drama after the Sharks stunned the Stormers 30-19 in Cape Town last week, ending their unbeaten run and toppling the Stormers from first place. The victory marked the Sharks’ second successive win following their 50-12 demolition of Clermont.
The Stormers draw confidence from their flawless away record, four wins from four, though they dare not underestimate hosts desperate for points as the quarter-final race intensifies. Statistics favour the Cape side, who have scored 250 points whilst conceding just 125, compared to Durban’s 186 scored and 234 conceded. Yet last week’s result confirms that derby matches defy form.
Saturday’s double-header guarantees unmissable entertainment as South Africa’s finest battle for supremacy.
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