How favours from rivals will boost SA's four-team URC play-off dream

OPINION: With no derbies in sight, the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers are ideally placed to do themselves and each other a favour in the final rounds of the URC.

The South African contingent completed a clean sweep this past weekend – for only the first time this season.

It’s not often that all South African teams win on the same weekend, and rarer still when all four claim maximum log points.

It’s been described as the perfect round in South African rugby circles, and it’s important to note that the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers also managed to deny their opponents any losing bonus points.

It’s understandable why this is so significant in the context of a particularly tight United Rugby Championship play-off race.

A single point could mean the difference between qualifying for the final eight – and for a place in the Champions Cup.

It could determine whether a team plays a knockout game in South Africa, or travels to Europe.

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Come the end of the league phase, the likes of Cardiff, Edinburgh and Munster may look back on this particular round as a turning point – as Cardiff and Munster may well have to travel for the play-offs, while Edinburgh may miss out altogether.

It’s a crucial phase of the season for the local teams, as all four have the opportunity to strengthen their respective play-offs bids – and to do a favour for Team South Africa in the process.

The Bulls thrashed Cardiff 40-7 this past Friday to strengthen their own position in the URC standings (eighth), and to reduce the gap between themselves and the Welsh side (who are currently fifth) to five log points.

While it certainly wasn’t their intention, the Bulls have done their Gauteng neighbours a favour when you consider that the Lions (seventh) are now only two points behind Cardiff in the standings.

Similarly, the Lions did the Sharks a solid when they thumped Edinburgh 54-17 in Johannesburg on Saturday. The Sharks are still outside the qualification zone (11th place) but are now six points ahead of Edinburgh (13th).

The Sharks’ 45-0 win against Munster could help the Lions and Bulls in the long run, as they attempt to climb the URC ladder and possibly nail down a home quarterfinal. Munster are only one point ahead of the Lions at this stage.

The Stormers will be pleased with the recent results in Pretoria and Durban.

While the Cape side claimed a much-needed 29-21 win over the Dragons on Sunday, the aforementioned results ensured that they finished the round six log points ahead of Cardiff and seven clear of Munster.

There are still five URC league games to play – and three of the South African teams will need to factor the European play-offs into their planning over the next few weeks.

That said, the opportunity is there for all four of South Africa’s teams to qualify for the URC play-offs for the first time in history.

Why does this matter, and indeed why should the Bulls care whether the Stormers nail down a top two spot (and a home quarter- and semi-final), and why should the Sharks support the Lions, who could potentially deny them a top eight place?

Over the first four instalments of the URC, even the leading teams have battled to rise to the challenge of winning knockout matches overseas.

There have been exceptions – such as Munster and Glasgow Warriors winning the 2023 and 2024 finals – but no South African has managed to lift the trophy after bouncing between the hemispheres in the play-off window.

Having all four South African teams in the play-offs is a best-case scenario, and not just because it increases the chances of a local side winning the trophy for the first time since 2022.

We’ve seen how the qualification of three local teams can mitigate travel demands in recent seasons, such as the Sharks playing the Bulls in the 2025 semi-final.

The Sharks went on to lose that clash 13-25, but that game in Pretoria was also always more winnable than a knockout in Glasgow, which the Stormers lost 18-36.

All four teams have to build on the performances in the recent round if they want to realise their play-off ambitions.

The Stormers will be gunning for a top-two place, the Bulls and Sharks will be desperate to make the cut, while the Lions will hope to qualify for the top eight for the first time in history.

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It may seem like their respective play-off destinies are in their own hands – and to be clear, they have to crack on and win the majority of their remaining matches.

And yet, all four could benefit from a little help from their South African friends in the coming weeks.

Consider the Sharks’ fixture against Cardiff this Friday, a must-win fixture for JP Pietersen’s burgeoning team.

A win will be the priority – but the Sharks could do the Stormers and both Gauteng teams a favour if they deny Cardiff any points and ensure that the Welsh side continues to slide down the table.

The Bulls could do a similar job on Munster, although the Irish side will be desperate to prove a point after such a poor showing in Durban.

A bonus-point win this Saturday is the best outcome for the Bulls, while another zero-point return for Munster serves the Bulls, Lions, and Stormers in the joust for quarter-final spots.

The Dragons gave the Stormers a fright this past Sunday, and the Lions will have taken note.

Cash van Rooyen’s side has to keep winning to stay in the play-off race, and will have targeted this game as a must-win at the start of the season.

Regardless of the Dragons’ improvements in recent months, the Lions can’t afford to blow this opportunity.

The Stormers could bolster their top-two hopes with another big win against Edinburgh this weekend, and ensure that the Scots continue to trail the Sharks in the race for a play-off place.

This tournament has proved anything but predictable since its inception in 2021, and there are bound to be a few upsets in the last five rounds of the league phase.

For now, the dream of four South African teams qualifying for the play-offs – and improving the chances of a local side winning the tournament – is very much alive.