Hits & Misses: Resilient Sharks and costly casualties

OPINION: Round Four of the United Rugby Championship brought victories for the Bulls, Stormers, and Sharks, while the Lions went down to Edinburgh (10-31) at Hive Stadium as the hosts continued their unbeaten run to stay at the top of the standings.

The Sharks handed Cardiff just their second defeat in their last 10 matches at Arms Park (21-36) on Friday, while the Bulls and Stormers survived late scares by Ulster and Scarlets, respectively, on Saturday to secure 34-26 and 52-40 results to remain unbeaten at home.

In addition to the results, another highlight was the quality produced by youngsters across the South African franchises.

*Also read: ‘We need clarity’: Ackermann questions officiating in Bulls’ iffy win over Ulster

For the Stormers, Haashim Pead shone in his starting debut for the Cape side, while Markus Muller produced a solid, calm performance capped with a match-high three turnovers won in his first start for John Dobson’s team.

Yaqeen Ahmed was the best off the bench for the Stormers, while Zekhethelo Siyaya and Matt Romao were the Sharks standouts in Wales.

And then there was Luan Giliomee, who started the season strongly for the Sharks and continued on that path after switching to the Bulls.

While we zoom in on the youngsters who were on fire as the URC returned at the weekend, there were a number of other factors that contributed to the three-out-of-four wins for South Africa.

We look at some of the highs and lows from Round Four of the URC.

Continues below…

#NEWS: Double World Cup winner signs for Bulls 👇#Bulls #SouthAfrica #Springboks #URC #ChampionsCup https://t.co/zeUPlUTcHi

— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) October 25, 2026

Hits:

Sharks going the full 80

Last weekend, the Sharks denied Lyon a draw after the final hooter to steal a 40–33 victory in a dramatic EPCR Challenge Cup-opener at the Stade de Gerland in France. This weekend, they went the distance again to come away with another valuable win.

In the not-too-distant past, the Sharks would have easily chucked this kind of game, and possibly the most pleasing aspect of their last two performances is how they stayed in it and never stopped fighting.

Despite losing captain Andre Esterhuizen to injury in the first minute, with Phatu Ganyane, Jurenzo Julius, and Jason Jenkins also sustaining injuries in the match, the Sharks ran in six tries in the Welsh capital.

That injury disruption combined with the challenging, windy conditions, the hosts gaining a foothold towards the end of the third quarter, and the Sharks not making use of all their chances would have been enough to see the Durban-based outfit come short in seasons gone by, but not this season.

Their bench certainly brought a spark in the final quarter, but this team are clearly playing with more character and intent under JP Pietersen, and those are the driving factors being their early form.

Siyaya stretches sizzling streak

There is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to talented youngsters in the Republic, and Siyaya is right up there.

The Sharks fullback was excellent yet again as he showcased his most devastating attacking traits and combined them with superb kicking.

Bok prop Thomas du Toit’s try was a direct result of the youngster’s energetic influence, with his kick and chase laying the foundation for the momentum-swinger.

With the hosts holding a 21-17 lead with almost three quarters of the match gone, the 19-year-old put in an up-and-under and chased it down, piling the pressure on Cardiff, who spilt the ball.

Du Toit barged over the try line shortly after the visitors regained possession to flip the scoreboard again.

While that was one of Siyaya’s most valuable contributions, it was far from his only one.

His star shines brighter with every passing week.

Continues below…

He is a vital cog in the Stormers’ system 💯

Link to the story: https://t.co/eaZYeoDqtV

🌐#Rugby365 #STOvSCA #URC https://t.co/DZsmHR4Kxt

— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) October 25, 2026

Future Springbok halfbacks’ serving brilliance

Of all the good Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Pead delivered at DHL Stadium, none was more breathtaking than that try they combined for in the opening quarter.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s no-look pass to Pead, who came up in support after the Bok flyhalf’s linebreak, was a stunner, and while Feinberg-Mngomezulu probably could have gone the distance himself, the way the pair combined was superb.

Man of the Match Pead had a dream first start. Feinberg-Mngomezulu continued to work his way back to top form. Ahmed made sure his name wouldn’t be omitted from any “future” talks with that performance.

The Junior Bok commander came on after Seabelo Senatla left the field early in the second half and scored a brace of crucial tries in the final 10 minutes of the game when things were in the balance.

He was simply sensational as he delivered the kind of performance that should leave South Africans confident in the future of the No.10 jersey for years to come.

Miss:

Costly casualties

From a South African standpoint, just about the only real low were the injuries sustained.

The Lions’ defeat wasn’t unexpected given Edinburgh’s form this season and the fact that the Johannesburgers are traditionally poor travellers; they have not won outside of South Africa since beating Zebre in 2024.

The conditions were also terrible. So, no surprises there.

The level of injuries, though, were quite alarming.

The Sharks took a big Bok knock, while the Bulls were also dealt some big blows, with Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard suffering a hamstring injury and centre Sango Xamlashe and wing Cheswill Jooste undergoing HIAs (Head injury assessments).

The extent of the injuries to Esterhuizen and Pollard and their lay-off periods are yet to be confirmed, though the hybrid was on crutches and in a moon boot after leaving the field.

The Stormers, meanwhile, are facing a crisis at hooker after losing both Springbok Andre-Hugo Venter and Lukhanyo Vokozela in the contest.

Springbok Deon Fourie also left the field in the second half.

Given the injuries and JJ Kotze’s suspension, saying the Stormers are thin at hooker is putting it mildly.

The Lions also lost lock Etienne Oosthuizen, who was a huge defensive presence in Scotland.

Not an ideal situation for John Dobson’s team 🚨🤕🩼

Link to the full injury update: https://t.co/EFm1ERKWbV

🌐#Rugby365 #STOvSCA #URC

— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) October 24, 2026