Biggest SA strengths and weaknesses

OPINION: With one round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship action remaining before the competition takes a break while the focus shifts to the Nations Championship, all teams will be gunning for positive results to end off on a high.

The Lions, currently 11th on the log after two wins and two defeats, will face the biggest challenge of theo South African contingent when they go up against former champions Glasgow Warriors, who are second on the log, at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night.

The Bulls are the highest-placed South African team in third, with the Stormers in fourth. Both teams are unbeaten at home and have banked 16 log points after three victories and one loss each, but the Pretoria unit have a superior points difference to their local rivals, 80 to 39.

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They will square off with Scarlets at Loftus and Ulster at Cape Town Stadium, respectively, on Saturday afternoon.

The Sharks are in fifth position on the log with 15 points after – like the Stormers and Bulls – dropping a solitary game in the first quarter of the competition. They face Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

We look at some of the four South African franchises’ biggest strengths and weakness from the first four rounds.

Stormers

Strengths: Attacking Creativity, Scrum

Only Leinster have won more scrum penalties than the Stormers, and while the Capetonians are second in the scrum column, no team has a higher success rate than them, 97 percent.

The Stormers have scored 19 tries, the second-most in the competition, and their attack has beamed with creativity and an attractive blend of youth and experience.

They have managed to bag big wins and look good while doing so.

Weakness: Lineout

In normal circumstances, the Stormers’ lineout could never be classed a weakness, but given how it completely disintegrated against Edinburgh and the bizarre injury crisis that struck them in the No. 2 position in the Scarlets match, which naturally left them without a functional lineout, it is an area of concern.

The Stormers are without four of their hookers, and the fact that they’ve since brought in double world cup-winner Bongi Mbonambi should see their lineout improve, although their lineout troubles in Scotland came down to more than just their throws.

Should they run into lineout issues again, the presence of Mbonambi among the replacements should prove valuable.

Bulls

Strengths: High-Octane Attack, Set-Piece

The Bulls were the leading attacking side in the URC last season and their ability to navigate the try line and score points has continued to sharpen.

While their attacking numbers are impressive, the Bulls have looked even better in motion.

They have the set-piece to win and retain possession and lay the perfect platform.

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They have won 95 percent of their scrums and 93 percent of their lineouts. They have also won eight against the throw, the third-most in the competition.

Their lethal loose forwards – with Cameron Hanekom leading the charge – constantly generate front foot momentum to set their devastating backs loose, while Curwin Bosch has brought a new playmaking element to their attack.

Weakness: Discipline

The Bulls’ bonus-point win over Ulster highlighted some issues in the their game that seemingly refuse to go away.

While Johan Ackermann probably had good reason to fume over some of the calls that didn’t go their way, the Bulls were their own worst enemies despite bagging maximum points against the Irish club.

They have also had some high-profile disciplinary issues, and their discipline, combined with their habit of making silly errors are factors that could cost them in knockout games, again.

Lions

Strengths: Scrum, Mobile and Athletic Loose Trio

The Lions had Edinburgh under the pump at scrum time and it should be a contest that favours them against Glasgow, too.

Glasgow won’t leave their first-phase defence to chance given Chris Smith’s boot, but with the likes of Siba Mahashe, Francke Horne, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, and Siba Qoma in their arsenal, the explosive Lions loosies can wreak havoc by punching over the gain line or linking and unleashing their backs after a dominant shove.

Weaknesses: Away Form, Lineouts, Defence

Last season, the Lions won eight of their home matches and lost just one, while their away record read very differently – two wins, six losses, one draw.

It’s a new season, but their main struggle remains, with Ivan van Rooyen’s men having lost two URC matches away from home as well as their Champions Cup debut against La Rochelle.

While the tragic passing of Hyron Andrews put the team in an unimaginable position having already had a massive challenge awaiting them at Stade Marcel-Deflandre, the Lions were also well beaten by the Bulls in Pretoria before the trip to France. Two weeks after the tragedy, they were defeated by Edinburgh in Scotland.

The Lions’ lineout was a major culprit in the Scottish capital as they lost six of their own throws, and while they have had their share of lineout troubles on tour as inaccuracies slipped in under pressure, their most recent lineout performance was the worst one. Needless to say, it’s an area that needs to be much more polished.

Then there’s their defence.

The Lions’ defensive stats are far from flattering, having reached a tackle success rate of just 75 percent after four rounds.

Against a team like Glasgow, one of the fastest and most dynamic attacking teams in the competition, the Lions will be punished for any defensive fragilities, especially on their 4G pitch, which makes things harder for a defending team even without any inherent defensive issues.

Sharks

Strengths: Character, Lineout, Combination of Boks and Youngsters

The Sharks are playing with new vigour under JP Pietersen.

Their performances so far this season, especially against Lyon in France, have showed their intent.

They have shown the kind of fight and never-say-die attitude to win matches that they wouldn’t have secured in previous seasons.

The Sharks boasting a blockbuster roster loaded with Boks is nothing new, but their talent-packed youngsters have been their weapon recently, with the likes of Zekhethelo Siyaya, Matt Romao, and Litelihle Bester some of their most impressive players.

That young energy combined with their experienced Boks form a lethal combination, and it doesn’t stop in the backline.

The Durban-based outfit possess a powerhouse pack headlined by their front row of Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit, the latter being on the bench this weekend, and their lineout has been a highly-efficient asset.

The scrum will be proper contest.

Statistically, Munster outrank the coastal South African side in the scrummaging chart after four rounds, having won 96 percent of their own scrums compared to the Sharks’ 89 percent.

The Sharks have won more scrum penalties in the 28 times they’ve packed down, however, with 10, while the Irish side have won eight scrum penalties in their 25 scrums.

Weaknesses: Injury Disruption

A Rolls Royce squad means nothing if you can’t enjoy its power, potency, and dynamism, and in past seasons, the team from Durban had been massively disrupted whenever their internationals had to report for Springbok duty.

The emergence and productions of young talent has instilled belief that they just might be able to produce a big season despite their Boks’ international duty.

For that reason, listing their injury situation as a weakness may be premature and even unnecessary, but the losses they have suffered cannot be understated.

Pietersen’s team now have to prove that they can overcome the disruption odds yet again – this time due to injury – and that they will be able to stay on this trajectory despite the necessitated reshuffling.