Bulls on the brink of ending Stormers' SA Shield dominance

SPOTLIGHT: There will be some silverware on the line in the final round of the 2023/2024 United Rugby Championship season.

That comes in the form of the four Shields (South African, Irish, Italian-Scottish and Welsh) that will be on offer this weekend.

In the South African Shield, the Bulls will have the chance to end the Stormers’ dominance.

Jake White’s side are sitting on top with 20 points, three points ahead of the Capetonians.

The Bulls and Stormers have both won four of their five games against fellow South African opposition.

However, The Bulls have done better in that bonus-point category.

A win against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday will secure the SA Shield for the Bulls.

They will also have the luxury of knowing the result of the Stormers v Lions fixture earlier in the day.

The Bulls could also have the chance to finish the round-robin phase on top of the overall standings if they win and Ulster do them a favour in the match against Munster.

The Sharks will be riding a wave of confidence back to South Africa after their 36-22 win over Gloucester in the Challenge Cup Final and it remains to be seen whether they will field their big names in that final clash.

Meanwhile, for the Lions, a win will not only secure their qualification for the play-offs, but it will also hand the SA Shield to the Bulls before kick-off in Durban.

Ivan van Rooyen’s side will enter the final round in ninth position with 49 points. They are also level on points with Edinburgh (seventh) and Benetton (eighth) who face each other on Saturday.

The Lions’ goal of reaching the last eight will make life tough for the Stormers who have already secured their play-off place.

However, they will still be eying a favourable position in the top eight after missing out on a top-four spot.

Looking at the other Shield conferences, Ulster are the top Irish team, but they are only two points ahead of Leinster.

Glasgow Warriors are five points clear of Benetton at the top of the Italian and Scottish Shield, while Ospreys have already secured the Welsh Shield as they are seven points ahead of Cardiff.

Final round United Rugby Championship games:

Friday, May 31:
Leinster v Connacht
Glasgow Warriors v Zebre

Saturday, June 1:
Stormers v Lions
Benetton v Edinburgh
Scarlets v Dragons
Sharks v Bulls
Munster v Ulster
Cardiff v Ospreys