SA teams to continue URC dominance in 2023
OPINION: After Round 10 of the United Rugby Championship matches, it is safe to say that this competition is set to be dominated by South Africa for years to come.
Round 10 saw Sharks and Stormers record empathic victories over Lions and Bulls in their South African URC derbies.
Both games were well supported by the local fans – more than 24 000 in attendance at Kings Park and 30 000 flocking to Cape Town Stadium.
In Durban, the Sharks secured a 37-10 win over the Lions.
The result is the Sharks’ fourth consecutive victory under new Director of Rugby Neil Powell – beating Ospreys (in the URC), Harlequins, Bordeaux-Begles (both in the Champions Cup) and the Lions (URC).
While it is a very impressive feat, the most significant win is certainly the one against fellow South Africans.
Ahead of the fixture Sharks loose forward Phendulani Buthelezi said it was a statement game and a time for the Durbanites to step up.
And they delivered.
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The Sharks overwhelmed the Lions without the likes of Springboks Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi, while Siyamthanda Kolisi and Jaden Hendrikse played off the bench.
Both took the field in the second half, with Kolisi scoring a try.
For the Lions, it was another failure against a South African team.
This fact – not having beaten a South African team in the URC for more than a year – is a major concern for coach Ivan van Rooyen.
However, the coach will sleep easy knowing that against Europe sides they are a different outfit.
They managed to beat the Dragons and Scarlets by more than 30 points, a clear indication of their attacking skills and how lethal they can be.
The Stormers turned on the style in their 37-27 win over the Bulls.
The Stormers outscored their rivals by four tries to three in a repeat of last season’s URC Final.
However, the boot of Manie Libbok proved to be the difference.
The No.10 went head to head with Johan Goosen and stole the show.
There was a lot of talk ahead and after the match, with Jake White’s selection policy making all the headlines.
Nonetheless, one thing is sure, the rivalry between the two sides is only good news for South African rugby.
Fueled by overcoming and outwitting each other, the Stormers and Bulls don’t lack any motivation or skills to yet again feature in a URC Final.
And while it is still early days, all four franchises are populating the top eight.
The Stormers are currently second in the standings, the Bulls are fourth, while the Sharks and Lions are sixth and seven respectively.
And while their Champions Cup and Challenge Cup initiation has been troubling with mixed-bag results, the four franchises – along with Cheetahs – have the ability to make a big impact in European competitions.
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