The top South African headliners for URC derbies in Round Three

OPINION: The South African franchises will battle it out in two United Rugby Championship derbies on Saturday, with the Bulls hosting the Lions in a Jukskei contest at Loftus and the Stormers taking on the Sharks in a coastal affair at Cape Town Stadium.

Both home teams suffered defeats in Europe in Round Two, with the Stormers imploding against Edinburgh and the Bulls going down to Munster after a hard-fought fixture.

The Lions and the Sharks, on the other hand, made it two from two at their home venues against the Ospreys and Leinster.

With winning momentum and redemption on the line, we look at some of the most influential players from each side.

Stormers:

Damian Willemse

The Springbok star has been in sizzling form this season – from the Nations Championship to the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, he has been the globally dominant force in the No.15 jersey.

He comes into the starting lineup in place of Warrick Gelant, who has struggled to hit his straps in the Stormers colours.

If Willemse manages to deliver a performance remotely close to his Bok productions, the Stormers are guaranteed to be a hit from the back, from counter-attacks to high-ball prowess.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

The series against the All Blacks didn’t see the ultra-talented flyhalf at his best, and a return to form will have both the Stormers and Springbok coaching staff smiling.

He may have been far from his devastating best recently, but when he gets into gear, few can provide game-breaking moments quite like him.

Siya Kolisi

The Springbok skipper and “influential” go together.

He didn’t enjoy many opportunities on the ball thanks to the Stormers’ line-out woes at Hive Stadium, though it was not for lack of trying.

He is yet to play in a winning Stormers side since returning to the Cape after sitting out their URC opening match against Connacht and coming short against Edinburgh.

That alone should fire him up.

Andre Hugo-Venter

After the disaster that was the Stormers line-out that ensued after he left the field early in the second quarter, he will be one of the Cape side’s most important players this weekend.

The malfunctioning line-out was the biggest contributor to the Stormers’ loss in Scotland, and it wouldn’t be a push to say they probably would have won the game if they managed to operate their line-out effectively.

They wasted prime attacking territory and couldn’t get their dangerous rolling maul going, and if that’s one box checked come Saturday, they will have a much better shot at success against their coastal rivals.

Sharks:

Eben Etzebeth

He was poetry in motion when he came off the bench against Leinster and played a stunning part in creating Andre Esterhuizen’s try. And that’s not a description that’s often applicable to the imposing second-row forward.

Will he top his last performance in his starting role? He doesn’t even need to; just matching it, or even just coming close, will be a massive boost for the Sharks.

Ox Nche

He is the world’s most destructive loosehead prop, and his scrum battle against fellow international Wilco Louw is going to be a seismic, mouthwatering battle.

The Stormers have named an all-Springbok front row, while the Durbanites boast powerhouse Boks Nche and Thomas du Toit in the run-on side, while Vincent Koch will provide second-half impact off the bench.

Will Nche limit Louw’s damage, or will he be the one inflicting the pain?

Only time will tell, but it is guaranteed to be a titanic battle.

Edwill van der Merwe

He was one of the Sharks’ many stars in a man-of-the-match performance against Leinster, and the only objective he should have going into the match is producing more of the same.

Bulls:

Curwin Bosch

The 29-year-old conceded a charge-down try in Limerick last week after a botched clearance kick inside his own half.

The error proved costly, but Bosch will be determined to serve more memorable moments after making it clear that he still harbours Bok ambitions.

Jeandre Rudolph

The breakdown master scored a try off the wing against Munster and racked up numbers in the carries- and tackles-made charts.

He played off the bench against Zebre and started against Munster, and his impact was massive in both appearances.

From winning turnovers to gobbling up metres, Rudolph was sensational for the Bulls last season, and he is simply picking up where he left off.

Lions:

Ethan Adams

The youngster was one of the best performers against the Ospreys, with his thunderous runs and pace causing all sorts of problems for the opposition.

He came off the bench in his Lions debut against Leinster and started against the Ospreys, and now he will face a different kind of challenge in the Highveld derby.

Chris Smith

He was uncharacteristically off target with his shots at goal last weekend, and while his metronomic ways are a big part of his game, the flyhalf is much more than a bullseye boot.

His game management and tactical kicking will be vital in the Gauteng battle, especially against the bomb boot of Bosch.

Siba Mahashe

The thrill-a-minute flanker is one of the most exciting players in this promising Lions group, and his place among the replacements should give the visitors some second-half energy in Pretoria.

He has serious pace. He has raw athleticism and skill. And he has the work rate to neatly tie everything together.