URC, Round Three - Teams and Predictions

SATURDAY PREVIEW: The Bulls are on the hunt for their first elusive United Rugby Championship title, the Sharks want to improve on their first semifinal last season, and the Lions are in search of making their first play-off.

That is the scenario as the South African teams embark on Round Three of the URC, all away from home, this weekend.

On Saturday, log leaders the Bulls will do their best to stretch their unbeaten run in the competition.

Meanwhile, the Sharks and Lions will go in search of their first victories in a round that will see the return of a few Springboks from their triumphant Rugby Championship campaign.

The Lions are taking on Benetton in Treviso, the Sharks are facing off against defending champions Leinster in Dublin, and the Bulls are meeting Ulster in Belfast.

The Lions will be determined to bounce back from their heartbreaking 20-22 defeat against Zebre Parma last week when they face Benetton, who come fresh from a 16-14 victory over Glasgow, to power their way up the standings.

With only nine points separating the teams on attack and 15 on defence, this should also give them some confidence.

Benetton had an opening defeat at Connacht, followed by a fantastic 16-14 win over Glasgow Warriors at the Stadio Comunale. They won’t be taking anything for granted after having missed out on a quarterfinal appearance by just two points last season, and will be eager to keep the winning momentum going against the side they saw off 42-31 in Johannesburg in April.

Reflecting on their latest loss last weekend, Lions assistant coach Barend Pieterse said the coaching group was happy with their step up from the previous and had to make a few minor adjustments to their game plan.

“If we can fix the small mistakes, the results could look very different. There was improvement from Cardiff to Zebre, now we need to take the next step in Treviso,” he said earlier in the week.

“We felt that after the Cardiff game, the guys that came off the bench were really young and inexperienced, and then we sort of tried to get a little bit more experience off the bench for this (Zebre) game.”

The Lions have welcomed back Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg, and his presence could be just the boost the Joburg side needs.

“Krappie is here with us. He was actually here before we even arrived in Treviso, so he is well rested. He brings a lot of energy and new ideas to the team that he would’ve learned at the Boks. It’s great to have him here,” said Pieterse.

The match-up between Leinster and the Sharks is expected to be a humdinger, as both sides go in search of their first win this season. While Leinster come off two bitterly disappointing defeats against the Bulls and Stormers in South Africa, the Durbanites will also want to finish their tour on a high note following a defeat against the Glasgow Warriors and a deflating draw against the Dragons last week.

Plumtree on Etzebeth’s return: ‘With things related to family, I will leave it up to the Ulster game and see what his mindset is like’https://t.co/0AmcJRX8Sd

— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) October 9, 2025

They have been bolstered by the return of Springboks Makazole Mapimpi, Ethan Hooker, Bongi Mbonambi, and Vincent Koch.

The Sharks have won only one of their last five matches against Leinster, which may give the home side a vital mental boost.

Plumtree is expecting a huge physical onslaught from Leinster and is taking nothing for granted.

“That’s a big part of their game, and you need it if you want to dominate collisions and the set piece. Neither will function without physicality.

“We’re expecting them to up their physicality, especially with it being their first home game. Facing a strong Leinster team after a couple of losses adds a bit more spice to it. We feel like some fuel has been thrown on the fire.”

In Belfast, Ulster will have their sights set on building on their 42-21 win against the Dragons in their opening match before the postponement of their encounter against Edinburgh last week, when they line up against the in-form Bulls.

Ulster will need to put the disappointment of their round two postponement behind them quickly in the face of the challenge of a Springbok-loaded Bulls team.

Johan Ackermann has welcomed back Handre Pollard, Wilco Louw, and Canan Moodie into the fold ahead of their tour, which will offset the injury to Marcell Coetzee as the Pretoria side looks to add to their two-from-two record so far.

#SquadAnnouncement: Bok stars headline Bulls’ URC tour squad 👇#URC #Bulls #SouthAfrica #Springboks https://t.co/VndOoFYgp1

— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) October 6, 2025

Given the early-season form they’ve shown, as well as the arrival of so many Boks, the Bulls should be a hard nut to crack, even in Northern Ireland.

Pollard’s prowess in the expected wet conditions could be crucial to their cause, while Moodie is excellent under the high ball.

Stand-in captain Johan Grobbelaar said his team is fully aware of the challenge that awaits them at the Affidea Stadium.

“They are a physical side with great ball carriers, and they play a smart game,” Grobbelaar said.

“We’ll need to match their physicality and execute a strong rolling maul. If we can get our maul going and stop their momentum, we’ll be in the mix.

“They’re obviously one of the best sides in the competition, and out of two visits to Belfast, we haven’t won here yet – so we’re aiming for our first.”

On captaining the side, Grobbelaar said he is enjoying the responsibility in the absence of the injured Coetzee and the resting Bok, Ruan Nortjé. He added that the experience of the other players around him – including the returning Springboks – makes the leadership role easier to handle.

See below for Saturday’s teams and predictions!

Saturday, October 11:

Ospreys v Zebre Parma
(Dunraven Brewery Field, Bridgend- Kick-off: 15.00 UK & Ireland time; 16.00 Italy time; 14.00 GMT)

Prediction:

@rugby365: Zebre by nine points

Teams:

Ospreys: 15 Jack Walsh, 14 Dan Kasende, 13 Phil Cokanasiga, 12 Keiran Williams, 11 Keelan Giles, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Morgan Morse, 7 Harri Deaves, 6 Ross Moriarty, 5 Huw Sutton, 4 James Ratti, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Dewi Lake (captain), 1 Gareth Thomas
Replacements: 16 Lewis Lloyd, 17 Garyn Phillips, 18 Ben Warren, 19 Rhys Davies, 20 James Fender, 21 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 22 Tom Florence, 23 Iestyn Hopkins

Zebre Parma: 15 Giovanni Montemauri; 14 Lorenzo Pani, 13 Marco Zanon, 12 Enrico Lucchin, 11 Simone Gesi; 10 Martin Roger Farias, 9 Thomas Dominguez; 8 Giacomo Ferrari, 7 Iacopo Bianchi, 6 Guido Volpi, 5 Alessandro Ortombina; 4 Matteo Canali, 3 Matteo Nocera; 2 Giampietro Ribaldi, 1 Paolo Buonfiglio (captain)
Replacements: 16 Giovanni Quattrini, 17 Muhamed Hasa, 18 Juan Pitinari, 19 Franco Carrera, 20 Samuele Locatelli, 21 Nikolaj Varotto, 22 Luca Morisi, 23 Mirko Belloni.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Adam Jones (Wales) & Aaron Parry (Wales)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)

Benetton v Lions
(Stadio Monigo, Treviso- Kick-off: 16.00; 16.00 SA Time, 14.00 GMT)

Prediction:

@rugby365: The Lions just haven’t shown they are up to the task, so our prediction is Benetton by seven points

Teams:

Benetton:15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Louis Werchon, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Siua Maile, 1 Mirco Spagnolo
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Giosué Zilocchi, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 John Bryant, 21 Andy Uren, 22 Giuliano Avaca, 23 Filippo Drago

Lions:15 Quan Horn, 14 Eduan Keyter, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (captain), 7 Ruan Venter, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze
Replacements: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 RF Schoeman, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Jarod Cairns, 21 Nico Steyn, 22 Sam Francis, 23 Manuel Rass

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Filipo Russo (Italy) & Luca Bisetto (Italy)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Glasgow Warriors v Dragons RFC
(Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow- Kick-off: 17.30; 16.30 GMT)

Prediction:

@rugby365: Glasgow Warriors by 10 points

Teams:

Glasgow: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Kyle Steyn (captain), 13 Ollie Smith, 12 Sione Tuipoluto, 11 Jamie Dobie, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 George Horne, 8 Euan Ferrie, 7 Macenzzie Duncan, 6 Gregor Brown, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Alex Craig, 3 Fin Richardson, 2 Gregor Hiddleston, 1 Rory Sutherland
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Patrick Schickerling, 18 Musphy Walker, 19 Alex Samuel, 20 Max Williamson, 21 Angus Fraser, 22 Ben Afshar, 23 Dan Lancaster

Dragons: 15 Huw Anderson, 14 Fine Inisi, 13 Andeurin Owen, 12 Harri Ackerman, 11 David Richards, 10 Jac Lloyd, 9 Che Hope, 8 Mackenzie Martin, 7 Harrison Keddie (captain), 6 Ryan Woodman, 5 Seb Davies, 4 Levi Douglas, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Oli Burrows, 1 Rodrigo Martinez
Replacements: 16 James Benjamin, 17 Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, 18 Chris Coleman, 19 Matthew Screech, 20 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 21 Niall Armstrong, 22 tinus de beer, 23 Rio Dyer

Referee: Peter Martin (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Ian Kenny (Scotland) & David Sutherland (Scotland)
TMO: Mark Patton (Ireland)

Leinster v Sharks
(Aviva Stadium, Dublin- Kick-off: 17.30; 18.30 SA time; 16.30 GMT)

Prediction:

@rugby365:  Leinster by 10 points

Teams:

Leinster: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Jimmy O’Brien, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Ciarán Frawley, 11 James Lowe, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Fintan Gunne, 8 Max Deegan, 7 Josh van der Flier (captain), 6 Alex Soroka, 5 Ryan Baird, 4 Brian Deeny, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 1 Paddy McCarthy
Replacements: 16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Jack Boyle, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Diarmuid Mangan, 20 James Culhane, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Hugh Cooney, 23 Joshua Kenny

Sharks: 15 Edwill van der Merwe, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Lukhanyo Am, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jean Smith, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Vincent Tshituka (c), 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Fez Mbatha, 1 Simphiwe Matanzima
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Bathobele Hlekani, 20 Nick Hatton, 21 Ross Braude, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Francois Venter

Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant referees: Keane Davison (Ireland) & Dan Carson (Ireland)
TMO: Keith David (Wales)

Ulster v Bulls
(Affidea Stadium, Belfast- Kick-off: 19.45; 20.45 SA Time; 18.45 GMT)

Prediction:

@rugby365: Bulls by 12 points

Teams:

Ulster: 15 Jacob Stockdale,14 Rob Baloucoune, 13 James Hume, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Zac Ward, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 David McCann, 5 Cormac Izuchukwu, 4 Iain Henderson (captain), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Rob Herring, 1 Sam Crean
Replacements: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 Sean Reffell, 21 Conor Mckee, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 Jude Postlethwaite

Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Mpilo Gumede, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Nicolaas Janse v Rensburg, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johann Grobbelaar (captain), 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Juann Else, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nama Xaba, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 David Kriel, 23 Willie le Roux

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Andrew Cole (Ireland) & Padraic Reidy (Ireland)
TMO: Colin Brett (Scotland)

Cardiff v Connacht
(Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff- Kick-off: 19.45; 18.45 GMT)

Prediction:

@rugby365: Cardiff by six points

Teams:

Cardiff: 15 Cam Winnett; 14 Jacob Beetham, 13 Harri Millard, 12 Steff Emanuel, 11 Tom Bowen; 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Johan Mulder; 8 Alun Lawrence, 7 Dan Thomas, 6 Ben Donnell, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Josh McNally, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Liam Belcher (captain), 1 Danny Southworth
Replacements: 16 Daf Hughes, 17 Rhys Barratt, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 George Nott, 20 Taine Basham, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Ioan Lloyd, 23 Osian Darwin-Lewis

Connacht: 15 Sean Naughton, 14 Chay Mullins, 13 David Hawkshaw, 12 Cathal Forde, 11 Shayne Bolton, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Ben Murphy, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Sean O’Brien, 6 Cian Prendergast (captain), 5 Joe Joyce, 4 Darragh Murray, 3 Jack Aungier, 2 Dave Heffernan, 1 Denis Buckley
Replacements: 16 Eoin de Buitléar, 17 Jordan Duggan, 18 Sam Illo, 19. David O’Connor, 20 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 21 Matthew Devine, 22 Hugh Gavin, 23 Finn Treacy

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Ben Breakspear (Wales) & Lucas Yendle (Wales)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)