URC, ROUND TWO: Six players to watch
OPINION: The South African teams achieved a rare clean sweep in the opening round of the 2026/27 United Rugby Championship last weekend and will be looking to build on that early form.
The Stormers secured a 15-29 victory over Connacht in Galway, the Lions edged Leinster 27-26 in Johannesburg, the Sharks thumped Ospreys 41-24 in Durban, and the Bulls brought down the South African curtain with a 47-13 drubbing of Zebre in Parma.
The Stormers will chase their first win in Scotland when they take on Edinburgh at Hive Stadium on Friday night, while the Lions will look to build on their three-out-of-five record against the Ospreys when they host them at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Sharks will be hoping that history remains consistent given their run at home – they have lost just one of their last nine URC matches at Kings Park, while Leinster’s only victory in their last five URC away matches came against Ulster in Round 15 last season.
The Bulls will meet a much sterner test than perpetual cellar dwellers Zebre when they face Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday night.
While South Africa’s Round-One clean sweep as a whole was impressive, there were also a number of sensational individual performances across the various matches.
We look at six South African players to watch in Round Two.
Siya Kolisi
The Springbok captain didn’t run out for the Stormers in Ireland, although he was keen to take the field, according to head coach John Dobson, but he makes the list given that Friday night will mark his much-anticipated Stormers return.
The 35-year-old will feature for the franchise where it all started for the first time in more than five years when he starts at openside flank.
He may not be the Stormers captain, but it will be exciting to see what his presence and influence do for a team whose locker room alone makes them title contenders.
*READ: Dobson’s Springbok balancing act
Yaqeen Ahmed
Ahmed is another player who isn’t mentioned in here solely based on what went down last weekend. Instead, he makes the list because of the massive opportunity he has in Scotland.
With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse not yet on the Stormers roster after the grueling Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series and Jurie Matthee out after suffering an ankle injury, Ahmed will start at No.10.
The 20-year-old made his Stormers debut in the opening game of the historic series and produced a big one, while he came off the bench at The Sportsground last week.
His Junior Bok brilliance is well known, and now he has an indefinite opportunity in the absence of Matthee. And it all starts against Edinburgh.
Vusi Moyo
Moyo has experienced a rapid rise over the last 18 months.
From schoolboy to winning the Junior World Championship to making his Sharks debut and then his Springbok bow, big occasions aren’t unfamiliar for the 20-year-old.
And he now faces yet another one as the conductor behind the Sharks’ attack against the defending champions and perennial league dominators Leinster.
The Irish giants are, like the South African franchises, bleeding their Test internationals back into things, so they weren’t as stacked last week.
They will have a little more weight in Round Two with Ronan Kelleher and Josh van der Flier back in the mix, but the Sharks are well boosted themselves with the addition of their six Springboks.
While that should do the young flyhalf’s confidence well, he has shown immense composure despite his whirlwind of young career until now.
He was a standout against the Ospreys and another strong showing could guide the Sharks to their second European scalp in as many matches.
Luan Giliomee
The Bulls-bound Sharks fullback scored two tries in the opening-round victory, with his first try-line visit particularly impressive as it captured his most devastating attributes in one piece of play as he ghosted the opposition defence.
From that lethal acceleration, smooth footwork, and pace to his vision and timing that always have him in the right place at the right time, Giliomee is a dangerous – and no doubt marked – man.
There is a reason why he sparked future-Springbok talks so soon after his URC debut.
He may have got his senior shot amid an injury crisis, but he looked right at home and hasn’t stopped delivering scintillating performances since.
Erich Cronje
It was Cronje and his pride against Leinster.
His knife-like running saw him score two tries in the first half as he exposed Leinster defensively, while he also won a crucial turnover.
Something was almost guaranteed to happen every time the ball went his way, and that happened in abundance.
While there were stunning performances all around the park, the man of the match was the standout. And that says something given all the quality that was on show.
He was a magnet for all things positive and exciting for the Lions against Leinster, and if he can copy and paste his performance against the Ospreys, it’s going to be a long day for the Welsh outfit.
Stravino Jacobs
Electric footwork and powerful running were served like menu specials by the Bulls winger last weekend, and it will be exciting to see what he dishes up with more time on the ball when he starts at inside centre in Limerick.
Jacobs moves to the midfield to fill in for Harold Vorster, who sits this one out due to illness.
It remains to be seen how his stint at centre goes, but if it touches on his Round-One productions, it should be a good one.
