URC PREVIEW: SA teams can help each other cement top four

DHL Stormers lock Ruben van Heerden said something this week that raised the eyebrows. He mentioned fourth as a possible final finishing position on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship log for his team, something that would secure an unlikely home playoff.

It’s not the overriding Stormers ambition as it depends on other teams helping them out. But with 10 points separating the currently fourth-placed Durbanites from the 10th-placed Capetonians, a big implosion from the Sharks could conceivably see the 2022 winners into the coveted top bracket.

Opportunity would then beckon even more so for fifth-placed Munster, which makes this weekend’s 15th round interesting - Munster are six points behind the Sharks and will be on the cusp of catching the Sharks if they beat the Vodacom Bulls in Limerick on Saturday night and the Sharks lose to Edinburgh in Edinburgh on Friday. Munster have some tough derbies to come so a Bulls win will really hurt their challenge for another finish in the top four (last year they finished top),

The #VURC returns with back-to-back weekends coming up 🍿

Just nine points separate fifth place from 14th spot 🤏 pic.twitter.com/afOz0x5F9W

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) April 15, 2025

A ROUND WHERE SA TEAMS CAN HELP EACH OTHER

So it is one of those rounds where the South African teams can help each other. And a Bulls win and Sharks win will pretty much confirm that both sides will finish in the top four as the gap between fourth and fifth will then be into double figures with just three games to play.

The SA teams helping each other theme is extended to beyond just the battle for a top-four finish. A Sharks win over Edinburgh will set back the currently eighth-placed team and aid the Stormers, who are two places behind Edinburgh but just one point behind them - 36 points against 35. The Stormers should be fancied to beat Connacht in Cape Town, so a positive result for the Sharks will help propel their coastal rivals into the top eight.

Once they get there that is where the Stormers should stay given their appetising run of home fixtures at a DHL Stadium venue they seldom lose at. But the Emirates Lions will nonetheless be doing the Stormers and themselves a big favour if they can knock over Benetton in Johannesburg. Benetton are seventh, on the same number of points as Edinburgh, so it could be a weekend of dramatic movement up the log for the two teams currently outside the top eight.

Indeed, “moving weekend” is probably the most apt description of what we should expect ovr th next few days as the URC, like it did last year, builds up to a thrilling conclusion of the league phase.

The current log standings appear after the game previews and predictions.

Vodacom United Rugby Championship round 15 previews and predictions

Edinburgh v Hollywoodbets Sharks (Edinburgh, Friday 8:35pm) 

The Sharks team will only be announced later on Thursday but Eben Etzebeth, Lukhanyo Am and Aphelele Fassi are all on tour and should bolster the side for the clash with a team coached by one of John Plumtree’s predecessors as Sharks coach, Sean Everitt.

Edinburgh were successful at their attempt at knocking back some South African pride when they beat the Lions and the Bulls in the Challenge Cup over the past two weekends and will go in with confidence but come on, while it won’t be easy for the Sharks, having their big guns back should galvanise them.

This is a game where the Sharks need to make a statement after some underwhelming performances starting with the big reverse against the Lions in Johannesburg at the beginning of March.

Prediction: Sharks to win by 8

Emirates Lions v Benetton (Johannesburg, Saturday 1:45pm) 

When the Lions started off their URC campaign like a house on fire and were unbeaten after three games you wouldn’t have predicted they’d get to this point of the season lying 14th. At that point they were talking about a top four finish. Top four is now beyond them, but a top eight finish is within sight - just.

Like the Stormers, they do have only home games to come, so a win over Benetton, which will lift them to 34 or 35 points, will put them strongly back in the hunt for what would be their first top eight finish. The Lions have become unpredictable, and so for that matter have Benetton, so it is a hard game to call.

Benetton do have a bit of momentum and did well in the Champions Cup plus their last visit to the highveld was a narrow loss to the Bulls in last year’s quarterfinal.

Prediction: Lions to edge it.

DHL Stormers v Connacht (Cape Town, Saturday 4pm) 

It looks like Salmaan Moerat will be back to lead and with Warrick Gelant also fit again Stormers coach John Dobson has some interesting selection calls to make at the back. This is a game where surely in an effort to accommodate both him and Gelant, Damian Willemse is moved back into the midfield.

The prospect of him forming a decision-making partnership with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the 10/12 axis is a mouthwatering one, although if Dan du Plessis plays we could see Willemse’s de-facto position being outside centre even if the numbers on the back don’t reflect it.

Suleiman Hartzenberg was disappointing at 13 against Ulster and if he is fit to play he should move back to the wing. The visitors are without Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen, plus their coach Pete Wilkins resigned this week. At home, the Stormers should be expected to take full advantage and bank five points.

Prediction: Stormers to win by 15 or more.

Ospreys v Cardiff Rugby (Swansea, Saturday 4pm) 

Cardiff have slipped from the top five to ninth in the last few weeks and could well be set back further by their ambitious countrymen, who have built some momentum in the middle stages of the season.

Prediction: Ospreys to win by less than 7.

Munster v Vodacom Bulls (Limerick, Saturday 6:15pm) 

This is a huge game for the Bulls, with their mission similar to the one that the Stormers failed at when they visited Ulster three weeks ago. They need to make a statement about their ability to win big games overseas, particularly as at some point of the playoff stage they are likely to have to travel.

The Bulls disappointed in falling short against Edinburgh last week in a different competition but this is a bigger deal - after Munster they are at the Scotstoun to play the champions, a venue where Glasgow Warriors seldom lose.

So these two games will make or break the Bulls’ quest for second place behind Leinster, and if they lose both, which they conceivably could, then a top four finish will become more doubtful.

Munster beat the Bulls in Pretoria last year so at home they have the edge.

Prediction: Munster to win by 7

Dragons v Scarlets (Newport, Saturday 6:30pm) 

The Scarlets lost ground when they lost to the Stormers but regained some of it when they came back from a big deficit to beat the Ospreys at Parc Y Scarlets.

This is an away game but the Dragons are the one team in this competition this year who have just never featured as a contender for a top eight finish. Given that it is a derby, the Dragons will push them but the Scarlets should win.

Prediction: Scarlets to win by 8

Leinster v Ulster (Dublin, Saturday 8:35pm) 

The beauty of the closely-fought log can be shown by the fact that Ulster were languishing in 12th place not long ago but after picking up five points against the Stormers they are suddenly sixth.

They were a bit of a bogey team for Leinster last year, beating them in league play, but Leinster showed their intent in the competition with the performances of their second string team in South Africa. At home they should win with something to spare.

Prediction: Leinster to win by 15.

Zebre v Glasgow Warriors (Parma, Saturday 8:35pm) 

Zebre showed some competitiveness in South Africa and both the Bulls and Sharks would love that to be extended to a win over Glasgow as it will help their respective quests to usurp Glasgow’s current hold on second position.

Zebre came close to beating the Sharks in Durban so it is possible, although highly unlikely. Particularly as Glasgow will be looking for a rebound following their annihilation at the hands of Leinster in last week’s Champions Cup quarterfinal.

Prediction: Leinster to win by 10.

Log situation:

1. Leinster 63, 2. Glasgow Warriors 54, 3. Vodacom Bulls 50, 4. Hollywoodbets Sharks 45, 5. Munster 39, 6. Ulster 37, 7. Benetton 36, 8. Edinburgh 36, 9. Cardiff 36, 10. DHL Stormers 35, 11. Scarlets 33, 12. Ospreys 33, 13. Connacht 33, 14. Emirates Lions 30, 15. Zebre 27, 16. Dragons 9.