URC PREVIEW: A Bulls win will boost the competition

Most of the other teams, and indeed neutrals who want to see an interesting league phase to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, should be hoping that the Vodacom Bulls follow up what the DHL Stormers did last week by inflicting a second defeat on the champions, Leinster.

The Irish side is in the country without its British and Irish Lions, who are apparently set to return next week, just in time for the Hollywood Sharks’ visit to Dublin. The team that lost so comprehensively in Cape Town last week was not the weak, academy strength side that suffered a record defeat to the Bulls at Loftus a few years ago, and it is a closer approximation to the second string team that won in Pretoria last year, sans Jordie Barrett and RG Snyman.

Ready for Round 2 😤

After an enthralling opening weekend the #BKTURC is back for a second serving of sauce 💫💨

Which matchup has caught your eye? 👀 pic.twitter.com/LXqH8xXArE

— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) October 1, 2025

The team at the DHL Stadium had Sam Pendergast and Robbie Henshaw in it for a start, and a clutch of other Ireland internationals. Most of their big guns though are at the back, and it was at forward where they were most comprehensively outplayed last week and where the Stormers laid their platform. So no prizes for guessing where the Bulls’ quest for victory should start.

Last year Leinster ran away with the league phase of the competition en route to comprehensively beating the Bulls in the final. Two early losses will prevent that from being the case this time, and introduce some early pressure. Teams like the Bulls, Stormers, Glasgow Warriors and Munster will be looking to profit from it by going ahead, but there are no easy games in this competition, as John Dobson would have reminded his Stormers players ahead of Friday night’s opening clash with the Ospreys.

The Sharks need to win against the Dragons later on Friday night to ensure they get something from their tour and don’t join Leinster in starting the competition on the back foot. The Lions too as they head to Parma to face a Zebre team that beat Edinburgh last weekend.

The best of the games not featuring SA teams is the one in Edinburgh between Sean Everitt’s team and Ulster but unfortunately the timing clashes with the last part of the Stormers game and the last part of the Sharks game.

SECOND ROUND VODACOM URC FIXTURES

DHL STORMERS V OSPREYS (CAPE TOWN, FRIDAY 19.00)

Being at their spiritual home was clearly a great feeling for the Stormers, who could easily have beaten the champions by more. Indeed, when they were just six points behind at halftime, Leinster would have felt they’d done well to keep themselves in the game. The Ospreys have been a banana peel for the Stormers in the past and the Stormers haven’t actually beaten them since the inaugural URC season in 2021/2022. But they have early season momentum and it should count for something.

PREDICTION: STORMERS TO WIN BY 10.

EDINBURGH V ULSTER (EDINBURGH, FRIDAY 20.00)

By their own standards, the past two seasons have been a struggle for Ulster, but they’ve had time now to settle in under a new coach and there is talk of a resurgence. They comfortably beat the Dragons last week, but Edinburgh, particularly Ednburgh away and an Edinburgh smarting from an unexpected loss to Zebre last week, could be tough to overcome. There have been some good, close tussles between these two teams down the years and this should be no different.

PREDICTION: EDINBURGH TO WIN BY LESS THAN 7

DRAGONS V HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS (NEWPORT, FRIDAY 21.05)

Sharks coach John Plumtree has moved Jaden Hendrikse back to his regular position of scrumhalf and is blooding young Jean Smith (it is his first game as a starter) in this game against the team that finished last in last year’s competition. The Sharks’ loss to Glasgow Warriors was anticipated, and the Durbanites, given how under-strength they are currently, arguably exceeded expectations. But this is a game they will need to win to be sure of getting anything out of a three match tour that ends with a visit to what should be a full strength Leinster next week. The Dragons have 14 new players and a physical pack. The Sharks have had some tough games against them on their home field in recent seasons, one of them in the EPCR Challenge Cup, but have usually clinched it in the end. This should be the same.

PREDICTION: SHARKS TO WIN BY 7

CONNACHT V SCARLETS (GALWAY, SATURDAY 14.45)

Connacht are in an ambitious mood this year under new coach Stuart Lancaster, who was in charge of England at their own World Cup 10 years ago. They started well with an 11 point win over Benetton, who have been challengers for much of the past few seasons, and should fancy their chances of making it two out of a two who had an encouraging 2024/2025 campaign but got outplayed by Munster at home last week.

PREDICTION: CONNACHT BY 15

BENETTON V GLASGOW WARRIORS (TREVISO, SATURDAY 18.30)

The 2024 champions didn’t always look that convincing in beating the Sharks last week at the Scotstoun but started to pick up some momentum towards the end. They will need to have that momentum for closer to 80 minutes against a Benetton side that should be desperate to win after last weekend’s loss away to Connacht. This could be a close game.

PREDICTION: GLASGOW TO WIN BY LESS THAN 7

VODACOM BULLS V LEINSTER (PRETORIA, SATURDAY 18.30)

This is a big one for the Bulls and their new coach Johan Ackermann, and arguably also for several other teams that will profit from seeing Leinster pegged back to two losses from their first two games. The Bulls took a while to get into their stride against the Ospreys last week and will need to shore up their defensive effort, even though last week Leinster ended up with nil. The Bulls saw young Cheswill Jooste play an impressive debut last weekend while there was also a very strong performance from hooker Johan Grobbelaar, who has become a bit of a forgotten man in that position in South African rugby but, together with the Stormers’ Andre-Hugo Venter, can’t be far away from a place in the Bok squad.

PREDICTION: BULLS TO WIN BY 12

MUNSTER V CARDIFF RUGBY (LIMERICK, SATURDAY 20.45)

Munster made a strong start last week against the Scarlets and are at home, so they will start as strong favourites against a Cardiff team that won against the Lions last week but tends to be much better at home than on the road.

PREDICTION: MUNSTER TO WIN BY BETWEEN 10 AND 15

ZEBRE V EMIRATES LIONS (PARMA, SUNDAY 16.00)

Zebre shocked Edinburgh last week and are up against a Lions team that should be under intense pressure for failing to make anything of any momentum they would have picked up by going full strength for the last few weeks of the Carling Currie Cup building up into this competition. The Lions beat Zebre in the first ever URC game played in Parma in 2021 so should have fond memories of that game. But this is a much improved Zebre team from that one, whereas any Lions’ improvement in that time is highly debatable.

PREDICTION: ZEBRE TO WIN BY LESS THAN 7