Following their victory over the Bulls at Loftus this past weekend, the Stormers will look to build on that winning momentum when they face the Dragons on Sunday in Cape Town.
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It’s a big weekend for South Africa’s four United Rugby Championship (URC) teams as the race to the playoffs enters its final stretch.
With just six matches left in the regular URC season, every point matters — and the margin for error is quickly disappearing.
In the latest episode of The Last Word on Rugby, the panellists take a look at the state of the URC for the SA sides, how the Stormers, Bulls and Lions are doing in the Top 8 and whether the Sharks will have enough in the tank to secure a knockout spot.
The Cape side looks best placed at the moment, sitting in a strong second place on the table and primed to secure a place in the playoffs. Their recent performance showed some resilience and clarity in their plan, and they seem to have found momentum at the right time. If they maintain their consistency in Cape Town over the next four games, a home playoff game is on the cards for the inaugural champions.
The Bulls and Lions, meanwhile, remain firmly in control of their own destinies.
Both sides have shown flashes of brilliance this season, but have also struggled with inconsistency. The coming weeks will test their ability to handle pressure, especially against tough opposition both home and away.
Stringing together wins now is non-negotiable if they want to stay in the top eight. The Lions enter their final stretch in uncharted territory and will want to show that they’ve learned from past mistakes.
For the Sharks, however, the road ahead looks far more daunting. They’ll likely need a near-perfect run-in, starting with Munster on Saturday, along with favourable results elsewhere, to break into the playoff positions.
While the task is steep, it’s not impossible — but they must start building some consistency, especially when it comes to selection. If the Sharks get things right, it is not far-fetched to dream of four SA teams in the URC playoffs.