UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
Leighton Koopman|Published
The Lions and Sharks will be desperate to get their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaigns back on track on Friday night (8.45pm kick-offs) when they face tricky away tests against Edinburgh and Cardiff respectively, as the competition resumes following a break for European action.
For the Lions, they have a mountain to climb in Scotland following a tough week during their Champions Cup debut. They lost to La Rochelle, but still fought valiantly despite dealing with the death of lock Hyron Andrews on Friday.
Now, it is all about bouncing back from their last two defeats and finding their rhythm again in the URC after opening the campaign with two solid victories. Their last match before heading overseas was against the Bulls in Pretoria, where they suffered a heavy defeat. That put them under pressure, however, captain Francke Horne then said that loss should not define their season.
It was a tough loss to deal with this past week, but the Johannesburg side will be looking to do justice to their captain’s words and the memory of Andrews. It will be a tricky match at Hive Stadium, but one they will target for a breakthrough overseas win.
Sharks seek another European away win
Coming off a strong Challenge Cup victory over Lyon in France, the Sharks’ Friday night assignment is at Arms Park in the Welsh capital, a notoriously difficult place to play.
However, the team will be boosted by the fighting victory they secured despite not having their Springboks with them. Their youngsters really put their hands up and showed that they can stand their ground even without their national players.
Now, they have to do it again. Another victory on the road will go a long way towards getting their URC campaign back on track and building momentum for the final match before the November Test break.
Bulls and Stormers look to stay unbeaten at home
For the Bulls and Stormers, a third home match in a row awaits, and it is the perfect opportunity to cement their places in the URC top four with one more match to come.
The Bulls will welcome Ulster to Loftus Versfeld (2pm kick-off), knowing that another home victory could strengthen their position among the competition’s leading sides. They will want to make the most of familiar surroundings and set the tone early against a side capable of making life difficult for them. With the business end of the opening stretch approaching, consistency will be key for the Pretoria outfit as they look to maintain their momentum.
Meanwhile, Cape Town will play host to Scarlets at DHL Stadium (4pm start), who have never beaten the Stormers before. The home side will be keen to keep that record intact and make the most of another outing in front of their supporters.
With the Cape side looking to remain firmly in the top-four conversation, a strong performance will be important, particularly with another round of URC action coming next weekend. They will want to combine their attacking threat with the kind of consistency that can carry them deep into the competition.