Pressure rises on SA teams in Vodacom URC

April 16, 2026
332
Ultimate Rugby

The pressure on the four South African franchises in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship will reach fever pitch this weekend as they channel all their energy into qualifying for quarter-final spots and the best possible log positions for favourable playoff places in the fourth-last pool round of the competition.

The Vodacom Bulls will meet the Dragons in Wales on Friday, while three matches will play out on Saturday, when the DHL Stormers host Connacht in Cape Town, the Fidelity Securedrive Lions meet the Glasgow Warriors in Johannesburg, and the Hollywoodbets Sharks will wrap up the weekend’s action against Ospreys, also in Wales.

The DHL Stormers are currently in second position on the standings (51 points), trailing log leaders the Glasgow Warriors by four points, and they will be backing the fifth-placed Fidelity Securedrive Lions (43 points) to create an upset against the Scots.

Defeat for the Warriors in Johannesburg could see the Capetonians either finish the round level on log points with Glasgow or reclaim the top spot on the table if they win with a bonus point, if the Johannesburgers can deny their Scottish any bonus points.

Making a victory even more enticing for the Gauteng side, should Ulster defeat Leinster, they could power their way into fourth place, placing them in a good position to possibly secure a home quarter-final next month.

The eighth-placed Vodacom Bulls (40 points) will look to remain in the top half of the standings against the 15^th-placed Dragons, but they will brace themselves for a tough battle after the Welsh outfit defeated Zebre Parma in the EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final last weekend.

The 10^th-placed Hollywoobets Sharks (33 points) will be under immense pressure to beat Ospreys, who only trail them by one log position and three points, as they aim to keep alive their chances of sneaking into the top eight with only three matches remaining after this round.

The Vodacom Bulls will enter their match against the Dragons as favourites given their superior log position and eight victories to only two by the home side in the competition.

Although they have never lost to the team from Newport in their four previous Vodacom URC encounters, the Vodacom Bulls will be careful about underestimating their hosts, who come off two important away victories in the EPCR Challenge Cup playoff stages.

The men from Pretoria will draw inspiration from the fact that they have been far superior on attack, although their defence has only been marginally better, with the Vodacom Bulls conceding only 17 points fewer, meaning it could prove to be a thrilling encounter.

The DHL Stormers will also enter their clash against Connacht as the overwhelming favourites on form and with home ground advantage counting in their favour. Fuelling their motivation, they will also be determined to deliver a top-class performance in memory of their team manager Chippie Solomon, who passed on last weekend.

The Capetonians have an impressive home win track record, suffering only one defeat on their home patch this season, while they also come off three successive victories – a run they will want to build on.

With 11 victories to only seven by Connacht so far this season, and the DHL Stormers boasting better attacking and defensive statistics than the opposition, they will back themselves to come out on top if they play to their potential.

The Fidelity Securedrive Lions undoubtedly face the toughest challenge among the local teams against the Glasgow Warriors at Ellis Park, especially given the fact that the visitors have only suffered three defeats this season and currently top the standings.

The Johannesburgers, however, have been in fine form in the tournament recently, winning their last four home matches, which will bolster their confidence going into the clash. They will also draw comfort from the fact that Glasgow come off a heartbreaking 22-19 defeat against Toulon in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final and will face the additional challenge of playing at altitude.

Spicing things up, the men from Gauteng have scored 421 points to 389 by their visitors in the competition, although they will have to place a heavy emphasis on their defence to come away with a win, as Glasgow have conceded 188 points fewer, which has seen them claim the bragging rights as the best defensive team in the competition.

The battle between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Ospreys in Bridgend has all the makings of an epic battle, given their close log positions, the fact that the Durbanites have won only one more match than their Welsh hosts, and both teams under immense pressure to try to force their way into the top eight.

The men from KZN boast a better attack with 322 points scored to 293 by the home side, however, Ospreys have been marginally better on defence, while they have also remained unbeaten at home in their last four Vodacom URC matches. With nothing to lose for both teams, it should be a humdinger.

Match Information:

Dragons v Vodacom Bulls

Date: Friday, 17 April

Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport

SA Time: 20h45

Referee: Sam Grove-White

TV: SuperSport

DHL Stormers v Connacht

Date: Saturday, 18 April

Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town

SA Time: 13h45

Referee: Federico Vedovelli