Big test awaits SA sides abroad in Vodacom URC
A big test awaits South Africa’s four Vodacom United Rugby Championship franchises as they all play abroad this weekend for the first time this season in a round that could boost their confidence immensely if they come away with the desired results.
Benetton will host the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Italy in the first of three matches on Saturday, which will be followed by clashes between Edinburgh and the DHL Stormers in Scotland, while Ospreys will take on the Vodacom Bulls in Wales.
The Emirates Lions and Dragons will battle it out in the last match of the weekend on Sunday in Wales, and all these results could have an influence on the log standings, where only six points separate the second-placed Glasgow Warriors and 13th-placed Ulster.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks will target their second victory on tour after losing by a narrow six points in their opening match against Connacht and then bouncing back with a tenacious effort against the Dragons last week to come away with a valuable 33-30 victory.
These results will certainly boost their confidence against a desperate Benetton side, who are currently languishing at the foot of the log after playing to a 30-30 draw against the Scarlets at home in their opening match before going down 42-10 against Glasgow away and 35-5 against log-leaders Leinster in Italy last week.
The KwaZulu-Natalians’ confidence will be compounded by the fact that they have scored 28 more points in their two matches to date to Benetton’s three, while their defence has also been superior with 66 points conceded to Benetton’s 97.
They will, however, be mindful of the fact that they suffered defeats in their last two outings against the Italians on their home patch – the last by a single point in May – with the Durbanites’ only victory against the Italians in Durban in 2022.
In Scotland, Edinburgh are back home after a two-week tour to South Africa, and this will fuel their motivation to earn their first win of the season, especially after going down by only two points against Leinster at home in their season-opener.
The DHL Stormers, in turn, will be expecting a tougher encounter this week after having to show immense patience to beat Zebre Parma last week, and they will have the extra motivation of finishing off their tour on a high note, especially since points away from home have proven to be invaluable in the last few seasons.
Interestingly, Edinburgh have scored only eight more points than the Cape side with an extra game to their name, but the visitors will bank heavily on their effective defence to give them an edge with 68 points fewer conceded in the competition.
Adding to this, they have never suffered a defeat against Edinburgh in the competition, with DHL Stormers winning the last three matches between them and playing to a 20-20 draw back in 2021.
The Vodacom Bulls, in turn, will look to start their tour on a high as they seek their third victory in a row and try to take advantage of Ospreys’ dented spirits after their one-sided 23-0 defeat against Munster last week.
The Pretoria outfit are only one point short of a full house of points in their first two games – albeit at their fortress Loftus – but they will be wary of the Welsh side, who went down by a narrow two points against the Dragons away in their first game this season before beating the DHL Stormers by 37-24.
They will, however, be aware of the fact that the hosts are capable of delivering a far better performance than their 23-0 drubbing against Munster last week, which they will still be hurting from, and this will certainly fuel their motivation to make a strong a strong statement and possibly jump into the top eight on the table.
The Vodacom Bulls, however, will have all the motivation they need to register a victory, as it would not only set them in good stead for their upcoming matches against the Scarlets and Benetton – which they will back themselves to win, especially with those two teams currently ranked in the bottom three on the table – but a win would ensure that they remain in the top eight.
Boosting the Vodacom Bulls’ confidence, they will enter the match with better statistics on attack and defence – something they will look to build on this week – while they will also look to stretch their winning streak against Ospreys to four matches after beating them home and away since 2022.
The Emirates Lions, who are currently SA’s top ranked team in sixth place on the table, find themselves in a similar position to the Vodacom Bulls as they prepare to face the Dragons in Newport on Sunday, with the Gautengers boasting two bonus-point wins in as many matches – a start they will be eager to build on this week.
They will, however, be wary of the Dragons, who have delivered encouraging performances with a two-point defeat against Ospreys and a heart-breaking defeat at the death against the Hollywoodbets Sharks last week. In fact, their only really disappointing result so far this season was their 34-6 defeat against log-leaders Leinster in Ireland.
The Welsh club will not underestimate the Johannesburgers, who have scored 90 points in their two matches this season to the Dragons’ 59 in three matches and who have conceded 45 points less in their matches to date, which will set the scene for a gripping encounter.
The Emirates Lions have had the upper hand over the Dragons in the last few seasons, winning all three of their matches since 2022 – an impressive track record they would like to build on.
Match information:
Benetton v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Date: Saturday, 12 October
Venue: Stadio Monigo, Treviso
SA Time: 16h00
Referee: Sam Grove-White
TV: SuperSport
Edinburgh v DHL Stormers
Date: Saturday, 12 October
Venue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
SA Time: 18h15
Referee: Ben Whitehouse
TV: SuperSport
Ospreys v Vodacom Bulls
Date: Saturday, 12 October
Venue: Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea
SA Time: 20h35
Referee: Eoghan Cross
TV: SuperSport
Dragons v Emirates Lions
Date: Sunday, 13 October
Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
SA Time: 15h30
Referee: Fillipo Russo
TV: SuperSport
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