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Do or die for SA teams in Vodacom URC quarter-finals

Published

1 year ago

29th May 2025

Keo

South Africa’s three Vodacom URC quarter-finalists face their crunch moment of the season in the first round of what all three will hope won’t be the last of their play-off efforts.

The DHL Stormers face the toughest task in playing the Glasgow Warriors in Glasgow on Friday, while the Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks will have the luxury of home ground advantage against Edinburgh in Pretoria and Munster in Durban, respectively.

With the playoff stages wrapped up, there will be no room for error as all three teams eye spots in the top four.

The Vodacom Bulls – runners up in 2022 and 2024 – will secure themselves a home semi-final if they emerge victorious.

The DHL Stormers will have unfinished business in their clash against the Glasgow Warriors after losing to them at the same stage last season. This season the Warriors also won against the Stormers at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.

The Capetonians have won their last four Vodacom URC games in a row, while Glasgow have lost their last three matches. Glasgow will be comforted from the fact that they have won seven out of nine of their home matches this season, but in three of those matches the margin of victory was by three points or fewer.

This is an attack versus defence match-up with the Stormers having scored 39 more points over the league season, while Glasgow have the second-best defensive record, having conceded 17 fewer tries.

The Vodacom Bulls versus Edinburgh is expected to be a close contest. Edinburgh beat the Bulls in the EPRC Challenge Cup play-offs and lost narrowly in the league stages of the URC earlier in the season. The Bulls won 22-16.

VODACOM URC HISTORY OF CLASHES BETWEEN THE BULLS AND EDINBURGH

The Bulls, on a seven match winning streak in the URC, are the favourites but Edinburgh are a team that has always troubled them. Edinburgh’s form has also been good with three wins and a draw in their last five matches in all competitions.

The Vodacom Bulls have lost at home to the Stormers and Sharks in the URC and were also beaten by Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup. They are certainly not invincible at Loftus Versfeldt.

In Durban, the Hollywoodbets Sharks will have to lift their quality of play to beat the 2023 champions Munster.

The Sharks have won their last two home matches against Welsh opposition but it was a struggle, especially the last round 12-3 win against the Scarlets.

Munster were strong in ending Benetton’s push for a Top 8 finish.

ALL THE VODACOM URC PLAYER AWARD NOMINATIONS

Vodacom URC Quarter-final Match Information:

Glasgow Warriors v DHL Stormers

Date: Friday, 30 May

Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

SA Time: 20h35

Referee: Andrew Brace

TV: SuperSport

Vodacom Bulls v Edinburgh

Date: Saturday, 31 May

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria