The DHL Stormers host the Vodacom Bulls and the Sharks travel to Dublin to face Leinster in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship playoffs this week.
The Stormers registered a bonus-point 38-22 victory against Benetton in Stellenbosch in the final round of league competition to give the defending champions the best possible chance of securing a spot in the top two, but their hopes of achieving this were dashed when second-placed Ulster beat Edinburgh.
The Bulls finished the pool stages in sixth position following their comprehensive 62-7 victory against log-leaders Leinster in Pretoria, while the Sharks – in eighth place on the standings – were forced to settle for a 22-22 draw against Munster in Durban, but they were already guaranteed of a quarter-final place when they entered the field.
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These results also saw the Stormers and Bulls seal their places in the Champions Cup next season.
The 2023 URC playoffs kick off on Friday in Belfast where Ulster face Connacht at Kingspan Stadium before the Saturday slate begins at Cape Town Stadium where the Stormers take on the Bulls in a rematch of last season’s inaugural URC final.
No 1-ranked Leinster are set to lock horns with the Sharks at the Aviva Stadium in what will be the Durbanites’ second trip to the Irish capital this season, having taken part in a thrilling 88-point contest in October.
The quarter-finals wrap up in Scotland where Glasgow Warriors make their return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Their opponents at Scotstoun Stadium are Munster, searching for their first league title since 2011.
URC quarter-finals:
Friday, 5 May
Ulster (2) v Connacht (7), Belfast, 8:35pm
Saturday, 6 May
Stormers (3) v Bulls (6), Cape Town, 3:30pm
Leinster (1) v Sharks (8), Dublin, 6pm
Glasgow Warriors (4) v Munster (5), Glasgow, 8:35pm
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/INPHO/Shutterstock/BackpagePix