After a weekend of thrilling European cup action, the SA sides are sailing to foreign shores for tough Vodacom United Rugby Championship missions.

Wins for the DHL Stormers and Lions saw the two secure home playoffs in the Champions and Challenge cups, while despite losing to Harlequins away, the Sharks did enough to get a home match in the round of 16. The Vodacom Bulls, beaten at Lyon last time out, will again play away from the comfort of the Highveld in the knockout stages.

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In the URC standings, the Stormers remain second overall and top of the SA Shield, but are 11 points adrift of leaders Leinster, and six ahead of the third-paced Bulls. The Sharks head into this week’s round of fixtures out of the top eight – they are currently in ninth – but have two games in hand on several teams above them.

The Lions also have an extra game still to play, but their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread as the men from Johannesburg occupy 12th spot.

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Looking to round 13 of the competition, the Bulls and Stormers travel to face the Scarlets and Ulster, respectively, on Friday, before the Sharks lock horns with Edinburgh in Scotland less than 24 hours later, and the Lions tackle Connacht at The Galway Sportsgrounds in the last match of the night.

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