The Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers made it two out of two against the Lions and Sharks, respectively, heading into a week’s pause in the Vodacom URC.
Both SA derbies were played on Saturday, with the Bulls breaking away in the second stanza following a tight first half against the Lions in Johannesburg for a bonus-point victory, while the Stormers held off a late comeback by the determined Sharks for a nail-biting win in Durban.
A strong second 40 minutes set up the Bulls for a 25-10 triumph at Ellis Park in round 10 of the URC, marking their second win in a row against their Gauteng rivals in the Jukskei derby.
MORE: Jubilant Jake relishes Bulls ‘pressure’
The Stormers survived a strong fightback by the Sharks at Kings Park for a 25-21 victory, after leading 15-7 at the break in another classic coastal battle. John Dobson’s charges claimed bragging rights at Cape Town Stadium two months ago, with the latest win continuing their unbeaten run against South African opponents since December 2021.
PLUS: Dobson hails Stormers depth
Following the weekend’s action, Leinster cemented their position at the top of the standings on 39 points, while the Bulls (third on 35) and Stormers (sixth on 30) are in the top eight.
The Lions are in 11th spot with 24 points, and the Sharks still occupy last place despite coming away with a losing bonus point on Saturday.
In the SA Shield, the Stormers lead the charge on 17 points from their four local duels, but they are closely followed by the Bulls on 15 points.
The URC now takes a break but when the competition resumes on the weekend of 1 and 2 March, the Bulls and Stormers lock horns in another blockbuster north-south derby clash in Pretoria while Lions and Sharks also cross swords on the Highveld.
Round 10 results:
Scarlets 7-42 Munster
Zebre Parma 19-24 Edinburgh
Lions 10-25 Bulls
Leinster 47-18 Benetton
Sharks 21-25 Stormers
Cardiff 12-16 Connacht
Glasgow Warriors 40-7 Dragons
Ospreys 19-17 Ulster
Round 11 fixtures:
Friday, 1 March
Munster vs Zebre (9:35pm)
Edinburgh vs Ospreys (9:35pm)
Saturday, 2 March
Lions vs Sharks (3pm)
Benetton vs Glasgow (5pm)
Bulls vs Stormers (5:05pm)
Connacht vs Scarlets (7:05pm)
Cardiff vs Leinster (9:35pm)
Ulster vs Dragons (9:35pm)
Photo: @THESTORMERS/Twitter