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There will be optimism amongst the local teams to all push for playoff berths in the United Rugby Championship (URC) when the tournament restarts late in January for them.
After starting out as the pace-setters in the new rugby season, the Gauteng sides have picked up some unwelcome losses that could influence the rest of their season.
The Johannesburg side can take plenty of positives from the clash after they pushed the Cape outfit for almost 80 minutes during their derby.
Winger Leolin Zas and backup midfielder Jean-Luc du Plessis are set to also miss the coastal derby through injury which could mean a backline shuffle for the Cape side.
It wasn’t the most convincing display, but the Cape side revived their United Rugby Championship campaign with a hard-fought victory in Cape Town.
Springbok utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be one of the returning international players set to torment the high-flying Lions.
The Gauteng sides in the United Rugby Championship (URC) will be eager to continue their rise in the tournament, with both coastal sides in must-win mode to stay alive in the competition.
The Pretoria side’s preparation for their tour matches have recently been impacted by red cards, but they vowed to fight through the disruptions to get another victory.
There will possibly only be one unbeaten team in the URC left this coming weekend when the top two sides clash in Dublin on Saturday.
The South African coastal franchises will be eager to turn their season around with home victories, while the Gauteng teams look to continue their winning ways overseas.
As the Lions and Bulls continue their unbeaten streak in the URC, can the Stormers and Sharks rally to regain their competitive edge? Dive into the electrifying world of South African rugby and follow the journey ahead!
As the Lions gear up for their first away match in the URC, they want to balance their desire for running rugby with the need to adapt to differing conditions and injuries within the squad.
Jake White’s Bulls team went to the top of the URC log on 35 points, one ahead of Leinster, who are in action later on Saturday against third-placed Benetton (32).
When Asenathi Ntlabakanye isn’t belting out major plays on the field, then he is belting out major notes in an effort to motivate his teammates, with what has only been described as a “beautiful voice”. Whether he is a tenor or a bass remains a mystery, but one could expect he is at least comfortable as a baritone when he initiates the gwijo in the Lions squad to get the gees (spirit) going.
The Johannesburg side have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months, but have turned things around over the last two weeks – having also beaten Glasgow last Saturday.
The much-needed triumph snapped a three-game losing streak for the Pretoria side, who found their grunt upfront and scored some sparkling tries.