Lions captain Francke Horn will lead his side in two crucial home derbies as they look to solidify their URC Top 8 spot over the next couple of weekends.
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The Lions and Stormers can expect the full wrath of the Glasgow Warriors over the next two weekends of the United Rugby Championship (URC), after the Scottish side were emphatically dumped out of the Champions Cup by RC Toulon.
Their focus will now shift fully to maintaining their dominance in the URC. The Lions are first up this weekend in Johannesburg, before the log leaders travel to Cape Town to face the Stormers a fortnight later — two crucial fixtures for the South African sides in their push for a Top 8 finish.
Coming off a two-week break, the Lions must find early momentum at home on Saturday to hold onto their place in the Top 5. They’ve built an impressive record at Ellis Park and will be hoping that home-ground advantage helps them subdue a wounded Warriors outfit.
Where Glasgow might previously have considered sending an understrength side to South Africa to allow players to recover from two bruising European fixtures, their early exit now frees them to throw their full resources at the URC. Rather than resting key players, they are likely to travel south with a near full-strength squad and a point to prove.
Despite their comfortable lead at the top of the table, there remains a slim chance they could rotate for the Johannesburg clash — but the Lions would be wise not to assume anything. This is unlikely to be an easy assignment.
The Johannesburg side has two home games in succession, both of which are must-win encounters if they are to take a significant step towards securing their first URC play-off berth.
For the Stormers, attention this week is firmly on Connacht.
The passing of long-term team manager Chippie Solomon on Saturday has left the squad deeply shaken, and they will still be mourning this week. Nevertheless, a demanding clash awaits against an unpredictable Connacht side, and they would want to go out and deliver a strong performance in memory of Solomon.
Following their controversial Champions Cup exit, the Stormers must regroup quickly and rediscover momentum in the URC to prevent their campaign from slipping off course. Two more home victories could be enough to secure a play-off place and build confidence ahead of their final overseas fixtures.
Connacht, meanwhile, are also fighting to break into the Top 8 — currently sitting ninth, just behind the Bulls. After their own disappointing Challenge Cup exit, the Irish side will arrive in Cape Town highly motivated and at full strength.
Their struggles at maul time against Montpellier will not have gone unnoticed, and it’s an area the Stormers are likely to target. Along with their scrum, it could provide a strong platform for dominance on Saturday. That said, they will need to brace for a physical Connacht outfit unlikely to fade quietly in the Cape Town heat.
After this weekend, Connacht head to Johannesburg, while the Warriors travel down to Cape Town. The two South African franchises could do each other a favour by inflicting defeats on their respective opponents this Saturday.
Away from home, the Bulls and Sharks will tussle in Wales with the Dragons and the Ospreys, respectively.
The Bulls will kick things off on Friday night and will have to set the tone in Newport. Yes, they are coming off a loss in the Champions Cup, but the team is still strong enough to cement their place in the Top 8 with a victory. The Dragons haven’t won against the Bulls in the URC, so it could be a fairly straightforward duel for the Pretoria side.
The Sharks’ campaign hangs in the balance and the fight with the Ospreys will probably make or break their chances of qualifying. They need a couple of players to step up on Saturday evening in Swansea to ensure they stay in the hunt for the playoffs.