URC action returns as Welsh teams invade SA

United Rugby Championship (URC) action returns this weekend after a three-week hiatus for the international window, with a Welsh invasion of South Africa for four matches in Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban and Johannesburg.

The round kicks off on Friday evening when defending champions the Stormers welcome the Scarlets to the DHL Stadium for a clash scheduled to kick off at 7pm, and on Saturday at 3pm the Bulls host the Ospreys at Loftus Versfeld.

On Sunday, the Lions face the Dragons at Emirates Airline Park from 4pm, followed by the Sharks’ home clash against Cardiff at Kings Park (6.10pm).

Friday’s night encounter between the Stormers and Scarlets is just the second meeting between them, with the blue-and-white-hooped jerseys prevailing 26-21 at Parc y Scarlets at the end of May last season.

The home side will be hoping to kick on from their 31-22 away victory over the Lions during their last outing before the international break.

The Cape Town outfit have lost just once in this year’s campaign — a 30-24 result away against Cardiff  — but they have not lost at home since their 37-19 defeat at the hands of the Lions last December.

The Scarlets have won only once since April, when they clinched a 36-12 home win over Zebre, while their most recent victory over a South African side was the 36-13 home success over the Lions in October 2021.

Despite that win over the team from Johannesburg, they do however face a daunting task in Cape Town with the defending champions sitting in fourth place on the log thanks to four wins and a draw for a tally of 24 league points, compared with the 15th-placed Scarlets’ nine points.

The Bulls bounced back to win their last two fixtures since their 31-17 defeat against Munster in Limerick, which makes it 10 wins at Loftus since the Sharks beat them 29-22 there in February.

It will be the Ospreys who will have to work hard on the Highveld as their only victory since May was a 32-17 home win over Glasgow Warriors on October 1.

The Pretoria outfit were victorious by 38-31 when the two sides last met in May in Swansea.

However, the light blue jerseys will be hoping to continue with their momentum after their 40-27 home win over the Sharks before the break.

Five wins from seven have them on 24 points so far this season, in third spot on the log, while the Ospreys are lower down in 13th place.

The Lions will be looking to bounce back strongly after losing their last two matches, both at home, against Ulster and the Stormers, and they have not tasted success in Joburg since beating Benetton on April 30.

The 10-placed Dragons are yet to register a win after five previous visits to these shores, while the ninth-placed Highvelders won the previous encounter between them 21-11 at Rodney Parade.

The last clash of the round is between the eighth-placed Sharks and Cardiff, who occupy sixth position.

It will be a tough ask for the team from the Welsh capital as the team from KwaZulu-Natal have won their last five matches at home since their 5-21 defeat there to Edinburgh in March.

This weekend’s SA fixtures: 

Friday: Stormers vs Scarlets, 7pm

Saturday: Bulls vs Ospreys, 3pm

Sunday: Lions vs Dragons, 4pm;

Sharks vs Cardiff, 6.10pm

—SA Rugby Communications

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