The hunt for cross-hemisphere club glory starts in earnest when the sixth season of the United Rugby Championship gets underway this weekend, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
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The Stormers and Bulls begin their campaigns abroad, while the Lions and Sharks will enjoy home ground advantage. With the Springboks in Australia for a one-off Test against the Wallabies on Sunday, the local teams will be without several of their star players.
The Stormers will launch the South African surge when they go up against Connacht in Galway on Friday night. On Saturday, the Lions will attempt to take a bite out of defending champions Leinster in Johannesburg, the Sharks host the Ospreys in Durban and the Bulls battle Zebre in Parma.
Irish giants Leinster are the favourites to reign supreme for a third straight season at 2.50 outright, followed by the Bulls at 4.50 and the Stormers at 5.00. The Sharks carry odds of 26.00 and the Lions 35.00.
Benetton vs Dragons
Friday, 25 September – 20:45
Benetton are tricky customers, especially in Treviso, and will be hell-bent on putting their best foot forward after they under-delivered last season.
For a team normally in the running for a mid-table finish, the Italians were left with work to do after ending 13th. This looks like a lay-up for them considering the Dragons finished 15th last season, and last beat Benetton in 2020.
That they missed out on collecting four points by drawing last season’s meeting 15-all will ensure they don’t take the visitors lightly and bag the win.
Prediction: Benetton by 10.
Suggested Bet: Benetton -9.5 at 1.92.
Connacht vs Stormers
Friday, 25 September – 20:45
Bolstered by the superstar trio of Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe and Wilco Louw, inaugural champions the Stormers have their sights firmly set on a second title this season.
The Capetonians finished the regular season in third place and bowed out at the semi-final stage last term. Things could’ve been oh so different for John Dobson’s men, whose season came down to a shock 33-24 home loss to Connacht that ultimately cost them a home semi.
Whereas they started last season with eight straight wins, a run set in motion by dominant home victories, the Stormers kick off their campaign in perhaps the most miserable of all URC territories, Galway.
They did prevail 16-12 the last time they played there, but without a slew of Boks, they’ll likely fall just short against a Connacht team who made the playoffs in their first season under former England coach Stuart Lancaster last season.
Prediction: Connacht by 2.
Suggested Bet: Stormers +3.5 at 1.91.
Ulster vs Edinburgh
Friday, 25 September – 20:45
Clubs keen on returning to the playoffs battle it out in Belfast.
Ulster narrowly missed out on a place in the top eight last season, finishing ninth, while Edinburgh ended 12th. The Irish side dominate this rivalry; they’ve won eight of the last 10 games between the teams, including running out 40-19 victors last year.
Expect that trend to continue on Friday.
Prediction: Ulster by 10.
Suggested Bet: Edinburgh +10.5 at 1.89.
Lions vs Leinster
Saturday, 26 September – 13:30
The Lions are nothing if not optimistic, and they have reason to be after reaching the playoffs and winning the South African Shield for the first time last season.
They’re eyeing a home semi-final this time around, a lofty goal some may laugh at, but the Pride are used to being seen as entertainers rather than legitimate title challengers.
Perennial underdogs who love a challenge, they have the toughest opening assignment of all against the back-to-back champions. Unlike last season, when the Irish super club sent a team of mostly academy players to South Africa and ate losses to the Stormers and Bulls in their two opening matches, Leinster are fully loaded and offering no freebies early doors in pursuit of a three-peat.
After being knocked out by Leo Cullen’s charges in the quarter-finals last season, this is a chance for the Lions to get revenge and make a serious statement. With the likes of Boan Venter, Hyron Andrews and Sikhumbuzo Notshe, they’ve strengthened their pack, which will serve them well.
However, without two of their key game drivers in Morne van den Berg and Quan Horn – who are on Bok duty – the Lions look set to start off with a loss.
Prediction: Leinster by 7.
Suggested Bet: Leinster -6.5 at 1.81.
Sharks vs Ospreys
Saturday, 26 September – 16:00
It’s the dawn of a new era in Durban. With the rebrand to Sharks Rugby Club comes a new approach and fresh energy.
Whereas previous squads were top-heavy with Boks, which proved counterproductive as those stars were unavailable for long stretches, this year’s squad has better balance to it.
When JP Pietersen took over from John Plumtree as coach in December, the improvement was clear to see, and Sharks supporters are expecting their team to return to the playoffs in their first full campaign under the former Bok winger.
The Ospreys finished one place below the Sharks in 11th last season and are the type of team the Durbanites have to put away if they’re to be taken seriously, and they should do just that.
Prediction: Sharks by 14.
Suggested Bet: Sharks -12.5 at 1.82.
Munster vs Glasgow Warriors
Saturday, 26 September – 18:30
Members of the URC elite lock horns in Limerick.
Former champions Munster exited at the quarter-final stage last season, losing 45-14 to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld after finishing the league phase fifth. Glasgow, meanwhile, butchered a golden opportunity to claim their first title.
Franco Smith’s men topped the log at the end of the league phase, beat Connacht 33-21 in the quarters and held a commanding 21-3 lead over the Bulls in a semi-final they’d go on to lose 22-21. With many key players moving on, the Warriors will battle to replicate last term’s league-phase dominance.
Glasgow went 4-5 on the road last season, so I’m backing Munster to edge it.
Prediction: Munster by 2.
Suggested Bet: Munster at 2.00.
Zebre vs Bulls
Saturday, 26 September – 18:30
The URC has been a cruel mistress to the Bulls. For the fourth time in five seasons, it was a case of so close and yet so far for the Pretoria outfit as they finished as runners-up last term.
After initially struggling to get going under Johan Ackermann, things clicked for the Bulls, and many believed they could upset Leinster as they headed into the final on an eight-match winning streak, only to be thumped 37-6.
They are determined to finally clear the final hurdle this season, and their best bet to do so will be to finish the league season at the top of the table. To accomplish that, it’s vital that they cash in on games like this one against last season’s wooden spoonists.
The Bulls are 5-0 against Zebre, and they should keep that perfect record intact in Parma.
Prediction: Bulls by 12.
Suggested Bet: Bulls -10.5 at 1.88.
Scarlets vs Cardiff
Saturday, 26 September – 20:45
A Welsh derby will wrap up the opening round in Llanelli.
Cardiff were the top-placed Welsh region last season, qualifying for the playoffs in sixth position and getting knocked out by the Stormers in the quarters in Cape Town.
The Scarlets were also-rans, finishing 14th and dead last in the Welsh Shield. Interestingly, their lone derby win was a 21-17 triumph over Cardiff in the capital, with Cardiff turning the tables by clinching the return fixture 28-24.
This one could go either way, but with the Scarlets having won seven of the last 10 games in this rivalry, I’ll side with them.
Prediction: Scarlets by 3.
Suggested Bet: Scarlets at 1.81.
Note: Odds subject to change.
Quintin van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 20 years of experience.
