It was a weekend of sunshine and rain – actually and figuratively – for the South African groups in the United Rugby Championship (URC), with the Sharks making essentially the most of their first dwelling recreation of the season whereas the Stormers managed to maintain their unbeaten run intact in Wales.
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The Lions got here shut in excellent situations in Johannesburg, however the Bulls struggled in the moist in Ireland and misplaced their second match on the bounce.
The Stormers encountered heavy downpours in Swansea, the place they confronted a powerful Ospreys group, and in the tip, they sides shared the spoils 16-16, scoring one strive apiece.
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On Saturday afternoon, the sunny and scorching climate in Johannesburg contributed to a competition of tries, with the Lions arising simply quick of Ulster in an excellent conflict, with the boys from Ireland guaranteeing they continue to be in the top-two on the log courtesy of a 39-37 win.
The Sharks have been in sensible type in the second half of their conflict in Durban towards the Glasgow Warriors, sealing their first dwelling recreation of the season in spectacular vogue with a 40-12 win.
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But again in the northern hemisphere, the Bulls got here throughout extra rain in Limerick, the place they misplaced by 31-17 to a Munster facet that had been struggling to this point this season.
All 4 SA groups in URC log Top 6
All 4 SA groups are nonetheless in the top-six on the standings although, with the Stormers in third on 17 factors from their 4 video games, adopted by the Sharks in fourth (15 factors from 4 video games), Lions in fifth (15 from 5) and the Bulls in sixth spot with 14 factors from 5 video games.
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Leinster (23 from 5) and Ulster (21 from 5) lead on the log, with Benetton (14 from 5), Cardiff (13 from 5) and Edinburgh (13 from 5) occupying positions seven to 9.
Stormers and Ospreys draw in Swansea monsoon
The Stormers ensured that they remained unbeaten in the United Rugby Championship on Friday evening as they secured a 16-16 draw towards Ospreys in their second away recreation of the competitors in Swansea in their round-five conflict.
The consequence ensured that they remained the only South African facet to stay unbeaten in the competitors as far as they battled torrential rain as a lot as their Welsh opponents.
The first half was a good tussle with neither group in a position to acquire actual dominance with the only factors in the primary half coming compliments of penalty targets by Stormers’ Manie Libbok, who kicked two to only one by the Ospreys, which handed the Cape facet a helpful 6-3 half-time lead.
The second half proved to be a ding-dong battle with every group scoring a strive via Stormers scrumhalf Paul de Wet and Ospreys substitute hooker Scott Baldwin so as to add to further penalty targets by Libbok and Myler.
Scorers:
Ospreys 16 (3) – Try: Scott Baldwin. Conversion: Stephen Myler. Penalty targets: Myler (3).
Stormers 16 (6) – Try: Paul de Wet. Conversion: Manie Libbok. Penalty targets: Libbok (3).
Lions pipped by Ulster in Johannesburg try-fest
Ulster beat the Lions by 39-37 (halftime 15-18) in a 10-try thriller in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon to halt a powerful successful run in the United Rugby Championship by the boys in purple.
Both sides scored 5 tries every and whereas it regarded just like the guests have been operating away with issues halfway via the second half, the hosts by no means gave up, and if it wasn’t for a quantity of unforced errors all through the match, the Lions might have made it 4 from 5 in the 2022 season.
As it stands, they received two bonus factors, however the Lions might have received this recreation, with the large swing approaching both facet of half-time when Ulster scored 19 factors in six minutes to take command of the match, and guarantee they keep on the proper finish on the standings.
Scorers:
Lions 37 (18) – Tries: Francke Horn (2), Emmanuel Tshituka, Quan Horn, Andries Coetzee. Conversions: Gianni Lombard, Jordan Hendrikse (2). Penalty targets: Lombard (2).
Ulster 39 (15) – Tries: Rob Baloucoune, Billy Burns, Rob Lyttle, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Herring. Conversions: John Cooney (3), Nathan Doak. Penalty targets: Cooney, Doak.
Strong second half allows Sharks to topple Glasgow
The Sharks delivered a powerful second-half displaying in their United Rugby Championship conflict towards the Glasgow Warriors at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Saturday in their opening dwelling recreation of the competitors to safe a bonus-point 40-12 victory.
Both groups scored a strive apiece in the primary half, with wing Anthony Volmink touching down for the Sharks and Glasgow Warriors flanker Thomas Gordon incomes his group’s five-pointer, whereas flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain added two penalty targets for the hosts, which handed them a 13-7 half-time lead.
The Durbanites broke away on the scoreboard in the second half because of 4 tries to at least one by the guests, whereas Chamberlain added his third penalty purpose for the rewarding win.
Scorers:
Sharks 40 (13) – Tries: Anthony Volmink (2), Bongi Mbonambi, Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok. Conversions: Boeta Chamberlain (3). Penalty targets: Chamberlain (3).
Glasgow Warriors 12 (7) – Tries: Thomas Gordon (2). Conversion: Tom Jordan.
Damp squib for Bulls in rainy Munster
The Bulls’ journey troubles continued on one other damp, Celtic Saturday evening as they went down 31-17 (halft-ime 17-3) to struggling Munster in the United Rugby Championship at Thomond Park in Limerick.
The Irish province picked up only their second win in 5 matches because the Bulls have been once more left point-less after final weekend’s 35-21 defeat in an equally damp Glasgow.
The guests reserved their greatest rugby for the ultimate quarter – lastly shaking off the torpor that had seen them slip 21 factors in arrears and in hazard of a whole implosion shortly after half-time.
They pressed onerous for the dropping bonus level after their second strive had received them into putting distance. They hammered away for 5 strong minutes however time ran out towards a resolute Munster defence for an usually one-dimensional assault.
Scorers:
Munster 31 (17) – Tries: Gavin Coombes (2), Jeremy Loughman, Tadhg Beirne. Conversions: Joey Carbery (4). Penalty purpose: Carbery.
Bulls 17 (3) – Tries: David Kriel, WJ Steenkamp. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalty purpose: Johan Goosen.
Other outcomes:
Connacht 0-10 Leinster
Cardiff 31-14 Dragons
Edinburgh 53-8 Benetton
Scarlets 31-12 Zebre Parma