URCH themes include the return of the Springboks, the SA Shield being at stake, and the Lions pursuing the lead.
In the second of two Origin Rounds, we provide you with some storylines to follow before the action gets underway. There is a lot to talk about.
The SA shield is in play.
Despite being behind the Bulls in the main standings, the Stormers are now leading the South African Shield this season. It is important to note that matches involving clubs that share the same shield are the only ones that count toward those rankings.
This implies that if the Capetonians defeat the Bulls this Saturday, they will have a game in hand and will be in a strong position to take the shield due to their dominance—they have won their last 15 games against South African opponents.
While the Lions will be trying to emphasize in Johannesburg that they are higher in the standings this season than the Sharks, John Dobson and his team will be aware that it is not an easy feat.
Plenty of hopeful Springboks
The match this weekend also serves as the last before the first Springbok alignment camp kicks off the following week. A number of fresh players are in the mix and will probably make an appearance on Saturday.
The wide variety of players from all four clubs is welcome, and it will be interesting to observe how the call-ups increase players’ self-assurance on the pitch. For instance, the Lions have been a pleasure to watch this season, and being called up is a testament to that and the excellent direction they are heading in.
Although the other three teams were frequently well-represented in Springboks camps, a few new players will be joining the national team for the first time, and they will all be eager to bring some winning form into the camp.
Bulls pack up Loftus
The Cape Town team has won the last seven games against the Bulls, including the first-ever URC final, so it hasn’t been the run that the Bulls and Jake White have been hoping for.
The strategy has been straightforward: fill up Loftus to provide the side with the best opportunity to end the run and give themselves a little confidence boost. The fact that 12 players from White’s Bulls were called up to the Springboks squad proves their superiority. That’s confirmed further by a cursory look at the table.
In the lead-up to the weekend, there will only be 6,000 tickets available, so it promises to be an enormous derby in front of a packed house in one of rugby’s great cathedrals. The Bulls have the best opportunity to defeat the Stormers, and they want to do so.
Selection headache for Stormers
The arrival of Springbok players following a required layoff is always welcome, but it presents the Stormers with a plethora of selection issues, beginning with the backline.
As usual, Manie Libbok will start at fly-half, but Dobson will then need to choose how to use Damian Willemse, Warrick Gelant, and Sacha Feinburg-Mngomezulu.
Willemse is a sure starter, much like Libbok, but the question is whether he is wearing a 12 or a 15. When combined with Libbok at fly-half and Willemse at 15, Feinburg-Mngomezulu, who is practically a second fly-half from the inside center channel, might form a potent 10-12-15 axis.
Gelant’s comeback to form, though, might persuade the Stormers to shift Willemse into the midfield and reunite the attacking trio that helped the team win the URC.
Frans Malherbe, a double Rugby World Cup winner, is back in the pack, creating yet another selection conundrum: should we start the formidable player right away or keep faith with Neethling Fouche, the recent Springbok call-up?
Another reason for concern is the return of club captain Salmaan Moerat, while Adre Smith and Ruben van Heerden are playing excellent tandem play. Given how appealing it is to have Moerat and Van Heerden in the second row, this is the easiest choice to make.
Johannesburg’s lions will go hunting
When the Sharks get to Johannesburg, the Lions will be smelling blood in the water, just like they would in the wild. With just one victory in ten URC games this season, the visitors arrive at the game struggling to find a way to improve their form even with a strong team.
This season, the Lions have been constructing and playing some exquisite rugby, which has put them in 11th place in the rankings and just a shot away from the play-off spots. Ivan van Rooyen has done an excellent job motivating his soldiers, as seen by his multiple call-ups to the inaugural Springbok alignment camp.
The Lions have a fantastic chance to firmly establish themselves as the third-best South African team in the current campaign. A victory this weekend would be extremely beneficial to the Lions’ project’s advancement.