South African franchises prepare for crucial last weekends

South Africa’s four franchises are preparing for a Welsh invasion this coming weekend as the United Rugby Championship (URC) reaches its climax over the next two rounds.

There will be a clear picture for the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers in terms of what they must do to maintain or better their positions on the official URC log. The Lions, though, will be scrambling and hoping for some miracles to come their way as they chase a first-ever knockout spot.

One win away from getting a home play-off: Fourth – P16, W11, Pts 53

On Friday (7pm kick-off), the Sharks can secure their home quarter-final should they claim a win over the Ospreys. That is how simple the equation is for the Durbanites. They will be certain that Kings Park will host a playoff if they can get one over their Welsh visitors, but the Ospreys have come to South Africa previously and caused major upsets.

So, there can be no underestimating them, even if they are 11th on the log. They still have that playoff spot to chase and their next two games will be crucial to securing it.

Bulls closing in on number two spot: Third – P16, W12, Pts 58

In Pretoria, the second-place chasing Bulls have a tricky meet with Cardiff (4pm kick-off) and they will want to take another step towards leapfrogging the Glasgow Warriors. Judging by how they’ve ended their tour, there should be enough momentum to beat their Welsh opponents with comfort.

They are only one point behind the Warriors, but the defending champions will face two tricky teams away from home.

It’s the perfect opportunity for the Loftus side to cement their place in the top four, possibly securing that all-important two home games before traveling for a potential final. They’ll have some combinations to figure out when it comes to selecting their squad over the next two weekends, but they should have enough firepower to get them 10 points in the two games.

Stormers must build momentum again:  Sixth – P16, W8, Pts 45

After their runaway win over Benetton, the Cape side will have to start from scratch to gain that momentum back after the week’s break.

They are playing the Dragons who are at the bottom of the log and although this looks to be a certain win for the side at the DHL Stadium (6pm kick-off), they do not want to underestimate their opposition.

An upset now could disarray their ambitions to finish amongst the top five, so they will have to guard against any complacency in front of their home fans. The DHL Stadium delivered some good news over the last two weeks, so more of that is needed from the home side if they want to end in fifth place after next weekend.

All to do and more to hope for in Johannesburg: 13th – P16, W7, Pts 35

While there is still the outside chance of making the playoffs, the Lions will do their bid a huge favour by not dropping any points like they did in the previous two weeks. They still have the belief that they can make the playoffs and there is still an outside chance.

But, they must deliver at Ellis Park when they face the Scarlets on Sunday. The Welsh side sits above them, and the Lions will do their bid a massive service if they can grab the five points.

They can’t afford to drop any points looking at their position, and it will be another season of missed opportunities if they can’t win both of their next games at home.