![]() ![]() Expect them to put winless Zebre to the sword despite missing nine key players as the Italian minnows are sans a quartet of stars, which is crippling for a club with the shallowest talent pool in the league. Munster scored a significant win over Ulster to re-establish themselves in the URC and was imperious in the European Champions Cup, capping an unbeaten surge into the last 16 with last weekend’s 45-7 thumping of Wasps, who’d stunned reigning champions Toulouse and the Tigers the previous weeks. South African-born Stars Set To Make An Impact In The Six Nations Zebre v Munster The striking power of the backs and familiarity of home conditions should see the Sharks through in a thriller. Phepsi Buthelezi’s power display against the Lions has him steeled for rampaging Evan Roos, Siya Kolisi’s set to return while two all-Springbok front rows are on a collision course. This should give the hosts the edge as they have the pack to match the physicality the Stormers displayed last weekend. They have a decisive advantage in the back division, where an ineffectual center combination has hindered the Stormers’ dangerous outside backs. #FLIP BOOK MAKER BENETTON FULL#The Sharks were rusty and still able to claim a full house from their trip to Ellis Park, a testament to their lethal backline. The goal now is to identify what it took to flip that switch and to turn it on consistently, starting with a repeat performance in Durban. The Stormers’ Loftus siege was campaign-changing, an advert of what the Cape franchise is capable of when they’re at their physical and mental peak. The clash of the weekend – a star-studded coastal derby that could go either way. Their more pronounced upward curve in recent weeks points to a win for the Irish club and that they’ve only lost three players to national duty to the Warriors’ 11 suggests they’ll cover the spread. That historic feat will bolster them and taking the excellent Leicester Tigers to the limit twice was further evidence of their improvements, which started with a 10-8 upset of Munster in their last URC game. In hindsight, the top-flight proved an untimely disruption as it halted the momentum of back-to-back URC wins.Ĭonnacht will be in a far greater headspace as they qualified for the last 16 for the first time despite coming up short against a spirited Stade Francais side away from home. The Warriors’ 38-30 loss at home to La Rochelle saw them narrowly miss out on the European Champions Cup round of 16 last weekend. As a result, they’ll be too strong for a Lions side with an iron will but one lacking in accuracy, which again cost them dearly last weekend. That’s something he’ll have to and I’m sure he will own and rectify by naming his strongest matchday 23 – no mixing and matching URC and Currie Cup talent this weekend (surely not). Expect them to come out with the fire of a thousand suns.Īs much as the players were out-willed, Jake White’s selections backfired for once. That pain would’ve led to intense introspection at the start of the week and it will fuel them in the Jukskei derby. It wasn’t like the four previous URC losses, the 30-26 defeat bringing a halt to their remarkable home winning streak at 24. The second-half fightback was a positive but the result was damning as the homecoming was expected to lift them out of the funk of their tour misfortunes and set the tone for the rest of the campaign. SA United Rugby Championship Team of the Week – Round 8 Lions v BullsĪ must-win for the embattled Bulls after their shock loss to the Stormers left them further entrenched at the foot of the South African Shield. They won’t be and with both teams losing seven Test stars, Ulster will cruise to a bonus-point win. They did surprise the Ospreys in their last URC match, but that will only serve as a warning to Ulster not to be complacent. Ulster stormed through the European Champions Cup pool stage unbeaten, while the outclassed Scarlets finished at the bottom of the Pool B barrel without a single win. They’ve offloaded six players to the defending Six Nations champions whereas the pride of Italy have lost, wait for it…22 players! That’s a killer blow for any club and a gift for the Dragons. With just a solitary win, the Dragons are seven places behind Benetton in 14th and on a seven-match losing skid, but the timely Test intervention stands to be their saving grace. They’re handily the better team, a point they hammered home with a 23-9 win in the teams’ European Challenge Cup clash two weeks ago. Outside of the championship window, Benetton would’ve been a lock to win comfortably. ![]() An excellent example of the Six Nations factor. ![]()
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