The Stormers will look to make DHL Stadium their fortress over the next four URC games as they hunt a playoff spot in the tournament.
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There is still an outside chance for all four South African franchises to reach the playoffs of the United Rugby Championship (URC) when the tournament hits the business end next weekend.
While the Bulls and Sharks are the pacesetters of the local teams in the top four, chasing defending champions the Glasgow Warriors for second place, the Stormers and Lions have work to do in their final four games to get into the top eight.
The Cape side is in a more comfortable spot than the men from Ellis Park, who must hope for a few results to go their way while winning all their final games, to break into a knockout spot.
Bulls
While fighting in the Challenge Cup, the Jake White-coached outfit will have one eye on catching the Warriors who are only five points ahead of them on the URC log. But, the tricky part will be to navigate both competitions, starting on Saturday with Edinburgh in the Challenge Cup quarters.
A victory will give them some much-needed momentum ahead of facing former champions Munster next Saturday, and Glasgow the week after that. It’s late in the season, so White must play his strongest side over the three weekends away from Loftus Versfeld.
It’s the only way they’ll be able to stay in the European tournament and how they will catch up with the defending URC winners. They will want to end in second place which will secure a home playoff until at least the semi-final.
Sharks
South Africa’s hot and cold superstars are away to Edinburgh next week Friday as they open round 15 of the URC. After dropping out of the Challenge Cup, they will have had an extra week to prepare for what awaits in the Scottish capital.
They are up against a former coach Sean Everitt, and he will have some insight on what his players can expect. Edinburgh also faced two SA teams on consecutive weekends in the EPCR knockouts, they will be primed for the physical onslaught of the Sharks.
The Durbanites, currently fourth, must find some consistency in this competition, otherwise they risk falling out of a position to host a home playoff. After Edinburgh, Ulster will lie in waiting, hoping to upset the apple cart against the South Africans like Leinster’s Academy side did.
Key Springboks will have to make a step up for the Durbanites if they are to keep in touch with the Bulls (six points ahead of them) and the Warriors.
Stormers
They are gunning for 20 points from their final four games to break into the playoff spots and end in a position where they do not have to face Leinster or the sides ending second or third. Those will be the tough quarter-finals they’d like to avoid.
It’s four home games with Connacht the first to visit the DHL Stadium. After no rugby for the last two weekends, they should be ready with all their fit players to take on the Irishmen. Apart from the suspended Neethling Fouché, it will be a full-strength side taking on the visitors.
So, they will have no excuses not to pick up a bonus-point victory. The same applies when Benetton arrives in Cape Town on the last weekend of April. The Stormers have never lost to the Italian side in the Mother City and a victory will go a long way in getting them close to fifth place.
They have the likes of Springboks Damian Willemse, Warrick Gelant, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Salmaan Moerat and Frans Malherbe at their disposal, so they should use the home advantage.
Lions
The equation is simple for the Ellis Park side, lose to Benetton at home next Saturday, and their URC campaign is practically over. They’ve been the most inconsistent of the four SA teams. While they pick up good wins here and there, the matches they lose are ones they should be winning but they conspire against themselves.
It won’t be good enough when they face the Italians who are still in the running to make the playoffs. Ellis Park should tilt the scales in favour of the home side, but depending on which 23 players pitch up, the home advantage might not even be enough.
They must have a clear goal, and that is not to lose any other match in Johannesburg. If they can beat Benetton and Connacht with bonus points, they will still be able to reach the playoffs. It will also help the Stormers’ cause, while the Cape side can show them a favour by denting Connacht’s hopes on their two-week tour of South Africa.
It is time for the Lions to come to the party to try and get that playoff spot to have four SA teams in the URC knockouts.