Spherical 4 of the 2024-25 United Rugby Championship presents South Africa with a uncommon alternative to go unbeaten towards northern rivals on back-to-back weekends.
In spherical 3 of the 2024-25 season, the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and DHL Stormers all claimed wins towards northern hemisphere groups.
The Lions obtained the run underneath method with a 55-21 thrashing of Edinburgh, earlier than the Bulls thumped Ulster 47-21, the Sharks snatched a 33-30 win towards Dragons in Newport and the Stormers claimed a bonus-point 36-5 win over Zebre in Parma.
In spherical 4, all 4 SA groups are abroad and seeking to obtain successive sweeps towards international opponents for simply the third time in URC historical past.
Benetton vs Sharks (Treviso, Saturday, 4pm)The Sharks four-game hunch within the URC ended with their 33-30 victory at Dragons on Saturday. They haven’t gained successive away video games within the competitions since February 2023
Benetton are winless of their final 4 URC matches, since beating Edinburgh 31-6 at Stadio Monigo in June. Nonetheless, they gained each house video games towards SA opponents within the URC final season, together with a 25-24 victory at Kings Park.
The Sharks did beat Benetton 29-7 once they final performed on the Stadio Monigo in February 2022.
Edinburgh vs DHL Stormers (Edinburgh, Saturday, 6.15pm)The Stormers’ two-game shedding run ended with a 36-5 victory at Zebre on Saturday. John Dobson’s males have gained 4 of their final seven away video games within the competitors.
Stormers flyhalf Jurie Matthee is without doubt one of the main sharpshooters this season, certainly one of 4 gamers who’ve recorded a 100% kicking fee at objective.
Edinburgh have misplaced their final 5 URC fixtures and haven’t misplaced six in a row within the competitors since 2017.
The 2 sides have met on 4 earlier events with the Stormers successful the final three added to a 20-all draw at Hive Stadium in October 2021.
Ospreys vs Vodacom Bulls (Swansea, Saturday, 8.35pm)The Bulls have misplaced simply as soon as away from house within the URC this 12 months: 47-14 to Leinster on the RDS Enviornment in March. Their solely loss to a Welsh area since they joined the competitors in 2021 was to the Scarlets in Llanelli in January 2023.
Ospreys have gained 4 of their final 5 fixtures towards SA within the URC.
The Bulls have gained all three earlier matches they’ve performed towards Ospreys, together with a 38-31 win once they final performed in Swansea in Could 2022.
Dragons vs Lions (Newport, Sunday, 3.30pm)The Lions have gained each of their matches within the URC this season and haven’t gained three in succession since January. Nonetheless, they’ve misplaced their final two away video games since beating Connacht in Galway in March.
Dragons’ most up-to-date victory over a South African opponent was 13-10 over the Cheetahs at Rodney Parade in February 2020.
The Lions gained their most up-to-date assembly with Dragons, a 49-24 victory at Ellis Park.
Photograph: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Photographs
