WeeklySA_AdminURC ROUND; A REWARDING WEEKEND FOR DOMESTIC SIDES AS COMPETITION HEATS UP
By Sports Reporter
The Vodacom Bulls, Emirates Lions and the DHL Stormers recorded valuable Vodacom United Rugby Championship home victories in a rewarding weekend for the domestic sides as the competition begins to heat up with most Rugby World Cup stars back in action.
Only the Hollywoodbets Sharks were unable to build on their first victory of the tournament last week in their local derby against the high-flying Vodacom Bulls, with the KwaZulu-Natalians going down 44-10 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
The result saw the hosts remain in third position on the table after seven rounds, while the Durbanites find themselves closer to the foot of the log in 15th position with only one win to their name so far in the competition.
The Emirates Lions, in turn, registered an impressive 49-24 victory against a spirited Dragons outfit at Emirates Airline Park, while the DHL Stormers returned to their winning ways in SA after four defeats on the trot on tour with a morale-boosting 31-7 victory against Zebre Parma in Stellenbosch.
These results saw the Emirates Lions maintain their ninth place on the log – although they managed to close the points gap and are currently tied on 19 points with the eighth-placed Connacht.
The DHL Stormers jumped up one position into 10th place – a reversal of their recent trajectory and one they will be determined to build on in the coming weeks and months.
The Vodacom Bulls produced a clinical performance against the Hollywoodbets Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday outscoring the visitors six tries to only one penalty try and penalty goal by the visitors, converting a 27-3 halftime lead into comfortable 44-10 victory.
Such was the effectiveness of the home team’s attack, they banked their four-try bonus point on the stroke of halftime through Akker van der Merwe, following a double by Stedman Gans within nine minutes, and a try by Springbok winger Kurt-Lee Arendse. They added two more in the second half – which saw Van der Merwe bank his second of the match.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks put the first points on the board in the match compliments of a penalty goal by Curwin Bosch, but they struggled to convert their superior territory and possession, as well as a few point-scoring chances into points, which came at the cost of the defeat.
Sharks coach John Plumtree has lamented a lack of cohesion and dysfunctional set-piece performance from the Sharks in their heavy defeat to the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Emirates Lions showed true grit and determination in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash against the Dragons in Johannesburg after playing with 14 men from the 25th minute to outplay the Welsh side 49-24.
The DHL Stormers ensured that they put the disappointment of their tour behind them on Saturday as they defeated Zebre Parma 31-7 at the Danie Craven Stadium, scoring five tries to one from the Italians.
