Stormers to lock horns with Bulls
• White’s side has a score to settle and will relish snapping a losing streak against Stormers
When they were suffering most during a franchise losing streak that stretched into double digits, the Bulls looked ahead to possible salvation were they to meet the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship (URC) quarterfinals.
They got their wish. They are no longer down in the dumps, especially after their uplifting 62-7 win over Leinster in their final league match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. It was Leinster ’ s biggest defeat in the competition.
The Bulls have a beef with the Stormers and will relish the opportunity to go to Cape Town in a fortnight and snap a fivematch losing streak in the URC against John Dobson’s team. They are yet to beat the Stormers in the URC, and are still smarting from their 18-13 defeat in 2022’s final in Cape Town.
Bulls coach Jake White will need no reminding his team’s losing streak against the Stormers started before the advent of the URC. The Bulls will view not having to travel to Europe, to say Glasgow, as their best possible passage to a place in the semifinals.
The Stormers and Bulls drew each other as quarterfinal opponents by virtue of finishing third and sixth, respectively on the URC ’ s points table. SA are thus guaranteed a team in the semifinals in a competition dominated by Irish teams.
Leinster, who have long had top spot on the URC table, will play eighth-placed Sharks in Dublin, while Ulster will host Connacht. Glasgow Warriors will host Munster in quarterfinal four.
In the semifinals which are scheduled for May 12-13, the winner of quarterfinal one will play the winner of quarterfinal four, while two will play three.
In a change to last season’s rules, the teams with the highest seeding in each semifinal will have home venue rights. Previously, the winners of QF1 and QF2 were guaranteed home draws no matter their ranking.
The semifinal winners will meet on May 27 at the venue of the highest-ranked team to have qualified for the grand final.
As far as 2023’s Champions Cup is concerned, Leinster, Ulster, the Stormers, Glasgow Warriors, Munster, the Bulls, Connacht and Cardiff (as Welsh conference winners) have all qualified.
However, should a team (Benetton or Scarlets) from the URC that has not qualified for the Champions Cup win the EPCR Challenge Cup, they will take the place of the lowest-ranked nonShield winner (Connacht) in next season’s Champions Cup.
Should the Sharks (8) win the URC, they will be awarded a Champions Cup place ahead of the lowest-ranked non-Shield winner (Connacht).
Should they fail to win the URC, the Sharks will be condemned to the Challenge Cup with the Lions.
Leinster (1) / Sharks (8) will meet Glasgow Warriors (4) / Munster (5) in semifinal one, while Ulster (2) / Connacht (7) will clash with the Stormers (3) / Bulls (6).