South African URC teams out to humble their European hosts

SOUTH Africa’s United Rugby Championship teams are looking to dominate Europe this weekend, with all four teams playing abroad in the competition.

Taking the tournament by storm in the first few weeks, the only South African team to lose a match so far is the Lions, who lost their season-opener to the Bulls.

The seventh-placed team from Joburg has since gone on to win their next two games on the road and kick off SA’S weekend in Scotland where they face Edinburgh tomorrow night at 8.35pm.

Next up is the fourth-placed Stormers, who face Zebre in Italy at 4pm, before the Sharks face tough prospect in top-ofthe-log Leinster at 6.05pm.

The Bulls, currently in second place after three wins from as many games, then round of Team SA’S action when they tackle the Warriors in Glasgow at 8.35pm.

Jake White’s team have been far from perfect this season. They probably should have lost the Edinburgh encounter, they were understandably error-ridden in the first match against the Lions, and then against Connacht last week, they conceded three yellow cards – Marco van Staden, Johan Goosen and Jan-hendrik Wessels – and are ranked 15th in the URC in the discipline category, having given away 42 penalties in total (the second-most) and seven scrum offences (fifthmost).

Also, despite their poor run of form in the URC, Glasgow have a good record at their

Scotstoun Stadium, having lost just once there last season – 31-15 to Leinster last October.

They beat the Sharks, Lions, Dragons, Munster, Edinburgh, Ospreys, Benetton and Zebre, and have been reinforced this week by the return of lock

Lewis Bean, loose forward Matt Fagerson and former Lions prop Nathan Mcbeth from injury.