Returning Springboks, SA Shield on the line and Lions on the hunt in United Rugby Championship storylines

Dylan Coetzee
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Split with Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls) and Sanele Nohamba (Lions).

Split with Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls) and Sanele Nohamba (Lions).

The United Rugby Championship (URC) returns this weekend and it’s loaded with derbies as the Stormers travel to Pretoria for the North-South battle and the Lions host the struggling Sharks in Johannesburg.

There is much to discuss but before the action begins we give you some storylines to follow during the second of two Origin Rounds.

SA Shield is up for grabs

The Stormers currently lead the way in the South African Shield this season despite being behind the Bulls on the main table. It is worth mentioning at this point that only clashes between teams in the same shield count towards those standings.

That means the dominance of the Capetonians, who have won their last 15 games against South African opposition, puts them in pole position to claim the shield with a game in hand if they beat the Bulls this weekend.

John Dobson and his men will know that it is not an easy task, whilst in Johannesburg the Lions will be looking to underline their position above the Sharks in this season’s hierarchy.

Springbok hopefuls aplenty

This weekend’s action also marks the final game before the first Springbok alignment camp, which begins next week, and there are a whole host of new faces in the mix who will all likely feature on Saturday.

It is refreshing to see a diverse range of players from all four teams and it will be interesting to see how the call-ups boost confidence on the field. The Lions, for example, have been a lovely team to watch this season and earning call-ups is reward for that and underlines the positive direction they are moving in.

The other three sides were often well represented in Springboks camps but some new names will join up with the national side for the first time and all those players will be desperate to take some strong form into the camp.

Bulls load up Loftus

It has not been the run the Bulls and certainly Jake White has wanted against the Stormers in recent times, with the Cape Town side winning the last seven, one of which was the inaugural URC final.

The plan has been simple, to fill up Loftus and give the side the best possible chance to break the streak and shake the proverbial cage a bit. White’s Bulls are certainly good enough as the 12 call-ups to the Springboks squad shows. A quick glance at the table further confirms that.

With only 6,000 tickets remaining by Wednesday in the build-up to the weekend it is set to be a mammoth derby at a packed house in one of rugby’s great cathedrals. The Bulls want to topple the Stormers and they have given themselves the best chance to do that.

Stormers selection headache

The return of Springboks stars after a mandatory rest period is always welcomed but for the Stormers, it brings a multitude of selection headaches, starting with the backline.

Manie Libbok will slot in at fly-half as he always does but thereafter Dobson has to decide what to do with Damian Willemse, Warrick Gelant and Sacha Feinburg-Mngomezulu.

Like Libbok, Willemse is a dead-on starter but it is whether he is wearing 12 or 15 that’s the question. Feinburg-Mngomezulu adds real creative flair as almost a second fly-half from the inside centre channel and could make a great combination in a 10-12-15 axis with Libbok at fly-half and Willemse at 15. However, Gelant’s return to form could tempt the Stormers to move Willemse into the midfield and re-unite the same attacking axis that won the side the URC.

In the pack, double Rugby World Cup winner Frans Malherbe returns to cause another selection dilemma around whether to bring the powerhouse straight in or to continue trusting new Springbok call-up Neethling Fouche. The return of club captain Salmaan Moerat is another cause of concern with Adre Smith and Ruben van Heerden in great form as a pair. This is the most straightforward decision as the prospect of Moerat and Van Heerden in a second-row is very enticing.

Lions to go hunting in Johannesburg

As if it were in the wild the Lions will be smelling blood in the water when the Sharks travel to Johannesburg. The visitors make the trip with only one win from 10 URC matches this season and cannot seem to find the solutions to their form woes despite a high-powered squad.

The Lions have been building and played some beautiful rugby this campaign, leaving them in 11th spot on the standings and within striking distance of the play-off spots. Ivan van Rooyen has done a great job in inspiring his troops and several call-ups to the first Springbok alignment camp vindicate his efforts.

It is a great opportunity for the Lions to deservedly cement themselves as the third-best South African side this season. A win this weekend would be massive for the development of the Lions’ project.

READ MORE: Springboks return has ‘risen the temperature’ for the Stormers ahead of North-South derby

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