United Rugby Championship kick-off times and playoff permutations
Here is everything you need to know as the South African teams return to action in the United Rugby Championship.
The United Rugby Championship returns to action this weekend as the pressure mounts with only five rounds remaining before the quarter-finals.
There will be plenty at stake as the Bulls and Stormers in particular target a top-four finish, while the Lions will hope to find a way into the top half of the table. For the Sharks, it’s now about playing for pride.
UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP PERMUTATIONS TO NOTE
The Bulls are in pole position on the standings when it comes to the South African challengers, with the Pretoria side sitting in third place with 45 points – nine points behind log leaders Leinster.
Jake White’s team will lock horns with Munster in Pretoria, with only two points separating the teams on the log. Yet, with far superior attack and defensive statistics, the hosts will have extra motivation as they look to keep their unbeaten home record intact.
Munster will be well aware that a victory would see them leapfrog the Pretoria outfit on the table, while they will also be desperate to improve their away record after winning only two matches on the road.
Meanwhile, the Stormers will enter their clash against the seventh-placed Ospreys as the favourites in Cape Town, but they will be careful to write off the Welsh side, who only trail them by two log positions and four points.
Looking at the statistics, the match could prove to be a humdinger as the Capetonians have only scored only 26 more points than their rivals in competition so far, while the teams are not far off from one another on defence.
The Lions also face a huge task against log-leaders Leinster, who have only suffered two defeats in the tournament this season compared to seven by the Joburg-based side, and they will be on a high after qualifying for the Champions Cup semi-final last week.
PLENTY TO PLAY FOR
The Lions, who are currently 11th on the log, suffered a narrow 39-36 defeat in a thriller of a match against Leinster last season in Johannesburg – a result that will undoubtedly motivate them to shrug off the underdog tag.
Their determination to finish in the top eight with a quarter-final spot within reach will also certainly fuel their motivation.
The 13th placed Sharks will have their work cut out against Glasgow Warriors, but with the KwaZulu-Natalians high on confidence after qualifying for the EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final this past weekend and on a four-match winning streak, they will have a good foundation to build on.
You can find the log standings here
MATCH INFORMATION:
Glasgow Warriors v Sharks
Date: Friday, 19 April
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
SA Time: 20h35
TV: SuperSport
Lions v Leinster
Date: Saturday, 20 April
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi
SA Time: 15h00
TV: SuperSport
Bulls v Munster
Date: Saturday, 20 April
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Adam Jones
SA Time: 17h05
TV: SuperSport
Stormers v Ospreys
Date: Saturday, 20 April
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Andrew Brace
SA Time: 19h15
TV: SuperSport
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