ROAD TO THE PLAY-OFFS: VODACOM BULLS (4TH)

SEASON SNAPSHOT

Jake White’s Vodacom Bulls had an awful start to the league.They fronted Leinster in Dublin first-up and took a pounding. It immediatelyasked questions of their Currie Cup success, as incumbent champions, and thedoomsday prophets came out in force.

White was pragmatic in his response. He acknowledged Leinster,applauded the quality of their game and told the South African media that hisplayers now knew what was needed to secure a play-off spot and also what thestandard was to win the league.

White’s boys would suffer more despair in the first month ontour, and while they won against Cardiff Rugby after a fabulous last 40 minutes, theywere always behind the black ball in the league.

There is a confidence about these players that isn’t inflatedbecause of home support because for so much of the league Covid restrictionsensured there was no stadium crowd attendance.

Vodacom Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee spoke of winning at homeand White spoke of a winning habit and this is exactly what happened once theystarted hosting teams. Many visitors got smashed at Loftus Versfeld as thehosts combined attitude with the altitude factor to post some huge scores.

The Bulls were raging and Coetzee and White were beaming.

There were stumbles, most notably losing to southern rivals theDHL Stormers in Pretoria and Cape Town, but even when they lost 19-17 in CapeTown, White was bullish in declaring that his boys would be in the final eightand that they would be contenders for a home play-offs.

White’s charges delivered, on the promise of a play-off and ahome quarter-final, and they only lost one of their last nine URC matches. They are unbeaten since 9th April.

STAR PERFORMER

Madosh Tambwe has been electric on the wing. He is poetry inmotion on attack, his defence is sound and his appreciation of field positioncannot be coached.

Tambwe adds buzz to any stadium audience and whenever he getsthe ball there is an expectation of the impossible. The only time you hear asigh of disappointment is when he passes the ball.

He is one of those players that commands presence and he scorestries or creates try-scoring opportunities in the biggest moments.

DECISIVE WIN

Jake White will tell you that every win is a divisive win, butin the context of the season, the most telling victory was beating a powerfulUlster outfit at Loftus.

Ulster were smarting from a narrow defeat against the DHLStormers in Cape Town and were insistent that they would leave South Africawith a victory. For 40 minutes, in an outstanding first half, they were true totheir word as they dictated proceedings in Pretoria.

Come the second 40 and the Coetzee-inspired Vodacom Bullschanged gears to turn a deficit into a 34-16 victory. It was their best 40 ofthe league season and confirmation they could beat the biggest teams in theleague.

ROAD TO THE PLAY-OFFS: CELL C SHARKS (5TH)

SEASON SNAPSHOT

The Cell C Sharks have provided the ultimate roller coaster ridein the first season of the United Rugby Championship. Just when theyseem unstoppable, they stumble, and just when they get written off, they standtallest.

There is disappointment in Durban that the Cell C Sharks thisweekend are not hosting a quarter-final after entering the 18th and final roundof the league leading the South African Shield. A combination of defeat, inBelfast, to Ulster, and wins for the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls in Wales,meant a third place finish in South Africa, but the fifth place overall finishmeant they didn’t have to travel overseas for the first round of play-offmatches.

The Cell C Sharks, like their South African counterparts,struggled in the first month of the league, playing away from home and withouttheir current Springboks, which include 2019 World Cup-winning captain SiyaKolisi, midfielder Lukhanyo Am, prop Thomas du Toit and hooker Bongi Mbonambi.Another World Cup-winning squad member, winger Sbu Nkosi also struggled withinjury.

The indifferent start meant playing catch up, but the Cell CSharks enjoyed a purple patch in Durban. They have also lost just one and drawnone of the six matches they played against South African opposition in the URC.The home draw and away defeat was against the DHL Stormers.

STAR PERFORMER

Fullback Aphelele Fassi is a gem of a player. He is the type ofplayer who makes the ticket price seem secondary.

Fassi spent six months without a game while touring with theSpringboks in the second half of 2021 and he also suffered the most irritatingof injury setbacks during the URC in 2022, but when he played herocked the league.

Fassi, at his best, is sensational. He has X-factor, can turn ahalf chance into five points and is constantly a menace with ball inhand.

The Cell C Sharks, with Fassi, at fullback, are always in with achance of beating anyone.

DECISIVE WIN

In the context of the season the Cell C Sharks biggest win wasgoing to Loftus Versfeld and beating the Vodacom Bulls 29-22 in February. Itmeant they had completed the double against South Africa’s premier domesticteam, having won the first round in Durban in December, 2021.

Away wins define title-winning campaigns and the Cell C Sharkshave shown they can win away from home, and most significantly, they can win atLoftus, where they play the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday afternoon.