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 immediately asked questions of their Currie Cup success, as incumbent champions, and the doomsday 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 his players now knew what was needed to secure a play-off spot and also what the standard was to win the league.

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

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

Vodacom Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee spoke of winning at home and White spoke of a winning habit and this is exactly what happened once they started hosting teams. Many visitors got smashed at Loftus Versfeld as the hosts 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 the DHL Stormers in Pretoria and Cape Town, but even when they lost 19-17 in Cape Town, White was bullish in declaring that his boys would be in the final eight and that they would be contenders for a home play-offs.

White’s charges delivered, on the promise of a play-off and a home 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 in motion on attack, his defence is sound and his appreciation of field position cannot be coached.

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

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

DECISIVE WIN

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

Ulster were smarting from a narrow defeat against the DHL Stormers in Cape Town and were insistent that they would leave South Africa with a victory. For 40 minutes, in an outstanding first half, they were true to their word as they dictated proceedings in Pretoria.

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

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

SEASON SNAPSHOT

The Cell C Sharks have provided the ultimate roller coaster ride in the first season of the United Rugby Championship. Just when they seem unstoppable, they stumble, and just when they get written off, they stand tallest.

There is disappointment in Durban that the Cell C Sharks this weekend are not hosting a quarter-final after entering the 18th and final round of the league leading the South African Shield. A combination of defeat, in Belfast, 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 finish meant they didn’t have to travel overseas for the first round of play-off matches.

The Cell C Sharks, like their South African counterparts, struggled in the first month of the league, playing away from home and without their current Springboks, which include 2019 World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi, midfielder Lukhanyo Am, prop Thomas du Toit and hooker Bongi Mbonambi. Another World Cup-winning squad member, winger Sbu Nkosi also struggled with injury.

The indifferent start meant playing catch up, but the Cell C Sharks enjoyed a purple patch in Durban. They have also lost just one and drawn one 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 of player who makes the ticket price seem secondary.

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

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

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

DECISIVE WIN

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

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