By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Suresh Rajcoomar /Fullview.
The DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls, and Fidelity SecureDrive Lions all remained in the running for hosting Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-finals in a riveting penultimate pool round, which delivered a dramatic draw, two bonus-point victories and only one defeat for the South African teams.
The Stormers set the tone for the round as they secured a last-gasp 38-38 draw against Ulster in Belfast on Friday night, and the Bulls and Sharks followed with sensational bonus-point victories on Saturday, thumping Zebre Parma 54-19 in Pretoria, and Benetton 46-7 in Durban.
But it was a heartbreak for the Lions, who leaked three late tries in an epic battle against Investec Champions Cup finalists, Leinster, in Dublin to suffer a disappointing 31-7 defeat, which brought their six-match winning streak to a halt.
The weekend’s results saw the Stormers (59 points) drop from first place on the standings to second – one point behind the Glasgow Warriors and one more than Leinster – while the Bulls’ victory saw them leap up to fourth place (54 pts).
With Munster (51 pts) and Cardiff (50 pts) also on the losing side, the Lions only dropped on spot to fifth (53 pts), leaving all three teams in contention for home quarter-finals going into the final pool round next week. The Sharks held onto the 10th spot on the table with 41 points.
Meanwhile the Junior Springboks claimed their first SANZAAR Under-20 Rugby Championship title at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday, dethroning New Zealand in the 2026 version of this highly entertaining tournament.
The Junior Boks needed only one log point from the contest to take the title, and did so when Samuel Badenhorst crossed for their fourth try in the 41st minute.
They finished on 13 log points, with New Zealand second on eight.
Australia, who edged Argentina 32-30 in the earlier match on Saturday, finished third and Los Pumitas, who beat New Zealand last Sunday, in fourth, with both earning seven log points.
The Junior Boks will travel to Georgia in June and July for the expanded 16-team 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championship.
Elsewhere the final round of the SA Cup produced another thrilling bout of action as the Toyota Cheetahs and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers booked their places alongside Suzuki Griquas and Airlink Pumas in next week’s two semi-finals. In doing so, the foursome also qualified for the prestigious 2026 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division.