The Vodacom Bulls and Leinster will have one eye on a likely semi-final clash at Loftus Versfeld next week, that will be the ideal precursor to the July Tests in the Republic, writes MARK KEOHANE.
The world champion Springboks will host Six Nations title-holders Ireland on 6 and 13 July, in Pretoria and Durban respectively. On Saturday, the Bulls and DHL Stormers will fly the South African flag in the Vodacom URC quarter-finals, against Benetton and the Glasgow Warriors.
It’s the third season in a row since the start of the URC that the teams from Pretoria and Cape Town have made the final eight.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane argues that the Bulls and Leinster are too good to lose at home, and will set up the match of the competition a week later, when the Irish giants travel to the Highveld.
He highlights that Leinster fielded 18 current Ireland internationals in the recent Champions Cup final against Toulouse, while the Bulls have three current Springboks in their matchday 23, so the semi-final will be a “Test-match occasion”.
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Keohane emphasises that if the Stormers can win an away playoff match in their first attempt, and Munster progress to the next round, then it sets up appetising last-four meetings between the best two Irish provincial teams and the two standout sides from South Africa.
“The Bulls will bury Benetton at Loftus… Ireland’s Leinster will win at home against Ulster. This semi-final will be a Test-match occasion,” he writes.
“Both teams will have one eye on Pretoria, even if they don’t publicly say so, but both are too good to lose at home in the quarter-finals.
“If the Stormers can create more history… and Munster, at Thomond Park in Limerick, win their quarter-final, then it sets up the most appetising of semi-finals in the best two Irish provincial teams against the best two South African URC teams.
“What a precursor to the South Africa versus Ireland two-Test series.”
Photo: Seb Daly/Gallo Images
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The Vodacom Bulls and Leinster will have one eye on a likely semi-final clash at Loftus Versfeld next week, that will be the ideal precursor to the July Tests in the Republic, writes MARK KEOHANE.
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