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Bulls, Stormers could score as URC heads into Six Nations ‘break’

Bulls, Stormers could score as URC heads into Six Nations ‘break’
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 23: Jake White looks on prior the United Rugby Championship match between DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls at DHL Stadium on December 23, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Jon Cardinelli
By Jon Cardinelli
28 Jan 2024
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Player and fixture management is vital for South Africa’s leading rugby contenders while the Six Nations plays out in Europe.

Club rugby fixtures in the northern hemisphere will be pared back to ensure the Six Nations receives due attention during February and March.

Here in South Africa, the United Rugby Championship (URC) saga continues, and the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers will compete in a series of derbies that will influence the final standings and, ultimately, their quest for silverware.

Bulls boss Jake White and Stormers coach John Dobson have spoken at length about the challenges of competing across a never-ending season. The four franchises played nonstop for three months between late October and early January.

Famine after the feast


Although the workload has eased since then, the future is no less daunting. The franchises will play two to three derbies over the next eight weeks, then resume the game-a-week challenge – and travel between South Africa and Europe regularly – until they win or are knocked out of the respective European tournaments.

Common sense would suggest that the franchises rest their top players during the coming weeks, and rotate their squads. SA Rugby and the players’ organisation, MyPlayers, recommended that contracted Springboks rest for the bulk of this period.

The Stormers have already confirmed that World Cup winners such as Damian Willemse, Deon Fourie and Manie Libbok will be unavailable for five of those eight weeks.

But it’s not a perfect system. Although fewer matches are traditionally staged at this point of the northern hemisphere season, the games are no less important.

The Bulls and Stormers are well placed to advance to the latter stages of both the URC and Champions Cup. Yet both are under pressure to bank log points over the next two months, while keeping their star players fresh for the latter part of the season.

Maintaining momentum


White recently expressed his concerns about this conundrum. At the end of March, the Bulls will travel to Wales and Ireland for a two-match tour. Thereafter, they will host Lyon for the Champions Cup Round of 16 clash.

If the Bulls win that match, they will in all likelihood head back to Europe the following week for a quarterfinal. The next fortnight sees them battling Munster and the Ospreys at Loftus Versfeld. To say it’s a gruelling schedule is an understatement.

But the Bulls have been in form this season, and may well rise to the challenge.

Stormers Bulls Willie le Roux Willie le Roux of the Bulls celebrates his try against Union Bordeaux-Begles in a Champions Cup clash at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Gordon Arons / Gallo Images)



New recruits – Boks such as Willie le Roux and Wilco Louw – and the coaching staff of former Bok assistant coach Gary Gold and ex-Bok lock Andries Bekker have unlocked the collective’s potential.

As the season reaches the halfway stage, the Bulls are the best-placed local franchise in both the Champions Cup and the URC.

White himself has admitted that lessons have been learnt about player management over the past two seasons. In the coming months, the Bulls will have the chance to get that balance right.

At a glance, the February-March window may seem an ideal period to rest key players ahead of the most important phase of the season between April and early June.

But if the Bulls bank log points now – in two matches against the Lions and in a home fixture against the Stormers – they will leave themselves with less to do at the back end of the URC in terms of nailing down a home quarterfinal and semifinal.

The Bulls went through a difficult period in 2023 where they lost 10 games in succession. They’re a far more polished side this season and should fancy their chances of claiming back-to-back wins against the Lions and beating the Stormers at Loftus.

Willemse, Fourie and Libbok will be back from their break for that north-south derby, and it will be a crucial fixture for both teams.

Stormers under pressure


To reiterate, the Bulls are better placed in the URC than their local counterparts. Heading into this weekend’s battle with the Lions, they were ranked sixth, even though they had played eight games (14 of the other 15 teams had played nine).

It’s plain to see how the Bulls can afford to lose a game or two in the February-March window. And yet, a side that has its sights set on a home playoff should expect to claim two wins against a team like the Lions, who sit at 11th in the URC standings.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Window of opportunity closed — Boks on outside looking in at Six Nations

The Stormers, South Africa’s other big hope for silverware this season, could certainly use the points at this stage. After their Champions Cup win against Stade Français in Paris, Dobson’s side will enjoy a three-week “rest” before their next URC fixture.

During that period, some of the Stormers players will compete in friendly fixtures against local clubs to ensure they maintain their edge.

Jake White before a United Rugby Championship match between the Stormers and the Bulls at Cape Town Stadium on 23 December 2023. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)



The Stormers will play just two matches in the February-March window – against the Sharks in Durban on 17 February and against the Bulls in Pretoria on 2 March.

Winning one or both of those matches will improve their chances of qualifying for the URC playoffs. They currently sit in seventh spot in the URC – right behind the Bulls.

Unlike the Bulls, the Stormers have a more favourable schedule after that, with two home URC matches against European opposition and then a home Champions Cup round-of-16 clash against La Rochelle. If they win that playoff, they are likely to head to Europe to compete in the quarterfinals.

Sharks only have one priority


The Sharks have lost eight of their first nine URC matches, and will begin this period at the foot of the 16-team table.

They’re unlikely to qualify for the URC playoffs from here, and all their focus should be on the Challenge Cup playoffs in April.

If they beat Zebre in the round-of-16 match in Durban, and build some momentum in the latter fixtures, they may well progress to the decider of that tournament and find themselves in a position to qualify for next season’s Champions Cup. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R29.

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