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SA rugby teams to feel the squeeze on squad resources during marathon European season

SA rugby teams to feel the squeeze on squad resources during marathon European season
Damian Willemse of the Stormers during the United Rugby Championship final match between DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls at DHL Stadium on June 18, 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Jon Cardinelli
By Jon Cardinelli
17 Sep 2022
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Do the respective franchises, with their 50-man squads, have the means to compete across international tournaments – the United Rugby Championship and, for the first time, the European Champions Cup?

South Africa’s franchises are heading into the unknown. While the Stormers and the Bulls proved a point when they contested the inaugural United Rugby Championship (URC) final in front of a big crowd in Cape Town, the reality is that the 2022/23 northern hemisphere season will place a greater strain on squad resources. Another title triumph is unlikely.

Do the respective franchises, with their 50-man squads, have the means to compete across international tournaments – the URC and, for the first time, the European Champions Cup? Each team will play 18 league games in the URC, and four preliminary matches in either the Champions Cup or Challenge Cup. A team that progresses to the final of each tournament will have played a whopping 27 matches over 39 weeks.

Essentially, the marathon European season can be divided into four parts. It will be interesting to see how each coach approaches the various challenges in each phase. 

Phase 1: Test of depth


The franchises could not have asked for a tougher introduction to Europe in the 2021/22 URC. The Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers began their respective campaigns with four-match tours to the northern hemisphere, and all four struggled to adapt to local conditions, referees and the unique tempo of the rugby.

Perhaps the coaches and players will be wiser for that experience last year. They will have the benefit of competing at home and overseas in this first block of matches, and may have a chance to establish a foothold in the tournament.

But as was the case last year, they will be without their Springboks – who will turn their attention to the four-Test tour of Europe after fulfilling their Rugby Championship duties. This year, coach Jacques Nienaber will take an extended squad to Europe, and will field a midweek side – the SA Select XV – against Munster and Bristol.

It remains to be seen how many more players will be extracted from the South African franchise player pool, and how the quality of those sides will be diluted as a result. While selection represents an opportunity for a fringe player to stake a claim for higher honours, it does impact on the depth of the franchises. The local coaches will be hoping that no serious injuries are sustained in those midweek fixtures. 

Harold Vorster of the Vodacom Bulls tackled by Deon Fourie of the DHL Stormers during the United Rugby Championship final match between DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls at DHL Stadium on 18 June 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)


Phase 2: Juggling URC, Champions Cup requirements


It’s going to be interesting to see how the individual franchise coaches react when the international window closes and their Bok players return for duty.

SA Rugby and the franchises have agreed to rest the top players at some stage – but if an individual franchise is struggling, they may well opt to send their Boks into battle from the start of December. It’s a long stretch – some 10 consecutive weeks across the URC and European tournaments – but a vital period in the context of all competitions.

The Sharks and Stormers are set to play three of their first five fixtures overseas. If those overseas tours take a turn for the worse, the coastal franchises may need to claw their way back in phase two of the season.

If they don’t play their Boks at all in those URC fixtures, they may find themselves in a situation similar to that of last season, where they relied on home form and a late surge to qualify for the playoffs.

All the coaches will be looking to make an impression in the initial rounds of the European tournaments. You would expect the Boks to feature for the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers in the Champions Cup fixtures staged in the second and third weeks of December. All three teams should be targeting a place in the playoffs, while the Cheetahs and Lions should be looking to advance to the next round of the Challenge Cup.

That’s not to suggest that the URC is less important. On the contrary, the results obtained in this season’s edition will determine whether the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers compete in the 2023/24 Champions Cup or drop down to the Challenge Cup.

That said, no team can field their strongest team every week over a season that spans 10 months. Coaches will need to be strategic about when they deploy their stars and when they send their B team into battle.

As Leinster have proved, a strong squad rather than a strong XV is needed to succeed in Europe.

While a few local teams beat Leinster last season, none of the South African franchises boasts the depth of the Irish giants. Indeed, it may be some time yet before they can contend for multiple titles, and be mentioned in the same breath. 

Warrick Gelant of the Stormers during the United Rugby Championship final match between DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls at DHL Stadium on 18 June 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)





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Phase 3: Demolition derbies


The URC and European competitions will pause for the Six Nations – at least for the clubs based up north. The SA sides will compete across four rounds of local derbies.

The Lions have been the weakest of the franchises for some time, and are likely to be targeted by their local opponents in this block of matches. Some of the teams may use these matches staged in South Africa to give younger and less experienced players a run, as the conditions will be more favourable than those in Europe.

While these matches will be less concentrated that those in phase two – the Bulls and Lions, for example, will enjoy two byes, and all four teams will have a two-week break before phase four – they could be particularly intense.

South African derbies are renowned for their physicality, and there may be a negative outcome in the form of injuries. It’s for this reason that the coaches may decide to rest a few key players during this period.

The big advantage of this phase, of course, is the absence of international travel. Touring demands will be greater this season, now that South Africa’s teams are part of the European tournaments.

As coaches like Bulls mentor Jake White have pointed out, flying to Europe nowadays is not as straightforward as before, with multiple stops and layovers set to take their toll on the players. 

Damian Willemse of the Stormers during the United Rugby Championship final match between DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls at DHL Stadium on 18 June 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)


Phase 4: European endgame


The inaugural URC only really sparked to life after the Six Nations concluded and the internationals returned to their respective clubs in late March. All of the clubs were at full strength and – given the time of the year – the conditions were milder and thus more conducive to running rugby in both hemispheres.

We saw what transpired, however, when a big club like Leinster attempted to juggle its resources across the URC and the Champions Cup – and came unstuck in both sets of playoffs. The better South African teams will have to be mindful of that challenge in the latter phase of the season.

An ideal scenario sees the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers doing enough in December and January to secure their respective places in the Champions Cup round of 16 – which will commence in late March.

But as seen last year, the fight for URC playoff spots – and ultimately qualification for the 2023/24 Champions Cup – will be fiercely intense. Whatever their plans for the current Champions Cup campaign, the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers must keep an eye on the URC log and ensure that they finish inside the top eight. DM168

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R25.

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