Bulls and Stormers rejoin the URC action as teams face crucial weekend in SA Shield race

The Bulls and Stormers will rejoin the rest of the South African sides in the United Rugby Championship (URC) with some catching up to do.

While the Lions and Sharks played out an exciting derby at Ellis Park, the SA Shield remains up for grabs following the home side’s 34-22 victory on Saturday afternoon. That means the title of South Africa’s best is still on the line — extra motivation for the Stormers and the Bulls, knowing they can still catch the Sharks and Lions.

At Loftus Versfeld, the Pretoria side and head coach Johan Ackermann return with a far clearer sense of where they stand — and where they need to improve — following a demanding warm-up outing against the Boland Kavaliers in Wellington on Friday.

The battle offered more than just minutes in the legs: it exposed rust, highlighted their good depth and underlined the physical edge required as the international club competition resumes.

After three weeks without a match, sharpness was always going to be an issue, but the grind in hot conditions served as a reminder that they can’t generate intensity and accuracy overnight. They did well to shake off the cobwebs, with eighth man Jeandré Rudolph, flanker Marcell Coetzee and backs Cheswill Jooste and Sebastian de Klerk all catching the eye.

Several other players put their hands up and Ackermann will likely welcome the selection headaches, despite still missing some injured stars. The squad run-out was valuable, but greater cohesion and accuracy will be their key focuses in training this week.

Down in Cape Town, the Stormers have welcomed some new players into their set-up, while the return of key injured figures should provide a further boost. They head to Ellis Park on the back of two losses and need an inspired performance to halt the rampaging Lions.

With their current lock crisis, the director of rugby may be tempted to throw returning loose forward Hacjivah Dayimani straight back into action against his former team. A couple of backline shifts are also expected, which could strengthen the Cape side as they look to regain winning momentum.

The SA Shield remains finely poised, and this coming weekend could prove decisive for several teams as they search for victories to strengthen their charge in the competition.