SA's best target Ireland giants
25/03/2024 14:35
First place is up for grabs when the Vodacom Bulls take on eight-time champions Leinster in Dublin, while the DHL Stormers will host a familiar face playing for Ulster in Cape Town.
Round 12 of the Vodacom URC will South Africa’s highest-ranked teams, the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers, battle some of Ireland’s best when they tackle Leinster and Ulster respectively.
CLICK HERE FOR STORMERS VS ULSTER TICKETS
We have got an old friend coming to DHL Stadium this weekend. Make sure you are there to say howzit to Kitsie on Saturday.
Get your tickets here https://t.co/gfx9WuWejO#STOvULS#iamastormer#dhldelivers@Vodacom#URCpic.twitter.com/Ty1soBwmfX
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) March 25, 2024
Both games will be a repeat of the 2021-22 semi-finals, when the Bulls famously held on to beat a Johnny Sexton-inspired Leinster comeback effort in Dublin, before the Stormers secured a home final against Ulster thanks to a last-minute touchline conversion from flyhalf Manie Libbok.
“I was so clear and confident that I’m going to put it over.”
Manie Libbok and Dobbo open up about last season’s Vodacom #URC win for @THESTORMERS over Ulster.
Watch ‘The Absurd Heroes’ on Catch Up. pic.twitter.com/fG33H1GKiv
— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) January 5, 2023
There will be plenty on the line once again, as the Bulls have the opportunity to leapfrog Leinster into first place on the URC table on Friday night. Currently in fifth place, the Stormers will look to continue their push for a home playoff by beating Ulster, who trail by just one point.
This will, however, be anything but straightforward as both Irish teams boast talent and experience in abundance.
Leinster contributed a majority of the Ireland team that won back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2023 and 2024. Captained by lock James Ryan, Leinster count a host of star names among their ranks, including props Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter, one-cap Springbok lock Jason Jenkins, 2022 World Player of the Year Josh van der Flier, scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park, centres Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose, and New Zealand-born Ireland winger James Lowe.
The Stormers, meanwhile, are eagerly anticipating Steven Kitshoff’s return to Cape Town, the Springbok loosehead prop making his first appearance there since joining Ulster after the World Cup.
Kitshoff, who captained the Stormers to back-to-back URC finals, winning one, is set to face his former side as part of the second leg of Ulster's mini-tour of South Africa.
The two-time World Cup-winning prop is part of an experienced Ulster pack, captained by veteran Ireland and British & Irish Lions lock Iain Henderson.
After suffering a narrow defeat to the Sharks in Durban, Ulster are set unleash a host of Ireland internationals on the Stormers, including Cape Town-raised hooker Rob Herring, halfback pair John Cooney and Billy Burns, powerful centre Stuart McCloskey and nimble winger Mike Lowery.
Photo: Gallo Images
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