The Gauteng teams bagged a full house of log points while the coastal sides faltered on another dramatic weekend in the United Rugby Championship.
The URC playoff picture is starting to take shape, although it remains to be seen how many South African teams will qualify or who will host a knockout fixture.
The Vodacom Bulls boosted their home playoff prospects when they thrashed the Dragons 47-7 in Newport on Friday night.
A big win was expected – with SuperSportBet tipping an 11-15 point margin and the Dragons to finish within the 14-point handicap.
Johan Ackermann's charges lifted the tempo after half-time, however, and finished with a total of seven tries in a 40-point landslide victory.
The Fidelity Securedrive Lions claimed the most important win of the weekend – at least from a South African point of view – when they thrashed Glasgow Warriors 54-12 in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Outside centre Henco van Wyk scored two of the Lions' eight tries as Cash van Rooyen's side delivered a statement against the top-ranked team in the league.
In the end, the Warriors didn't get close to finishing within the +8 handicap – and their inability to bank any log points from this fixture may well have an impact on the final standings.
The DHL Stormers failed to make home advantage count in their clash against a weakened Connacht on a wet and windy afternoon in Cape Town on Saturday.
After trailing 10-7 at half-time, Connacht took control in the second stanza, and emerged with a crucial 33-24 bonus-point victory – their first ever in Cape Town.
Connacht went into the clash as 10.00 underdogs, and brave bettors who took a chance on the plucky Irish side would have won big after a monumental result.
The weekend ended on a disappointing note for the South African teams, as the Hollywoodbets Sharks lost 21-17 to the Ospreys in Bridgend on Saturday night.
It was another upset as far as the betting markets were concerned, as the Welsh side started the game as 2.20 underdogs.
Despite their recent losses, Glasgow and the Stormers remain in first and second place respectively, with three league matches to play.
Leinster beat Ulster this past weekend to retain their spot in third. The Lions have moved up to fourth while Ulster have dropped to fifth.
Munster (sixth) and Cardiff (seventh) claimed important wins to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Bulls remain in eight place in spite of their big win against the Dragons, but it's worth noting that only three log points separate Ackermann's charges and the Lions in fifth place.
Connacht (ninth) are just one log point behind the Bulls, while the Sharks (11th) trail the Pretoria-based side by 11, and are in danger of missing the playoffs.
The URC continues this weekend, with all four South African teams in action.
The Sharks travel to the Scottish capital on Friday to tackle Edinburgh in a match that will shape their playoff prospects.
The Stormers host Glasgow Warriors in a top of the table clash in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions face Connacht in Johannesburg, while the Bulls round off their tour to the north with a showdown against Scarlets in Llanelli.
ENDS
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