The Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers should give Glasgow Warriors and Leinster a run for their money in the semifinals staged in Europe this weekend.
The United Rugby Championship reaches the semifinal stage this Saturday, and it seems more than likely that two European teams will advance to the decider on 20 June.
Glasgow host the Bulls at Murrayfield in the first semifinal on Saturday afternoon, while Leinster tackle the Stormers in the later game in Dublin.
Glasgow finished the URC league phase at the top of the standings, but won't have the advantage of playing at Scotstoun Stadium in the semifinal, as the venue is currently unavailable.
The Scots are gunning for their first URC title since 2024, while Leinster – who won the competition last year – are looking to go back-to-back.
The Stormers could claim their second URC title if they defy the odds over the next two matches. The Bulls are yet to win the tournament, but have qualified for the past four finals.
Glasgow Warriors v Bulls
- Date: Saturday, 6 June
- Venue: Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
- Time: 3:30pm (SA Time)
- TV: SuperSport
The head-to-head stats bode well for Glasgow, considering they beat the Bulls 21-12 in the URC this past October before edging the same side 25-21 in a dramatic Champions Cup playoff staged in April. Since that latter result, however, Glasgow have lost three and won three across the respective competitions, and were less than convincing in last week's quarterfinal against Connacht. The Bulls, by contrast, have won five in a row since that Champions Cup loss, and are coming off a 45-14 hammering of Munster. While any overseas playoffs are a daunting prospect for any travelling team, coach Johan Ackermann has highlighted the fact that the semifinal will be staged in Edinburgh rather than Glasgow, and on a grass pitch as opposed to Scotstoun's artificial surface. The Bulls have the forwards to trouble Glasgow at the set pieces, and Handré Pollard's kicking game should keep the visitors in touch. Nevertheless, as the 2.50 odds suggest, a Bulls win would come as a surprise, and Glasgow should do enough to get over the line. The +4 handicap (1.95) suggests that it will be a tight contest, and Glasgow shouldn't win by more than seven.
Leinster v Stormers
- Date: Saturday, 6 June
- Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
- Time: 6:30pm (SA Time)
- TV: SuperSport
The Stormers face a far tougher task than their Pretoria counterparts this weekend. John Dobson's charges will travel to Dublin as 6.00 underdogs, and those odds may be influenced by their fluctuating form as well as the untimely injury to star flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. The draw to Ulster and the loss to Cardiff at the back-end of the URC league phase cost the Stormers a first-place finish, and has ultimately resulted in an overseas semifinal. The Cape pack made a statement in the recent 44-21 win against Cardiff, and will give the visitors some hope of an upset in Dublin this weekend. At the very least, the Stormers should finish within the +14 handicap (1.95). Leinster have struggled against physical opponents this season – losing 41-19 to Bordeaux Bégles in the recent Champions Cup final – and may struggle to implement their free-flowing attack if the Stormers gain the upper hand at the set pieces. All that said, a side stacked with Ireland internationals should beat this Stormers side in Dublin, and the visitors may miss Feinberg-Mngomezulu's X-factor in a tight contest.
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