Bulls director of rugby Jake White looks on prior to the Champions Cup quarter-final against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday. (Paul Harding/Getty Images)
The United Rugby Championship (URC) returns this weekend with all four South African franchises in action, and the race is on for playoff places.
There are just three rounds of fixtures remaining before the quarter-finals, and the 16-team log currently makes for interesting reading. There are six points separating the Stormers in fifth (45) and the Lions in 11th (39), and with the top eight sides qualifying, there is little room left for any slip-ups.
The Sharks are the only South African side out of the playoff picture, but they still have a lot to play for this season and can qualify for next season’s Champions Cup by winning their Challenge Cup final against Gloucester at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 24 May.
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