Disappointing defeats put SA teams’ URC home playoffs in jeopardy

The Bulls and Stormers suffered disappointing defeats on home soil over the weekend that has firmly put their goals of finishing in the United Rugby Championship (URC) top four to secure a home playoff in jeopardy.

A 14-man Bulls were beaten 27-22 by defending champs Munster at Loftus, while the Stormers were downed 27-21 by Ospreys in Cape Town.

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The Bulls will be bitterly disappointed with their loss, as they were favourites for the match due to their impressive home form this season.

They had also chosen to leave most of their star players at home when they travelled to England to take on Northampton Saints in their Champions Cup quarterfinal, and were back to full strength for the game, bar injuries to a few players.

But in the match, after battling back to lead 22-17 in the 50^th minute of the game, a costly red card to flyhalf Johan Goosen after a head clash in a tackle three minutes later set them back and Munster used their man-advantage to fight back and take the win in the end.

The loss saw the Bulls and Munster swap places on the log, with the Pretoria side now fourth, while Glasgow Warriors strengthened their position at second on the log.

The Bulls thus have no more wiggle room and face a big three home games over the coming weeks, as they host Ospreys, Glasgow and fifth placed Benetton.

Tricky away encounter

Their final pool game of the season will be a tricky away encounter against the Sharks who will likely be looking to end their campaign with a bang, so the Bulls will have to be at their best if they want to hold onto fourth place and secure a home quarterfinal.

The Stormers loss was a lot more damaging in their top four aspirations, as they were expected to pick up a full house of points against Ospreys, which if they had done, would have seen them just two points behind the Bulls.

Instead they have now been dragged into a top eight dogfight, with them sixth on the log, level on points with seventh placed Ospreys and one point ahead of four teams in positions eight to 11.

Next they host a largely second-string Leinster, who will be looking to make a statement after they were mauled by the Lions, before heading on a tricky two game tour to the UK to take on Dragons and Connacht.

They end their pool stage by hosting the Lions in Cape Town at the start of June, and they know just one more slip up could end any slim chance they have of fighting for the top four, and even jeopardise their place in the top eight.