All four local franchises have been participating in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions in the last two weekends, but their attention will now shift with the halfway mark in the Vodacom URC looming.

The Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks will look to hold onto their places in the top eight, while the DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions will be keen to make a jump on the table, with all four out to register important victories.

All three matches involving the domestic teams will play out on Saturday with the Emirates Lions hosting the Vodacom Bulls in a Jukskei derby in Johannesburg at 14h45 (for tickets, click here), while the DHL Stormers face their toughest task yet this season against log-leaders Leinster – the only unbeaten team in the competition – in Dublin at 19h00, and Cardiff host the Hollywoodbets Sharks in the Welsh capital at 19h15.

The Emirates Lions, in 12^th position on the standings with four wins in seven matches, face a tough challenge against the fourth-placed Vodacom Bulls, who have only suffered two defeats in the competition up to now at Emirates Airline Park.

Given their familiarity with one another, to add to the fact that the Johannesburgers have not suffered a defeat at home yet in the 2024/25 season and come off a comprehensive 60-10 victory against the Dragons last week in the EPCR Challenge Cup, the hosts will back themselves to give their neighbours a run for their money, especially after the Vodacom Bulls’ much-needed victory last week against Stade Francais in the Investec Champions Cup.

Spicing up the clash, both teams will be high on confidence after booking their places in the EPCR Challenge Cup playoffs, meaning it could prove to be a humdinger.

The Vodacom Bulls have been more effective on attack in the Vodacom URC, scoring 33 more points than the opposition in their seven games, while they have also been marginally better on defence with 13 fewer points conceded, meaning it could prove to be a mouthwatering clash.

The DHL Stormers will be up against it when they face Leinster at the Aviva Stadium as the Irish outfit have yet to lose a game this season, but interestingly enough, the hosts are aiming for their first victory over the team from Cape Town, who won both their matches in South Africa and drew in Dublin in 2023.

Leinster are on a nine-match winning streak in the Vodacom URC and completed the pool stages of the Investec Champions Cup with a full house of wins. The Dubliners also boast the best attacking and defensive records in the Vodacom URC, meaning it will take a top-drawer performance from the Cape side to come away with a win.

That said, the DHL Stormers won their last two Vodacom URC games – albeit in Cape Town – and thumped the Sale Sharks 40-0 in the Investec Champions Cup two weeks ago, before suffering a heart-breaking 31-22 defeat against Racing 92 in a thrilling encounter in Paris last weekend.

These results will certainly boost their confidence going into the clash, but they will be under no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge that lies ahead as they look to create the biggest upset so far this season.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks, meanwhile, will look to regain the form that saw them win four Vodacom URC matches in a row earlier in the season when they take on Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park, where a favourable result could see them leap up from fifth place on the log.

Both teams find themselves in similarly desperate positions after suffering defeats in their last two matches in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup respectively, while little separates them on the Vodacom URC standings despite the third-placed Cardiff boasting four more log points, as they have both won five matches – although the fifth-placed Durbanites have a game in hand.

Adding to this, the KwaZulu-Natalians have scored only five more points than the Welshman on attack, while the home side have conceded five points fewer, meaning it could prove to be a thriller of a match.

Match Information:

Emirates Lions v Vodacom Bulls
Date: Saturday, 25 January
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
SA Time: 14h45
Referee: Marius vd Westhuizen
TV: SuperSport

Leinster v DHL Stormers
Date: Saturday, 25 January
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
SA Time: 19h00
Referee: Andrea Piardi
TV: SuperSport

Cardiff vs Hollywoodbets Sharks
Date: Saturday, 25 January
Venue: Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
SA Time: 19h15
Referee: Mike Adamson
TV: SuperSport