DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 25: Joe Roberts of the Scarlets looks to tackle Jurenzo Julius of the Hollywoodbets Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match between Hollywoodbets Sharks and Llanelli Scarlets at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium on October 25, 2025 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)
Three South African teams recorded wins in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this weekend, heading into their month-long break with confidence.
They will need this, as after the Springboks return from their five-Test Euro tour, the local unions will have to balance URC and EPCR campaigns.
The Stormers continue to top the URC table after they recorded their fifth consecutive victory. Their first-ever away win against Benetton in Treviso came thanks to 23 unanswered points in the second half.
The Capetonians fought back from a 16-8 deficit to win 31-16, with flyhalf Jurie Mathee shining. He scored 21 points with three penalties, two conversions and a try.
The match concluded the Stormers’ best-ever overseas tour, with bonus-point wins against Scarlets and Zebre preceding it.
Bulls ‘flabbergasted’
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann said he was “flabbergasted” by a referee’s decision that cost the team dearly in their 21-12 loss to Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium.
It was the Bulls’ second defeat of the season though they remain sixth on the table.
The Pretoria side looked set to beat Glasgow when they were 12-7 up at the hour mark, and playing with momentum.
Kurt-Lee Arendse and Willie le Roux linked up for a beautiful try. However, it was overturned for an earlier knock-on.
When Glasgow were on the attack, referee Craig Evans ruled that Francois Klopper had played off his feet in a maul, awarding a penalty try and handing the player a yellow card.
The Bulls struggled to launch attacks after this, and failed to keep Glasgow from scoring their third try while still a man down.
“The big swing in the game was the penalty try,” Ackermann said. “The only guys off their feet were Glasgow.
“We’ll get some clarification on that because the footage we’ve got, and we’ve looked at it, and I begged Ruan [Nortjé] to ask the referee, but they seem to only go back when it’s knocks and not when it’s big decisions like that.”
Lions record second URC win, Sharks get their first
The Lions succeeded where the Bulls and Sharks failed, beating Ulster 49-31 in a 12-try thriller at Ellis Park.
Conrad van Vuuren scored twice while six other Lions players dotted down to inflict Ulster’s first defeat of the season.
The Lions climbed from 11th to eighth on the table with the win.
The Sharks, meanwhile, secured their first victory after three defeats and a draw.
Their bonus-point 29-19 win over bottom-feeders Scarlets in Durban left much to be desired. But as coach John Plumtree and his players said afterwards, they must take every win they can get at this point.
“We still look like a side that hasn’t gelled properly. We don’t look totally collected at the moment,” Plumtree said.
The victory lifted the Sharks one spot on the URC table, to 13th.
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