Home playoffs beckon for the Stormers and Lions after impressive wins, while the Vodacom Bulls have their top-eight fate in their own hands, writes LINDIZ VAN ZILLA.
First, third and seventh on the Vodacom URC log with two rounds remaining is a great return for the three leading South African clubs as the tournament takes a week’s break for the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup semi-finals.
The Sharks have finally been put out of their misery after a pitiful record of six wins, a draw and nine losses from their 16 matches to date.
The Stormers and Lions will be looking to stay at the top of the table to secure home-ground advantage for the quarter-finals and possibly beyond.
MORE: Serious injury mars Stormers win
The STORMERS discovered their form from earlier in the season as they demolished the Glasgow Warriors 48-12 in a top-of-the-table clash at Cape Town Stadium.
It was their final regular-season match at home before going on tour for their final two fixtures against Ulster and Cardiff.
Coach John Dobson and captain Ruhan Nel bristled post-match at the talk that the Stormers were a team on the slide.
The death of their long-time manager clearly affected the team in their surprise loss to Connacht two weeks ago. But even before then, the Stormers were iffy in wins over the Dragons and Edinburgh.
Not so against Glasgow, as the new log leaders rediscovered their forward dominance and attacking spark to run riot.
KEO: Good enough is old enough
It was a timely return to form and the Stormers will head into the business end of the season full of confidence.
The LIONS followed up their epic win over the Glasgow Warriors with another eye-catching display as they dispatched Connacht.
Ivan van Rooyen’s men raced into a 28-0 lead over a team that had beaten the Stormers a week earlier and then comfortably saw out a 33-21 win.
CASH: Lions now control playoff destiny
It was a sixth consecutive URC win for the Lions and lifted them to the heady heights of third.
Their cause was aided by fourth-placed Leinster slumping to a surprise loss to lowly Benetton.
MORE: Benetton do Stormers, Lions a big favour
From having never made the URC playoffs, the Lions are now eyeing home ground-advantage. However, there are four teams all within four points of the Pride.
The Lions (53 points) will embark on an arduous two-match tour where they face Irish giants Leinster (53) and Munster (51), which could make or break their URC hopes.
The BULLS deserve credit for coming through a tough month-long tour to Europe with two crucial URC wins.
Coach Johan Ackermann was right when he said the last-16 Champions Cup loss to the Glasgow Warriors could easily have derailed their entire tour.
Instead, the Bulls used the time to regroup and bond, and then went out and beat the Dragons and Scarlets to keep themselves right in playoff contention.
ACKERS: Bulls tour a success but job not done
It wasn’t pretty against the Scarlets in Llanelli, but the Bulls got the job done.
They sit seventh on 49 points and have a bit of daylight between themselves and Ulster (47) and Connacht (44).
The Bulls’ final two fixtures are against Italian sides Zebre and Benetton at Loftus.
Ackermann and co will be working hard to ensure the Bulls don’t let their promising position slide.
SHARKS fans can finally put away their calculators. Friday night’s 33-28 loss to Edinburgh extinguished their last remaining hopes of making the top eight.
It also means the Sharks do not qualify to play in the Champions Cup next season, instead dropping down to the second-tier EPCR Challenge Cup.
It is a major blow for a Springbok-laden squad and coach JP Pietersen will have to carefully plan the remainder of a disappointing season.
JP: Sharks still learning to win
There are some talented players coming through the Sharks ranks and perhaps building depth and blooding youngsters is the route to take.
Round 16 results
Cardiff 24 Ospreys 21
Edinburgh 33 Sharks 28
Zebre 18 Dragons 19
Stormers 48 Glasgow Warriors 12
Lions 33 Connacht 21
Munster 41 Ulster 14
Scarlets 21Â Bulls 23
Benetton 29 Leinster 26
Round 17 fixtures
Friday, 8 May
Ulster vs Stormers (8:45pm)
Glasgow Warriors vs Cardiff (8:45pm)
Saturday, 9 May
Bulls vs Zebre (1:45pm)
Sharks vs Benetton (4pm)
Leinster vs Lions (6:30pm)
Ospreys vs Scarlets (6:30pm)
Connacht vs Munster (8:45pm)
Dragons vs Edinburgh (8:45pm)
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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