United Rugby Championship Round 12 Recap: Lions Roar, Champs Back On Track
United Rugby Championship Round 12 Recap: Lions Roar, Champs Back On Track
Here's a recap of Round 12 of the 2024 URC. Munster moves into the top 4, Leinster stays on top, Lions win in Galway and Sharks win in Durban.
Round 12 of the BKT United Rugby Championship saw a major shake-up in the overall standings, with just six rounds to play before the quarterfinals.
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Finally setting up a bit of daylight between themselves and the chasing pack, the top four sides on the table are a full four points clear. Of course, this could swing on a moment’s notice, with several big clashes on the cards over the next six rounds.
Rather than theorising what is coming, here is a recap of the key takeaways from round 12’s action.
Lions Roar In Galway
A win in Galway? Sure, we will take that.
This would have been the sentiment the Lions would have had heading into their Round 12 clash with Connacht. What followed quite possibly was the Johannesburg side’s most impressive showing since joining the URC.
Going down to 14 men early, as powerhouse prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye was shown a straight red card for a high tackle, few would’ve given the South African side a chance against a dangerous Connacht outfit. Yet, this thought process clearly was not passed onto the Lions, who went on to record a 38-14 bonus point win in what was a powerful display.
This result, coupled with their dominant win over Sharks in Round 11, proves without a doubt that the Lions are playoff contenders this season.
Champions Flex Their Muscles
Getting healthier by the week, reigning champion Munster looks to be gaining momentum at just the right time again this season.
Suffering an injury that was bordering on being historic, Graham Rowntree’s side battened down the hatches and managed its way through that portion of the season.
Three bonus-point wins over the past three rounds have catapulted them back into the top 4 ahead of what is a manageable regular-season run-in (albeit they have a mini tour of South Africa to complete).
Benetton Challenge Spitting At The Seams
The feel-good story early in the season is that Benetton has hit a major bump in the road over the past with three losses from their last three outings. This run has seen Marco Bortolami’s side drop from the top 2 to outside of the playoff spots, which is a very disappointing development.
All certainly is not lost for the men from Treviso, but they will need to right the ship quickly, following a rather disappointing loss away to Scarlets in a match where they will feel like they have slipped away.
Stormers Rebound
The URC’s most successful franchise once again is right back in the reckoning following a brutal start to this season.
Now, sitting pretty in fifth position, the Cape Townians will play four of their final six fixtures at home.
The key to their success has been a superb brand of running rugby, which they have firmly reverted back to with their Springbok stars back in the mix.
Pressuring opposition with their world-class pace out wide, the Stormers could secure at least four bonus-point wins over the next six rounds, which would have them right back in contention for both the top 4 and the South African Shield, should the Bulls falter.