It’s a derby weekend in South Africa, with two huge URC matches on the horizon. This will be a delight for all the rugby fans, though not just in this country but all over the world. And also, for the bettors,

The first is in Johannesburg. The Lions host the Bulls, and that will open Saturday’s program. Second is the one in Durban, at the Hollywoodbets King’s Park, where the Sharks await the Stormers. After that

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Sharks VS Stormers

This was a huge morale boost for the Sharks, who previously smashed Clermont in the ERCC, 50-12, meaning that this team recovered following back-to-back losses, one in the ERCC to Sale Sharks, 26-10 on the road, and a tight failure to the Lions at home, 22-23. The fans are already frustrated by the recent pattern in which their favorites open slowly, allowing the rivals to pull away, and they try to catch them, though often without success.

Meanwhile, the Stormers need to get back in the saddle; otherwise, things aren’t going to develop as this team planned. After 10 wins in a row, John Dobson’s crew lost twice in three matches. A 61-10 loss to Harlequins in the ERCC was, let’s say, disappointing. Also, the win over Leicester Tigers in the ERCC 39-26 was quickly forgotten due to the loss in the coastal derby.

Last weekend, these two teams met, and we can say that the Sharks controlled that event right from the start. They opened the game well, imposing their own tempo and taking a 14-5 lead early. After that, the Stormers could only watch their rivals’ backs, without any solution to the multiple problems on the field.

In our opinion, the Stormers are closer to victory here for several reasons. First, it’s always tough to beat the same team so soon, and this game comes only 7 days after the previous one. Also, don’t forget that Evan Roos and Adre Smith are coming back, as they both didn’t appear last weekend. The odds on their win are pretty solid, and we would take the Stormers to win.

Lions VS Bulls

Lions are without a loss for the last 4 games. Though… they have played back-to-back ties: one against USA Perpignan, 20-20 and the other against the Ospreys, 24-24. They were hosts in both matches. Overall, they had just one home game, which was a win over Lyon, 42-33.

Bulls have injury problems, and several big-time players are out for this one, including Willie le Roux, Ruan Nortje, Canan Moodie, etc. However, the team is still a huge favorite here and is expected to win. They beat Edinburgh 19-17 on the road, which was their first triumph after mid-October and a visit to Connacht, 28-27.

These sides met in November. Back then, the Lions came back from behind to beat the Bulls, 43-33, at Loftus. Three months earlier, they played in the Currie Cup, and the Lions were even harsher towards the Bulls – 44-5.

The handicap hosts have to defend is 5.5 points, and we believe they have the power to do that. Even though the bookies think otherwise, the Lions will have a decent shot at a win here, so we pick them with the handicap.

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