The quarter-finals went to seed, but not before a dramatic penalty shootout, in which the Sharks beat Munster after the match finished at 24-24. Leinster handled Scarlets easily, while Edinburgh put up 33 points on the road in Pretoria and still lost by more than a try.
The most disappointing semi-final was the first of the weekend. Stormers’ expected upset bid never materialized, with hosts Glasgow Warriors scoring five tries to just two from the visitors.
Here is a look at the two semi-final matches:
Leinster (1) VS Glasgow Warriors (4)
Saturday, 7 June – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
The last time these two sides met at the Aviva, it was a long, long day for the Scottish visitors. Leinster obliterated Glasgow Warriors 52-0 in a quarter-final matchup in the Champions Cup in April, a win that many thought would propel the Irish giants to multiple trophies at the end of this season.
It didn’t work out that way, with Northampton Saints sending Leinster crashing out of that comp at the semi-final stage. That means it is the URC trophy or nothing for Leinster after another season where they dominated the league phase to finish top of the log.
The line here shows how heavy Leinster is as a favorite against the defending champions. If Glasgow is to upset the province, they must find a way to exploit Leinster’s cracks in confidence.
Getting on top and applying scoreboard pressure early would be massive for the Scots, especially if they can find a way to turn a crowd that has been seeing Leinster blasted in the press all week.
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith has won eight of his 12 knockout games with the team. Huw Jones remains out, but Smith has opted for a midfield blend of Adam Hastings at 10, Tom Jordan at 12, and Sione Tuipulotu at 13. This trio will cause problems.
Glasgow will keep it closer than the 14.5 points they are being given, but Leinster will win a scrappy affair by a try.
Bulls (2) VS Sharks (3)
Saturday, 7 June – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
The Sharks turned over the Bulls at Loftus earlier this year, so the famed stadium will hold no fear for them. As an away side at this point in the season, all you can ask for is a match on your continent, so this will be a Sharks squad expecting to run the Bulls close.
Given their rotation strategy, we rarely see a full-strength Sharks team. They will be fully loaded here, only missing players ruled out through injury.
Unfortunately, one of those players is a massive loss. Springbok star Eben Etzebeth withdrew from the squad on the eve of the match due to an injury in training. Etzebeth will be one of two second rowers missing, with Jason Jenkins also out.
The Bulls’ injury news is more positive. Johan Goosen will return at flyhalf, with exciting prospect Keagan Johannes slotting back on the bench. At some point in the second half, Johannes can be electrifying in relief of the veteran.
This one feels like it could be a classic South African derby. The teams are strong, the prize is enormous, and the play on the pitch will live up to its billing.
This could go either way. I like the Bulls to win in a narrow match where the Sharks cover the 8.5-point spread.
