URC WRAP | Bulls hold off Glasgow at Loftus, Benetton stun Sharks as Lions keep playoff hopes alive

Van Staden, Nortje back for Bulls

Marco van Staden will start at openside flanker, while lock Ruan Nortje returns to lead the Bulls in their URC clash against Glasgow Warriors at Loftus on Saturday. 

Van Staden, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since late March, replaces Nizaam Carr in the starting XV as one of three changes to the starting XV that thrashed Ospreys 61-24 two weeks ago.

Nortje will form a lock partnership with Ruan Vermaak, while veteran hooker Akker van der Merwe swaps places with Johan Grobbelaar.

Carr, Grobbelaar and Reinhardt Ludwig will feature on the bench with Francois Klopper.

Bulls team:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp

Substitutes: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Devon Williams

Horn earns 50th Lions cap

Fit-again Quan Horn will earn his 50th cap for the Lions when they host Cardiff in a URC clash at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Lions kept a relatively settled matchday 23 from the one that went down to defending champions Munster two weeks ago.

The only change to the backline sees Horn return from injury at fullback to replace Jordan Hendrikse, who drops to the bench.

There are several rotational switches tup front, as hooker PJ Botha and blindside flanker Ruan Venter trade places with Jaco Visagie and Emmanuel Tshituka, respectively.

Asenathi Ntlabakanye also returns at tighthead prop with Ruan Dreyer moving to loosehead.

Lions team:

15 Quan Horn, 14 Richard Kriel, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Sanele Nohamba, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn, 7 JC Pretorius, 6 Ruan Venter, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Ruan Dreyer

Substitutes: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 JP Smith, 18 Conrad van Vuuren, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Emmanuel Tshituka, 21 Hanru Sirgel, 22 Jordan Hendrikse, 23 Gianni Lombard

Minor tweaks to Sharks team for Benetton battle

The Sharks on Friday morning named their team for the URC clash against Italian outfit Benetton at Kings Park.

Head coach John Plumtree hasn't tinkered much with the side that defeated Clermont last weekend to advance to the EPCR Challenge Cup final as he looks to maintain continuity.

There are two changes up front where Corne Rahl replaces Emile van Heerden and Gerbrandt Grobler gets a start at flank, with Vincent Tshituka shifting to No 8 in place of Phepsi Buthelezi.

The final change comes in the backline where Francois Venter replaces Ethan Hooker at centre.

Assistant coach Warren Whitely says they will use Saturday's match to fine-tune their performance.

"What we've made clear is that after our review of the Clermont game, there were things we felt that we need to work on and be better at, so this weekend gives us an opportunity to be better, even though it’s a different competition.

"We will need to be better in the final and that’s why our focus is on this week, to be better than we were against Clermont and improve where we can."

Sharks team:

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Siya Masuku, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Vincent Tshituka, 7 Gerbrandt Grobler, 6 James Venter, 5 Corne Rahl, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Lappies Labuschagne, 20 Tino Mavesere, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Diego Appolis

Fit-again trio boost Stormers for Dragons clash in Wales

The Stormers welcome back three players from injury for their URC with Dragons RFC in Newport on Friday night.

Winger Angelo Davids, Prop Sti Sithole and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu all make their return to the matchday 23 for the clash against the Welsh outfit at Rodney Parade.

Davids is on the left wing in a backline that features Wandisile Simelane and Dan du Plessis in midfield, with the former replacing Damian Willemse. Feinberg-Mngomezulu is on a bench which also includes halfbacks Stefan Ungerer and Jean-Luc du Plessis.

Sithole is in the front row alongside Frans Malherbe and Joseph Dweba, while the only other change to the starting forward pack sees Willie Engelbrecht included on the side of the scrum.

Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said they were well aware how important this game was in the context of their season.

"There is little room for error as the play-offs get closer and having had all of last week to prepare, we are determined to give our best on Friday night.

"We know that Rodney Parade is a tough place to play, so it will require a big effort to get the result that we need."

Stormers team:

15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Willie Engelbrecht, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Sti Sithole

Substitutes: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu