
How the URC quarter-finals are shaping up
How the URC quarter-finals are shaping up
With the top eight confirmed, today's Vodacom URC matches in Pretoria, Durban and Dublin will determine the Vodacom Bulls, Sharks and Stormers' quarter-final opponents.
Last night, Edinburgh and Munster booked their play-off spots, with Edinburgh claiming a 47-17 bonus-point win against Ulster at Hive Stadium and Munster beating Benetton 30-21 in Limerick.
Those results ended the top-eight hopes of Cardiff, who lost 34-24 to the Stormers in Cape Town.
Also read: Stormers lash Cardiff to lock in fifth
As it stands, the second-placed Bulls would host Edinburgh in the quarter-finals, with the fifth-placed Stormers heading to Durban to play the fourth-placed Sharks.
But that would change if the Sharks beat Scarlets at Kings Park today and Glasgow lost to log-leaders Leinster in Dublin.
The Sharks would then host Munster in the quarter-finals, with the Stormers travelling to Scotland to take on Glasgow.
In the unlikely event that the Bulls lost to bottom-placed Dragons at Loftus Versfeld and Glasgow got a bonus-point win against Leinster, Glasgow would finish second and the Bulls third.
The post How URC quarter-finals are shaping up appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

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