The derby stage of the United Rugby Championship (URC) ended with confirmation of a balance shift among SA’s leading teams, with the Bulls’ dominance of the first phase of the comeback from Covid-19 lockdown diminished by the coastal franchises.

If there was a log just for the derby games, the Bulls would be languishing near the bottom, with the Stormers and Sharks at the top. Those teams have identical derby records — four wins, one draw and one loss — but based on their win over the Sharks in Cape Town and draw in Durban, most would probably consider the Stormers to be top. Which of course they are in the Shield (conference)...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.