The Emirates Lions and Cell C Sharks enjoyed some mixed fortunes in their rescheduled sixth round Vodacom United Rugby Championship fixtures on Saturday, with the Johannesburg side ending a five-match losing run against Glasgow Warriors, while the Durbanites suffered a disappointing defeat against Ulster.
These results saw the Emirates Lions leap from 14th to 12th place on the log – six points behind eighth-placed Connacht – to ensure they remain in the hunt to secure a playoff spot, while the Cell C Sharks remained in seventh place – five points above Connacht and 14 behind the second-placed DHL Stormers, with four rounds of pool matches to play.
The Emirates Lions had a strong start against Glasgow at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg and built up a 27-14 lead at the break, which laid the foundation for their 35-24 victory, while Ulster’s better goal-kicking saw them snatch a 31-24 victory against the Cell C Sharks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban.
The regular round-robin matches will continue next weekend where the scramble for playoff places is expected to be furious, with two local derbies on the menu in South Africa on Saturday as the Cell C Sharks travel to Cape Town to take on the DHL Stormers, and the Vodacom Bulls host the Emirates Lions in Pretoria.
