The Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks showed true grit in a thrilling round of Vodacom United Rugby Championship derbies on Saturday to walk away with crucial victories against the Lions and DHL Stormers, which not only proved that they could be finding their form at the right time, but it also gave them a handy nudge on the standings.
The Vodacom Bulls delivered a dominant display of rugby against the Lions in the eagerly anticipated Jukskei Derby in Johannesburg, scoring an impressive eight tries to two by the hosts for a rewarding 52-17 bonus-point victory.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks broke away on the scoreboard in the second half against the DHL Stormers to register a bonus-point 36-24 victory, which marked their second win in a row against the Capetonians.
These results caused a shake-up on the standings, with the DHL Stormers (36 points) dropping from second place to third on the table, while the Vodacom Bulls (25 points) moved up to seventh place and the Hollywoodbets Sharks (24 points) to ninth, while the Lions (24 points) sank to 10th place.
The win for the Hollywoodbets Sharks also saw them take the No 1 position in the race for the South African Shield, with two derby matches remaining for the four local sides.
With the Six Nations playing out over the next few weeks, the teams will have a well-deserved break until Saturday, 21 February, when the Lions and Sharks are in action in a rescheduled round eight clash, while all four sides will feature in another exciting derby round a week later.
