Apart from Nelspruit, South African eyes will be on Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bridgend and Galway on Saturday as the four local franchises get their Vodacom United Rugby Championship season underway.
The pressure will be on from the outset after the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers had filled four of the six finals berths in the last three seasons, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Emirates Lions will have their sights set on going all the way in the coming months.
Up the N1 in Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls will be keen to start the season on a winning note after their six-game winning run in the competition ended with their defeat to Glasgow in last season's final. Looking back at the three previous encounters between the DHL Stormers and Ospreys, honours are even, with one win apiece, while their match in Swansea in October 2022 ended in a draw.
It won’t be easy though as Ospreys have a good home record – they have lost only one of their last six Vodacom URC home games, 17-27 to Munster in Swansea in March, while they have won three from six at Dunraven Brewery Field in Bridgend.
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