Bulls, Stormers face crucial weekend in SA Shield race

THE Bulls and Stormers will rejoin the rest of the South African sides in the United Rugby Championship (URC) with some catching up to do.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

While the Lions and Sharks played out an exciting derby at Ellis Park, the SA Shield remains up for grabs following the home side’s 34-22 victory yesterday. That means the title of South Africa's best is still on the line — extra motivation for the Stormers and the Bulls, knowing they can still catch the Sharks and Lions.

At Loftus Versfeld, the Pretoria side and head coach Johan Ackermann return with a far clearer sense of where they stand - and where they need to improve — following a demanding warm-up outing against the Boland Kavaliers in Wellington on Friday.