The Emirates Lions and DHL Stormers were full value for their victories on a weekend where the South African teams’ stranglehold on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship was finally broken.

The Lions completed their three-match tour with a superb 22-19 victory over Edinburgh in the Scottish capital on Friday, ensuring The Pride return to Johannesburg with three wins from as many games on the road in the north.

In Parma on Saturday, the Stormers grabbed a third successive victory to remain unbeaten this season as the defending champions beat Zebre 37-20, with Junior Springbok skipper Sacha Mngomezulu scoring 22 points for the visitors.

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But, the Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls were dealt their first defeats of the 2022-23 URC, the former beaten 54-34 by Irish giants Leinster in a high-scoring encounter in Dublin, before the latter came up short 35-21 against a fired-up Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium.

However, the SA teams are still in the top eight on the log, with the Stormers in third with 15 points, followed by the fifth-placed Bulls on 14 points, Lions in sixth with 13, and Sharks (10) bringing up the rear in eighth.

In other weekend results, Connacht beat Irish rivals Munster 20-11, Cardiff stunned hosts Scarlets (16-10), Ulster demolished Ospreys (47-17), while Benetton were too good at home in a 34-14 victory over Dragons.

Looking ahead to round five, the Stormers face Ospreys in Swansea on Friday (8:35pm), and there are three SA teams in action on Saturday when the Lions welcome Ulster to Ellis Park (2pm) before a clash between the Sharks and Glasgow Warriors at Kings Park (4:05pm), and then the Bulls will look to return to winning ways against Munster at Thomond Park (8:35pm).

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