South Africa’s arrival in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship has only made the tournament stronger, according to an Irish rugby scribe.

After a shaky start to the tournament in September, three of the four South African teams – the Sharks, Stormers and Vodacom Bulls – are currently in the top eight, with the Stormers sitting in second place going into the final two rounds of the season.

South African teams have also only lost two games against overseas opposition on home soil as they have welcomed back the presence of the Springboks since the start of the year.

Speaking on Wednesday Night Rugby, Irish writer Gerry Thornley gave his opinion on the impact that SA sides have had on the tournament.

“I do think the South African sides are going to get stronger and stronger, and it is going to get tough for Connacht to keep pace with them as well,” Thornley said.

“It will up standards. We all wanted this. We forget that the PRO12 and the PRO14 wasn’t rocking our boats, did it? It was almost too easy for Leinster to win it four years in a row.

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“We can’t have it every way. We want them to up standards, but to up standards, it means that they have to be very good, which means that they are going to take some of the European places and the qualifying places.

“Maybe even a home tie in the knockout stages. That would be a very awkward tie for a team from Europe to have to contemplate. A quarter-final or a semi-final in South Africa.

“A one-off game, travelling there and travelling back, it is going to be tough.

“By and large, I think they are going to be good for the tournament,” Thornley added. “South Africa are going to become a major player in the URC.

“It is going to be tough for even Leinster to start winning it in a few years.”

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