Bonus-point wins for the DHL Stormers and Sharks over the Vodacom Bulls and Lions have tightened up the battle in the South African conference in the Vodacom United Championship.
Despite resting a bulk of their Springbok forwards and losing Vincent Tshituka to injury just before kick-off, the Sharks powered to a 37-10 victory over the Lions in Durban, in the first of two local derbies on Friday.
The second local derby went the way of the Stormers as the Cape side scored a flurry of second-half tries to get a full house of points in a 37-27 win against the Vodacom Bulls in Cape Town.
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The Stormers have climbed over the Vodacom Bulls into second place on the overall table and four points clear of third-placed Ulster, who edged Connacht 22-20 in an Irish derby.
After a stuttering start to the season, the Sharks have now moved into the top eight and are tied on 24 points with the Lions, Glasgow Warriors and Benetton. A 16-10 win over Edinburgh saw Glasgow stay above the Sharks in fifth place on points difference.
On Monday, table-topping Leinster could restore their nine-point lead in their clash against Munster, who could get into the playoff places with an upset win. Tenth-placed Cardiff, meanwhile, could also get into the top eight with an away win over Dragons.
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/INPHO/Shutterstock/BackpagePix
