The 2026/27 United Rugby Championship gets underway this weekend, with reigning back-to-back Champions Leinster kicking off the defence of their title. In this preview we focus on the four fixtures involving the South African sides, starting on Friday with Connacht hosting the Stormers in Galway, before a trio of Saturday matches sees the Lions welcome Leinster to Ellis Park, the Sharks host the Ospreys at Kings Park, and the Bulls travel to Parma to take on Zebre.
FRIDAY
Connacht v Stormers — Click here to bet
After a poor season in 2024/2025, Connacht bounced back last season to finish 8th on the log after winning 10 of their 18 games. The Stormers were really impressive last season finishing 3rd after winning 12 of their 18 pool games, although they lost momentum in the latter stages.
Connacht head into this one full of confidence, having gone on a six-match winning run towards the back end of last season to sneak into the knockouts.
Head-to-Head
The most recent meeting between these two sides came in Cape Town in April, where Connacht came from 24-14 down to shock the Stormers 33-24, a result that will give them plenty of belief heading into this rematch.
Betting and Verdict:
Connacht are currently favourites to win and are trading at 1.56, while the Stormers are out at 2.75. The draw is currently at 21.00.
This is a tough opening assignment for the Stormers away in Galway. After their impressive run come the end of last season and the home ground advantage, I think Connacht should be able to cover the handicap.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Connacht [-3.5] at 1.83.
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SATURDAY
Lions v Leinster — Click here to bet
The Lions will host Leinster in their opening round of the campaign. They had a strong season last campaign, finishing 7th and making it to the knockout stages. Leinster got off to a rough start by their own high standards but finished second on the log after winning 12 of their 18, before straightening things up in the play-offs to win the tournament for the second year in a row.
Head-to-Head
Leinster have had the better of this fixture recently, and it is worth noting these two sides met twice in the closing weeks of last season, both times in Dublin. Leinster won the regular-season meeting 31-7 in early May before following it up with a ruthless 59-10 victory in the URC quarter-final just three weeks later. The Lions will at least have home advantage this time around, having not faced Leinster at Ellis Park since those two heavy defeats on Irish soil.
Betting and Verdict:
The Lions are trading at 3.50, while Leinster are trading at 1.38 for the win. The draw is currently at 23.00. We do think the Lions will be strong again this year, but after seeing the strength of the squad Leinster have sent out for their opening fixture, and given their recent dominance in this fixture, we think they should be able to cover the handicap in the first game.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Leinster -6.5 at 1.91.
Sharks v Ospreys — Click here to bet
The Sharks are coming into this season hoping to better their poor performance from last. They were only able to win 8 of their 18 games to finish 10th on the log and miss out on a playoff spot. The Ospreys did one worse winning just 7 of their 18 to finish 11th on the log.
Head-to-Head
The Sharks have won three of the last five meetings between the sides, though the Ospreys got the better of them most recently, winning 21-17 at home last season. Before that, the Sharks had beaten the Ospreys comfortably in Durban, running out 29-10 winners.
Betting and Verdict:
The Sharks are heavy favourites this week, trading at 1.14 for the win while the Ospreys are out at 6.75. The draw is currently at 34.00. Both sides will be looking to get off to a winning start, but we do think the Sharks should have a big upper hand at home and will be able to cover the handicap.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Sharks [-12.5] at 1.83.
Zebre v Vodacom Bulls — Click here to bet
The Bulls reached yet another URC Grand Final last year but fell short losing to Leinster. They finished fourth on the log after 12 of the 18 games. Zebre had yet another poor season last season winning just two of their 18 games to finish bottom of the table.
Head-to-Head
The Bulls have dominated this fixture in recent times and are yet to lose to Zebre, averaging around 59 points a game against them. The last time the sides met, in Pretoria back in May, the Bulls won comfortably, with the score ending 54-19. The Bulls now make the return trip to Parma looking to continue that dominant record.
Betting and Verdict
Zebre are trading at 4.75 for the win while the Bulls are trading at 1.23. The draw is currently at 26.00. The Bulls have looked solid in recent seasons and have a very strong record against Zebre, so we think they should easily cover the handicap this weekend.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Bulls [−9.5] at 1.87.
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
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