Can the Sharks sink the Bulls’ URC dreams
The heat is on ahead of this weekend’s United Rugby Championship semifinal at Loftus Versfeld — with high tensions, bold predictions, and a rivalry that’s boiling over.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks head to Loftus Versfeld this weekend hoping to beat the Vodacom Bulls for a third time this season and reach their first United Rugby Championship final.
Their controversial quarterfinal win over Munster in Durban may have been the turning point they needed — but the Vodacom Bulls, chasing a third final in four years, won’t go down without a fight.
Rugby writer and To The Last Drop podcast co-host Brenden Nel, joined by seasoned sports journalist Gavin Rich, unpacks all the big talking points in this week’s episode.
From what Jaden Hendrikse said to Jack Crowley during that fiery Durban clash, to predictions for the weekend’s semifinal, there’s plenty to break down.
The episode also touches on the DHL Stormers’ future in the competition, with Gavin raising concerns that hard times may lie ahead for John Dobson’s side.
Listen to the full conversation on To the Last Drop, at the top of the page or directly below.
About the 'To The Last Drop' podcast hosts
Liam Del Carme
Liam is one of the country's most enduring sports writers. His time in newsrooms pre-dates rugby, turning professional in the 1990s. He has been in the employ of broadsheet newspapers The Cape Argus, Sunday Independent, This Day and Beeld, and is currently the rugby writer at The Sunday Times. Liam has reported at six Rugby World Cups and around 20 Currie Cup finals.
He loves cooking and travelling, and is the author of the book 'WINGING IT – On tour with the Boks'. When time allows, he is a television pundit and writes a regular column on timeslive.co.za under the title ‘The Worst of Times’.
Brenden Nel
Rugby has always been a passion for Brenden, so much so that he made it a career. Since first entering a newsroom at the Citizen almost three decades ago, he has written for some of the biggest titles in the world, including Rapport, the Independent (UK), The Times (UK), South China Morning Post and a host of others. Currently, he covers all things rugby for Supersport.com and has reported on no less than four World Cups, five Sevens World Cups and around 250 test matches in total.
Brenden is also the author of 'Derick Hougaard – Dieware storie van Loftus se Liefling' and has a popular YouTube channel under his name. He loves nothing more when away from the game than a glass of good red wine, a good fire and spending time with his wife and four rescue dogs.