URC log: 3 South African teams in top four after Round 5
The United Rugby Championship (URC) completed its fifth round this weekend.
The league now heads into a month-long break as the Nations Championship resumes.
We look at where the Stormers, Lions, Sharks, and Bulls are in the URC standings.
What the URC table looks like
Glasgow Warriors are leading the URC log with 23 points from 5 games played.
The Bulls are second on 21 points, having lost just one game so far.
They hammered Scarlets 54-26 at Loftus Versfeld on 31 October.
In third are the Stormers, who are trailing their Pretoria rivals on points difference.
They thumped Ulster 33-7 at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
The Sharks are fourth, leading fifth-placed Edinburgh on points as well.
On Saturday, they ground out a 15-3 win over Munster in Ireland.
Leinster, Cardiff, and Dragons make up the remainder of the top 8.
The Lions are 13th as they continue to navigate an emotional season after the loss of Hyron Andrews while on tour.
They were defeated 20-29 in Glasgow as the Warriors held on for the victory.
International rugby puts domestic competitions on hold
The URC is paused as the last rounds of the Nations Championship get underway.
The Springboks play Italy in Turin on 7 November, according to the tournament’s official website.
South Africa then face France in Paris on 13 November, and Ireland in Dublin on 21 November.
The Nations Championship finals weekend is from 27 to 29 November in London.
The Springboks are currently leading the Southern Hemisphere standings, with New Zealand trailing on points difference.
Coach Rassie Erasmus is expected to name his team to face the Italians this week.
When does the domestic rugby season resume?
The domestic campaign picks up again with the sixth round from 4 to 6 December.
South Africa’s teams are all in derby action, according to the URC fixture page.
The Lions host the Bulls at Ellis Park, before the Sharks welcome the Stormers to Kings Park.
The URC then pauses again as the Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup resume.
The second rounds will be played from 11 to 13 December, according to the tournament websites.
The Lions host Stade Toulousain at Ellis Park on 12 December, while the Bulls travel to Montpellier Herault.
On 13 December, the Stormers face Union Bordeaux Bègles at Stade Chaban-Delmas.
In the Challenge Cup, the Sharks host Scarlets at Kings Park on 12 December.
The Cheetahs, who are not part of the URC, take on Dragons in Swansea on 13 December.
CAN A SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM WIN THE URC THIS SEASON?
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