The first five rounds of the 2025/26 United Rugby Championship have already separated the grown men from the flat-track bullies. South Africa’s quartet have taken the field with varying levels of bite, polish, and consistency – and as the competition pauses for the international window, it’s time to hand out those dreaded classroom grades.
No “participation awards.” No sugar-coating. Results matter.
🌀 DHL Stormers – Grade: A+
Five games. Five wins. Top of the table. Simple math, really.
The Stormers are once again the pride of the Republic – structured, disciplined, ruthless. John Dobson’s men are one of only a few unbeaten sides in the entire URC and, more importantly, they’ve done it without having to rely on miracle plays. It’s systems, confidence, and a pack that wins collisions on demand.
Their points difference says it all: +118 after five matches. They’re scoring plenty and barely conceding. The set piece is humming, their breakdown work is mechanical in its precision, and the backline runs smoother than a new Hilux gearbox.
Key fixtures tell the story. They opened the campaign by squeezing the life out of Leinster, handled Ospreys with composure, and then went up north and returned from Benetton with yet another victory. There’s a quiet nastiness about this team – the kind that says: “We’ve been here before, and we’re not giving up our crown.”
The rise of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu continues, the return to form of Damian Willemse keeps their tempo high, and their forwards are setting standards.
💬 Teacher’s Comment:
“Consistently top of the class. If they stay healthy, nobody in the URC passes this exam before them.”
🐃 Vodacom Bulls – Grade: B+
Three wins. Two losses. A points difference of -8 (139 for, 147 against).
If the Stormers are top of the class, the Bulls are the kid who understands the material but keeps getting distracted. Johan Ackermann’s side have produced flashes of excellence – including a statement win at Loftus – but those bursts are too often followed by frustrating lapses.
At Loftus, they’re still a nightmare: altitude, power, and a backline that can explode when Moodie and Arendse find space. But the road trips haven’t been as kind. Their defeats weren’t flukes; they were exposed by sloppy discipline and moments of lost control. For a side that reached last season’s final, that’s not the follow-up they promised.
The pack is still muscular, the scrum solid, and the backline has a magic about it that could prove quite deadly if not contained. But the cohesion sometimes slips between the forwards’ grind and the backline’s ambition. A few key handling errors and ill-timed penalties have cost them momentum.
That said, three wins from five is hardly a crisis. They remain inside the playoff zone and one hot streak away from reclaiming dominance.
💬 Teacher’s Comment:
“Sharp when focused, lazy when overconfident. Can easily jump to an A if they fix those discipline issues and close out away games.”
🦁 Emirates Lions – Grade: C+
The Lions are everyone’s favourite wild card. Capable of brilliance one week and basic blunders the next.
Two wins, three losses, and a points difference of -12 (133 for, 145 against) tell the whole story: entertaining but inconsistent. Their attacking play still glitters – they’ve scored some of the most thrilling team tries of the early rounds — but their defence remains allergic to structure.
Home advantage at Ellis Park continues to fuel them. Their crowd energy – empty as the stands are, ironically – has carried them past teams lately, and when the passes stick, they can run anyone ragged. But when the pace dips or fatigue sets in, the gaps appear, and the scoreboard punishes them.
What’s encouraging is their willingness to play. Their half-back pairings are running things bravely, and the back-three pace remains electric. What’s worrying is that the Lions often leak two tries in five minutes and have to chase the game – a dangerous habit in the URC.
A C+ might seem harsh, but it reflects reality: two wins in five simply isn’t enough to stand alongside the top dogs.
💬 Teacher’s Comment:
“Always exciting in class, but attention drifts. Needs better focus and discipline if they want to move up next term.”
🦈 Hollywoodbets Sharks – Grade: D
Let’s not beat around the coral reef.
The Sharks’ early season has been a disappointment. One win, three losses, one draw, and a points difference hovering around -40 – that’s a long way below the expectations for a side packed with Springboks and internationals.
They’ve been their own worst enemy: slow starts, unforced errors, missed tackles, and ill-timed penalties. Even their home fortress, Kings Park, hasn’t looked intimidating. The Round 4 defeat to Ulster summed it up – too passive early, reactive late, and unable to convert pressure into points.
Yes, they’ve been disrupted by Test call-ups and player rotation. Yes, the squad is stacked with quality, but great teams find a way to win ugly. The Sharks right now are losing pretty.
Coach John Plumtree has all the tools, but the side looks unsure whether to play a power game, a tempo game, or a hybrid. Until they settle on an identity and start taking charge from kickoff, they’ll be treading water.
💬 Teacher’s Comment:
“Too much talent to be failing this exam. Needs serious extra lessons in consistency, urgency, and mental toughness.”
📚 Mid-term Summary: South Africa’s URC 2025/26 Reality Check
Five rounds into the season, here’s what the grades really reveal:
| Team | Record | Points Diff | Grade | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stormers | 5 W – 0 L | +118 | 🥇 A+ | The complete package. Structured, ruthless, unbeaten. |
| Bulls | 3 W – 2 L | – 8 | B+ | Strong but inconsistent. Need sharper discipline. |
| Lions | 2 W – 3 L | – 12 | C+ | Fun but fragile. Attack’s hot, defence’s not. |
| Sharks | 1 W – 3 L – 1 D | – 40 | D | Big names, small results. Urgent reset required. |
🧠 Big Takeaways Heading into the Test Window
1. Results Trump Reputation
The URC has no time for big names who play in third gear. The Stormers’ consistency shows how structure beats star-power chaos. Bulls, Lions, and Sharks all have quality players – but the log only cares about results.
2. Depth Is Everything
With the Springboks heading into November Tests, depth gets tested. Stormers and Bulls have academy products ready to slot in. Lions and Sharks? Less so. Expect the next rounds to reveal who’s built proper squad balance.
3. Discipline Wins Trophies
Penalty counts and card tallies are shaping this season already. A 20-minute red under new URC rules can wreck an entire fixture. The Bulls and Sharks in particular need to tidy up their decision-making at the ruck.
4. The Northern Challenge Is Real
Irish and Scottish sides have started sharply. Leinster and Glasgow are in rhythm early; Ulster already reminded everyone of their bite in Durban. South African teams can’t coast through home fixtures anymore. Every dropped point now will hurt in March.
5. Coaches Under Pressure
Dobson looks like a man coaching in cruise control – his systems hum. Johan Ackermann’s Bulls are fine but need ruthlessness back. Ivan van Rooyen is juggling between chaos and control at the Lions. John Plumtree faces the biggest challenge: translating talent into cohesion before the season slides away.
🔮 What Happens After 29 November
When the URC resumes, South African teams will return from the Test window with some bruises – physical and reputational. The Stormers will aim to protect their unbeaten streak. The Bulls will target consistency. The Lions must stabilise their defence. And the Sharks simply need to start winning.
Expect the Sharks to use the break for a mini pre-season reset. Expect the Bulls to get players back from Bok duty and push hard through December. Expect the Stormers to rotate smartly while keeping momentum. And don’t sleep on the Lions – one hot run in December and they’ll be back in the playoff hunt.
🎯 Final Word
The first report cards are in – and the hierarchy is clear.
The Stormers remain the gold standard. The Bulls are within striking distance but guilty of inconsistency. The Lions are fun but flawed. The Sharks are running out of excuses.
For South African rugby, it’s a mix of pride and frustration – pride that one side remains elite in Europe’s toughest club competition, frustration that the others still can’t find their rhythm.
The URC is brutal like that. You don’t get marked on potential; you get marked on results.
Final Grades
- 🥇 Stormers – A+
- 🐃 Bulls – B+
- 🦁 Lions – C+
- 🦈 Sharks – D
