South Africa’s franchises have made a strong start to the United Rugby Championship, with the Stormers, Bulls, and Lions all sitting inside the top eight as the competition pauses for the November Test window.

The Stormers remain top of the standings after a gritty 31-16 win over Benetton in Treviso on Saturday. Flyhalf Jurie Matthee was the standout, scoring 21 points as the Capetonians overturned a halftime deficit to preserve their unbeaten record. They share first place with Munster on 23 points but lead on points difference.

At Ellis Park, the Lions produced their most convincing performance of the season to hand Ulster their first defeat, running in seven tries in a 49-31 victory built on a dominant scrum and enterprising attack. The result lifted the Johannesburg side to eighth on 11 points.

The Bulls were less fortunate in Glasgow, losing 21-12 after leading for much of the match. A late penalty try and yellow card turned the contest, leaving Jake White’s men sixth on 14 points.

In Durban, the Sharks finally claimed their first win of the campaign, beating the Scarlets 29-19 thanks to tries from the Tshituka brothers, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, and Siya Kolisi. The bonus-point win lifted them to 13th place on eight points.

The next round of fixtures resumes on the final weekend of November, with the Bulls hosting the Lions in Pretoria, the Stormers facing Munster, and the Sharks travelling to Ireland to meet Connacht.