In the Investec Champions Cup, the DHL Stormers were left heartbroken after their 28-27 defeat against Toulon in France on Saturday in a nail-biting clash, and it was a case of déjà vu for the Vodacom Bulls, who went down 25-21 to the Glasgow Warriors in a tense encounter in Scotland.

In the EPCR Challenge Cup, meanwhile, the Hollywoodbets Sharks went down 29-12 against Connacht in Ireland, with these results bringing down the curtain on their European campaigns this season.

The quarterfinals in both competitions will play out next weekend, while the domestic franchises will have an extra week to regroup before the Vodacom United Rugby Championship resumes in two weeks.

Heartbreak for the Stormers against 13-man Toulon

It was a case of pure heartbreak for the DHL Stormers as they suffered a nail-biting 28-27 defeat against Toulon at Stade Felix Mayol on Saturday in a thrilling encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final play despite the hosts playing with 13 men in the dying minutes.

Toulon held a narrow 14-13 halftime lead after they touched down twice in the first half, while limiting the Capetonians to a converted try and two penalty goals before the break, which saw them hold the narrow lead going into the change room.

The second half was a gripping affair as the DHL Stormers put up a brave fight until after the regular 80 minutes of play, only to be denied a few crucial chances while the Frenchmen were reduced to 14 and then 13 men in the final 10 minutes.

Toulon scored the first points of the game in the eighth minute with their first try after showing their intent in the opening minutes, but a penalty goal by Jurie Matthee in the 19th minute, followed by a try by Adre Smith minutes later from a great pass in a lineout and fantastic support play saw them score their first five-pointer, and the successful conversion pushed them 10-7 up.

Toulon cancelled this out with their second try 11 minutes before halftime, compliments of a good pass out wide, but the DHL Stormers struck again with their second penalty goal six minutes before the hooter sounded, which saw the visitors enter the break trailing by only one point.

The Cape side had two opportunities to score before and after the break, respectively, but they were unable to convert those chances into points.

However, they kept fighting, and Evan Roos touched down in the 53rd minute following intense pressure close to the line to regain the lead.

It wasn’t long before Toulon hit back with their third try, and it was once again a one-point game.

The hosts made a crucial breakthrough in the 65th minute with another well-timed pass out wide to take a handy eight-point lead.

It took the DHL Stormers three attempts to finally score their third try three minutes from time by Imad Khan to trail 28-27, and had it not been from a fine defensive effort by the hosts, they could have created a massive upset – but it was not to be as the French side held on for dear life on defence and managed to hold onto the nail-biting victory to progress to the quarterfinal.

Scorers:

Toulon 28 (14) – Tries: Ben White, Gaël Drean, Mathis Ferte, Setariki Tuicuvu. Conversions: Marius Domon, Tomas Albornoz (3).

DHL Stormers 27 (13) – Tries: Adre Smith, Evan Roos, Imad Khan. Conversions: Jurie Matthee, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Penalty Goals: Matthee (2).

Drama in Scotland as Glasgow pip Bulls

There was high drama at the Scotstoun Stadium on Saturday as the Glasgow Warriors edged the Vodacom Bulls 25-21 in a humdinger of an encounter, overturning the two-point lead the South Africans held going into the break.

The first half was hard-fought as both teams threw everything at one another in at times torrential rain, and this resulted in them taking all the points on offer they could, with Glasgow scoring two tries, one of which was converted, to one by the Vodacom Bulls and three penalty goals by Handre Pollard.

The men from Pretoria ran hard in the opening minutes, but were unable to break through the defence, and the first points on the scoreboard were from a penalty goal by Pollard.

It wasn’t long before Glasgow hit back with their first try, but Pollard again opted for a penalty goal in the second quarter, which was cancelled out soon after by the hosts’ second try seven minutes before halftime to push them 12-7 up.

Glasgow struck again with their second try, but the missed conversion saw Pollard’s third penalty goal on the stroke of halftime hand them a close 14-12 lead to close off the half.

Glasgow overcame a flurry of attacking threats by the Vodacom Bulls in the early stages of the second half, but their defence held strong.

They reclaimed the lead shortly before the fourth quarter with Glasgow’s third try from some intense pressure close to the tryline, which saw them take a 17-14 lead, which set the scene for a tense finish to the match.

The hosts fought tooth and nail to stamp their authority as the clock wound down, and their determined efforts finally paid off with their fourth try in the corner in the dying minutes, which pushed them 22-14 ahead with less than seven minutes to play.

The match took a dramatic turn with three minutes to play as Marco van Staden crashed over the chalk, and the successful conversion saw them trail by a single point with the final whistle in sight.

Their chances of staging a dramatic comeback, however, were dealt a big blow as Elrigh Louw received a yellow card for infringing close to the tryline, and the home side capitalised on this to score a vital penalty goal for a 25-21 victory as the clock counted down.

Scorers:

Glasgow Warriors 25 (12) – Tries: Max Williamson, Jack Dempsey, Patrick Schickerling, Stafford McDowall. Conversion: Dan Lancaster. Penalty Goal: Adam Hastings.

Vodacom Bulls 21 (14) – Tries: Johann Grobbelaar, Marco van Staden. Conversion: David Kriel. Penalty Goals: Handre Pollard (3).

Strong second half steers Connacht to valuable win against Sharks

It was a classic example of a match of two halves in the EPCR Challenge Cup encounter between Connacht and the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the Dexcom Stadium, where the visitors held a 12-7 halftime lead, but found themselves contending with a desperate home side in a one-sided second half, which saw the Irishmen secure a 29-12 victory to advance to the quarterfinal.

The visitors dominated the first half with more than 60% possession, but the hosts stood firm against the assault, as the Hollywoodbets Sharks backline could simply not make inroads against the solid defence.

Such was the quality of Connacht’s defence in the opening stanza, the KwaZulu-Natalians had to rely on four penalty goals by Jean Smith for their 12 points, while the hosts’ only points were compliments of a converted try in the 22nd minute, despite creating a few more threatening breaks.

The home side, on the other hand, started to win more possession after halftime and broke the visitors’ backline defence fairly frequently, which saw them score 22 unanswered points in the second stanza thanks to three tries – two of which were converted – and a penalty goal, while they kept the South Africans scoreless for the rewarding 29-12 win.

Scorers:

Connacht 29 (7) – Tries: Chay Mullins, Cathal Forde (2), Shamus Hurley-Langton. Conversions: Sam Gilbert (3). Penalty Goal: Gilbert.

Hollywoodbets Sharks 12 (12) – Penalty Goals: Jean Smith (4).

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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The DHL Stormers will line up against Toulon in France in the first Investec Champions Cup playoff match for the domestic franchises on Saturday at 16h00, while the Vodacom Bulls will battle it out with the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland at 18h30.

In the EPCR Challenge Cup, the Hollywoodbets Sharks will have all the motivation they need to replicate the form that saw them clinch the title for the first time in history in the 2023/2024 season when they take on Connacht in Ireland on Friday.

With all three teams playing away in vastly different conditions to those to which they are used to in SA, where they have played their last few Vodacom United Rugby Championship matches, they will have a mountain to climb. But given the high stakes and the fact that they are already in fighting mode in the Vodacom URC, victories abroad will go a long way in boosting their confidence.

While the DHL Stormers are high on confidence after three wins in a row in the Vodacom URC, which has seen them occupy second position on the standings with four pool matches remaining, they will brace themselves for a desperate showing by Toulon, who may have won their last three Investec Champions Cup matches, but suffered defeats in four of their last five Top 14 matches, two of which have been at home, which has seen them languishing at the bottom end of the French table.

A victory will see the Capetonians strike an impressive run of four out of four in both competitions, which will serve to regain the momentum that saw them win their first 10 matches of the season. They will, however, be mindful of the fact that Toulon defeated them in Cape Town last season in the Investec Champions Cup, which will inspire the Frenchmen to replicate that result and bounce back from their disappointing results in recent weeks.

The clash between Vodacom URC log-leaders, the Glasgow Warriors, and Vodacom Bulls will be particularly spicy given the fact that both teams occupy positions on the top half of the log, and even more so with the men from Pretoria looking to avenge their 21-12 defeat against the Scots earlier this season.

Fuelling the South Africans’ motivation, they will be charged up for the clash, knowing that should they register a victory, it would bring Glasgow’s unbeaten run in the Investec Champions Cup to an abrupt halt, and it would be particularly satisfying as they have won only one of their four pool matches in the showpiece.

While the Vodacom Bulls boast a better attacking record than the opposition in the Vodacom URC, Glasgow’s defence has been far superior, which is an area the visitors will pay particular attention to going into the match.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks find themselves in familiar territory to the Vodacom Bulls, as they suffered a heavy 44-17 defeat against Connacht in Ireland earlier in their Vodacom URC campaign. However, given the marginal difference between the teams in the competition, with the home side only one log position above the Durbanites and boasting only one more win in the competition to date, it could prove to be an epic encounter.

Making things even more exciting, Connacht are high on confidence after registering five victories in a row in the Vodacom URC, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks come off a two-match winning run at home, and realise the importance of building winning momentum.

MATCH INFORMATION

Investec Champions Cup:

Toulon v DHL Stormers
Date: Saturday, 4 April
Venue: Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon
SA Time: 16h00
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
TV: SuperSport

Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls
Date: Saturday, 4 April
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
SA Time: 18h30
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
TV: SuperSport

EPCR Challenge Cup

Connacht v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Date: Friday, 3 April
Venue: Dexcom Stadium, Connacht
SA Time: 21h00
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TV: SuperSport

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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Both will be incredibly tough fixtures, but a failure to finish in the top two in their pools means they lose out on home-ground advantage.

The four highest-ranked clubs in each pool have secured their places in the Round of 16 and the two highest-ranked clubs in each pool will have home advantage for the matches which will be played on the weekend of 3-5 April.

In accordance with the tournament rules, the pool winners have been ranked 1 to 4, the second-placed clubs have been ranked 5 to 8, the third-placed clubs have been ranked 9 to 12, and the fourth-placed clubs have been ranked 13 to 16.

Round of 16 – 3-5 April
R16 1: Union Bordeaux Bègles (1) v Leicester Tigers (16)
R16 2: Glasgow Warriors (2) v Bulls (15)
R16 3: Leinster Rugby (3) v Edinburgh Rugby (14)
R16 4: Bath Rugby (4) v Saracens (13)
R16 5: Northampton Saints (5) v Castres Olympique (12)
R16 6: Harlequins (6) v Sale Sharks (11)
R16 7: RC Toulon (7) v Stormers (10)
R16 8: Stade Toulousain (8) v Bristol Bears (9)

Quarter-finals – 10-12 April
QF 1: Winner R16 1 v Winner R16 8
QF 2: Winner R16 2 v Winner R16 7
QF 3: Winner R16 3 v Winner R16 6
QF 4: Winner R16 4 v Winner R16 5
NB: The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage

Semi-finals – 1-3 May
SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4
SF 2: Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3
NB: The matches will be played in Europe and where relevant the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home country advantage

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The 23-year-old mercurial flyhalf was a leader at schoolboy level and will now get the chance to skipper his province after coach John Dobson handed him the armband for the clash.

“Super privileged,” Feinberg-Mngomezulu said. “It should be any young player from this region’s dream to captain the side one day. I got the call from Dobbo this morning and it was a really nice phone call to have at the end of the week before the game.

“I’ve got so many great leaders around me. I want to set the example and bring my A-game onto the field.”

Dobson says he had always earmarked Feinberg-Mngomezulu for a captaincy role after the player committed his future to the side with a new contract to keep him in Cape Town until 2029.

“He was always earmarked as a future Stormers captain,” Dobson said. “He’s got both components, the technical game management, and he’s bought into this project. We’ve got him here long term so we must invest in his leadership.”

The Stormers must win on Saturday to be sure of a play-off place, or they will be overtaken in the table by opponents Leicester.

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The Sharks need a win, mostly likely with a bonus point, to stand a chance of reaching the play-offs of the premier European competition, and after a disappointing 26-10 defeat to Sale Sharks with a second-string side this past weekend, should be back to full strength.

“The aim is to get maximum points,” Nche said. “We want to win and hopefully pick up extra points as well to improve our points difference (currently –48). We’re going all in and seeing this as a playoff match.

“Clermont play a very expansive game. Even though they’ve got a big French pack, they like to offload and play with tempo. They’ve been very consistent in how they play.

“It’s going to be a good challenge for us. We need to contain their forwards so their backs don’t get opportunities to shine.”
Much has been made about teams sending second-string sides to matches as coaches try to manage the heavy workload placed on professional players these days.

But Nche says teams, and players, simply have to adapt to the modern game and its punishing schedule.

“It’s our job to play rugby,” he said. “We were used to playing one competition before (Super Rugby), and now these competitions require bigger squads and more rotation than we were used to.

“We just have to adapt. I actually think it will raise the quality of players coming through, because more guys get exposure. Every team has to find the right balance, make sure they’ve got fresh players, and that everyone is at a similar level.”

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The Bulls have lost seven matches in a row and were beaten 61-49 by Bristol Bears in Pretoria last weekend to continue their retched run.

Much of their woes are on the defensive side, but they welcome back two attackers in wing Kurt-Lee Arendse and centre/wing Canan Moodie.

Both are strong defenders and bring international experience as they start with a European Champions Cup clash at Pau on Friday. After that they go to Edinburgh int eh URC.

South Africa junior international wing Cheswill Jooste has recovered from a shoulder injury and is fit to tour, but Springbok prop Gerhard Steenekamp and number eight Cameron Hanekom continue their rehabilitation at home.

Bulls squad:
Props: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Alulutho Tshakweni, Sti Sithole, Wilco Louw, Mornay Smith, Francois Klopper
Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar, Akker van der Merwe
Locks: Cobus Wiese, Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje, Reinhardt Ludwig
Loose forwards: Marco van Staden, Marcell Coetzee, Elrigh Louw, Mpilo Gumede, Jeandre Rudolph, Nizaam Carr.
Scrumhalves: Embrose Papier, Zak Burger
Flyhalves: Handre Pollard, Keagan Johannes
Wings: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Stravino Jacobs, Sebastian de Klerk, Cheswill Jooste
Centres: Harold Vorster, David Kriel, Canan Moodie, Stedman Gans
Fullbacks: Willie le Roux; Devon Williams

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It was part of a string of dismal defeats for South African sides in the European competition this weekend, as the Bulls were beaten 61–49 in Pretoria by Bristol Bears and the Durban-based Sharks lost 26–10 to Sale Sharks.

The Stormers and Sharks fielded weakened sides, with the former handing debuts to several players, but Dobson was still left shocked by their capitulation against a Harlequins team that had been woefully out of form.

“While we did leave a few players in Cape Town, we still thought we had a team that could compete better. We were hoping to get a point at least out of the game, but we didn’t really come close,” Dobson said.

“A desperately disappointing performance. I thought we got beaten, most importantly, at the breakdown and defensively, which was not really up to our standard. We probably also didn’t stick to our plan in terms of what we wanted to do on attack.”

The Stormers’ 10-match winning run at the start of the season, including two in the Champions Cup, is now at an end, and they face another English side in Leicester Tigers in Cape Town on Saturday as they try to secure a play-off place.

“We’ve learned a lesson now. We always knew that three wins out of four should get us to the last 16, so that’s still on track,” Dobson said. “But Leicester now becomes a really big game at Cape Town Stadium and it’s in our hands. If we win the game, we should host a play-off.”

Leicester have already sealed a play-off berth with three wins from three, and it will be interesting to see what side they send to South Africa.

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The Bulls season is in freefall and this latest defeat only highlighted what ails the team – a porous defence that Ackermann simply cannot plug.

The coach said he expects better from the experienced players in his team, but also suggests that with results as they are, perhaps there is an element of trying too many things and not sticking to the basics.

“No player goes out to make a mistake and obviously there is a bit more expectation on your senior players,” Ackermann said after the loss.

“But is it because they are playing harder and almost want to do stuff by themselves? I’m not sure but the reality is we are playing a lot of rugby against ourselves by the kind of mistakes we make.”

The Bears scored three tries in the first nine minutes of the game through Bulls mistakes, putting the hosts on the back foot immediately.

“Then you play a bit out of character because you start forcing offloads and things. At one stage, we got it right and then we gave away an intercept try because we forced things,” Ackermann said.

But he also accepts that as coach of the side, he must take responsibility and lift the team.

“The reality is it starts with me. I must believe, and I believe,” he said. “I could write a book about adversity, about so many things that I had to overcome.

“I’ve been in teams that had to overcome. I’ve lost 64-0 against the Brumbies (with the Cats in 2000), and we went and played in the semi-finals.

“I’m not saying it’s going to happen this year, but I’ve been in teams that take a hammering and then they turn it around.”
The Bulls are next in action away at French side Pau on Friday.

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Both sides have at times lacked cutting edge, but they boast squads packed with talent and will be desperate for success as they eye a play-off place in Europe’s premier club rugby competition.

Each has a single win from two games so far, and for the loser this weekend, should there be one, progression to the next stage will become difficult.

Sharks back-rower Nick Hatton admits his side will need to be at their best but is confident they can come away with a victory, despite the expected icy conditions that are a world away from summer in Durban.

“It’s an exciting challenge for us as a group. We’re going to be playing in very different conditions to what we’re used to here in Durban. That’s what makes the Champions Cup so special,” said Hatton.

“We have a huge amount of respect for the Champions Cup and we want to deliver our best this weekend. We know it will be a tough challenge to beat a team like Sale on their home ground.”

The Sharks lost a United Rugby Championship clash at home to the Lions last weekend, despite dominating large periods of the contest. It continued a pattern of inconsistent form this season, despite the star quality within their squad.

“We learned a lot of lessons from the disappointing defeat against the Lions. It was just one moment in the 80th minute that cost us the game,” Hatton said.

“We know it won’t be easy against Sale, but we’ve had two good days of preparation and we believe we can achieve something very special there.”

South Africa’s Sharks previously won the secondary European club competition, the Challenge Cup, in the 2023/24 season, defeating English side Gloucester in the final.

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The Stormers have won all 10 games they have played this season, including their first two Champions Cup clashes, and Dobson has rotated his squad well to both rest players and build experience.

He says he will do the same again this weekend with a fixture back in Cape Town against Leicester Tigers six days later, but insists he will pick a side he believes can beat Quins and it will not be a repeat of last year’s 53-16 defeat at The Stoop.

“We are going to have to select with the game in Cape Town and short turnaround in mind, but it will be different to last year,” Dobson said.

“It’ll be a team that we think can win in London. The big thing has been our growth and our squad depth, which is the most important part of the project.

“Suleiman Hartzenberg was the 41st player we’ve used this season, which is good in terms of what it shows about our growth.”

Dobson knows it will be no easy ride at Quins and has worked out the permutations to getting a home playoff place in the competition.

“It’s going to be tough, but we worked out that if we want to host a Champions Cup playoff, we have to get a point at least. And if you’re going for a point, you might as well go for the win because nobody plays to lose within seven.”

Quins have won only two of their nine English Premiership matches so far this season, conceding 40 points or more in their last four games. They have one win and one defeat in their two Champions Cup fixtures.

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