The Stormers claimed an important win, while the Lions, Sharks and Bulls slumped to disappointing losses in round six of the Super Rugby tournament, writes JON CARDINELLI.

The Stormers beat the Reds 25-19 in Cape Town on Saturday to strengthen their position at second in the South African conference. The Cape franchise is now four points ahead of the Sharks and eight points ahead of the Bulls in the standings.

With the Lions losing 49-35 to the Jaguares on Saturday, the Stormers are only six log points behind the South African conference leaders.

REPORT: Stormers overpower Reds

The result in Argentina marks the Lions’ third consecutive defeat in Buenos Aires. The visitors were physically outplayed for much of the game, and their defence left a lot to be desired.

The Lions are no longer at the top of the overall standings. The Rebels, against every pre-season prediction, lead the Australian conference as well as the combined log after six rounds. The Crusaders are New Zealand’s top-placed side at present.

Swys de Bruin will hope that his charges can bounce back next week. The Lions will host the Crusaders at Ellis Park next Sunday.

REPORT: Jaguares outlast Lions in try-fest

The Sharks were hammered 46-14 by the resurgent Rebels in Melbourne on Friday. It won’t get any easier when they travel to New Zealand to play the Blues and then Hurricanes.

The Sharks beat the Blues on their previous visit to Auckland in 2016. Given their recent struggles, however, they may be hard-pressed to prevail next week.

REPORT: Rebels humiliate Sharks

The Bulls finished their tour to Australasia with three defeats and just the solitary log point. While they were competitive in the first fixture against the Reds in Brisbane, John Mitchell’s charges leaked 74 points and 11 tries over the next two games in New Zealand.

The result in Buenos Aires sees the Jaguares moving up to fourth in the South African conference. The Bulls have dropped down to last place.

The Bulls may go into the next match against the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld short of confidence and energy. They can’t afford to lose another game at this stage, though, and fall further behind the likes of the Lions, Stormers and Sharks in the standings.

REPORT: Crusaders batter Bulls

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