Johannesburg - All the South African franchises participating over the next fortnight in EPCR tournaments have the opportunity to crack on past the pool stages and progress to the next round, starting this weekend.
The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers could continue their sojourn in the Heineken Champions Cup with favourable results in the return leg of their fixtures on Saturday and Sunday. Crucially, all three are in the top eight of their respective pools which will determine whether they continue in the elite competition, or drop down to the second tier Challenge Cup.
In Pool A of the Champions Cup, the Sharks lead the country’s contingent.
They are currently undefeated in the competition and are in fourth with nine points, separated by points difference with Saracens and are only one point behind early pace-steers Leinster and Exeter.
The Durbanites lost to Connacht away this past weekend in the United Rugby Championship (URC), but will be able to unleash a Springbok-laden, full-strength matchday 23 without concerns of travel fatigue hampering them when they face Bordeaux on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Kings Park (kick-off 5.15pm).
It could kick the door down into the Round of 16.
Lower down the standings, in the same pool, the Bulls – currently in seventh spot with five points – will host Exeter, also on Saturday (kick-off 7.30pm) at Loftus. They must, therefore, use their homeground advantage to the fullest effect before they depart to France to face top four side Lyon a week later.
The Stormers, like the Bulls, have also won one of their two matches and sit in fifth in Pool B with five points. After a hellacious trip that is believed to have been over 40 hours to get to Scotland to honour their URC encounter against Glasgow Warriors, they can take a moment to regather themselves after the recent 24-17 loss and hop the short distance down south to London.
With an extra rest day afforded to them, they will face London Irish at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday (kick-off 3pm). They will clash against a desperate Exiles, however, who are winless in the competition after two games and face the ignominy of an early exit from if they fail to beat the Cape-based side.
Meanwhile, in the Challenge Cup, the Lions must at least win one of their two remaining pool games if they hope to progress to the Round of 16. The Joburgers, however, are in a downward spiral currently, having lost three games on the trot.
They will face a powerful Stade Francais, who are rocking and rolling at the top of the French league at the moment, at Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris on Saturday (kick-off 3pm). A week later, they are at Rodney Parade to face the Dragons and that might be the match that they target to get them into the next phase of the tournament.
The Lions are currently second in Pool B on eight points, a buffer that might also aid them in qualifying from the group stages. Fellow SA franchise, the Free State Cheetahs are three points below them, also in Pool B, in fifth.
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The Bloemfontein-based side are away to Scarlets on Friday, who this past weekend beat Cardiff in URC action to register only their third victory of that competition. The Welsh-based side are, however, the top performing team in Pool B, having won both their matches so far with bonus points to stand clear at the top with 10 points.
For the Lions and the Cheetahs to progress to the next round, they must finish the group stage in the top six in the eight team pool.
IOL Sport