With qualification to the round of 16 on the line, the pressure was on the South African sides to secure victories in Round Three of the premier club competition.
The Stormers, however, were the only southern hemisphere representative to bag a much-needed victory, and while they did that spectacularly, the Sharks and Bulls, particularly, found themselves on the wrong side of the score sheet.
Stormers 40 – 0 Sale Sharks
The Stormers (20.66) team that was so sorely missed by their supporters and any aficionado of beautiful attacking rugby made a welcome comeback at Cape Town Stadium.
For the Cape side, the mission was clear – after two Champions Cup defeats, they simply had to win this one to ensure they stayed in contention for a last-16 spot. And they sure understood that assignment.
While Sale Sharks started strongly and put the hosts under pressure in their half at times, the home side ran in six tries to nil to keep their Champions Cup hopes alive in a match where the backs were key – Wandisile Simelani was a treat to watch, Warrick Gelant shined in a man-of-the-match performance, and Manie Libbok again showed how effortlessly he can use his wizardry to help his team transition from defence to breathtakingly potent attack.
The Capetonians’ six-try romp included smothering defence that ensured that their English opposition’s trips to their 22 were fruitless, while they also survived the battle that the Sale Sharks had brought in the physical exchanges and at the set-pieces.
But the magic element to the Stormers’ performance was their ability to capitalise from chaos as they were superb in that regard and on the counter-attack, while Sale just didn’t put their opportunities to use, and their two yellow cards didn’t help their cause either.
It was a top outing for the Stormers, but the job is not done. For John Dobson’s outfit to book a place in the last 16, overcoming Racing 92 on the road is the goal.
Sharks 8 – 20 Toulouse
Considering all the hype that surrounded this fixture building up to the weekend, calling the match a ‘let-down’ is perhaps not an exaggeration.
Toulouse, although still proving too strong for the Sharks (12.92), will not be referencing this game as an ideal template for future performances. They were always going to struggle with the conditions this time of the year in their first game of the competition in South Africa, and while they had their fair share of errors creep in (the slippery ball was the culprit to a certain extent), the Sharks should be thankful that the weather was a factor…things might have turned ugly at Kings Park for the hosts if the defending champions did not have to focus on keeping their cool in the Durban humidity.
While the Sharks just didn’t show enough respect for the oval and were off the mark too often in terms of their decision-making, especially at crucial times, the impact of the absence of the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Andre Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi certainly was a factor. In the end, however, Antoine Dupont’s charges got the job done as they booked their spot in the playoffs.
John Plumtree’s side have now lost two out of their three Champions Cup games – an undesirable position to be in going into the final pool round. Their next opposition, the much-improved Bordeaux-Begles will be high on confidence after producing a 67-17 romp away from home against Exeter.
The Sharks face a steep uphill climb to the Last 16 and will have to pull through against Bordeaux to progress to the round of 16.
Castres 49 – 10 Bulls
Following their United Rugby Championship defeat to the Sharks at Kings Park – which, at that stage, took their losing streak to three matches – Bulls (5.95) mentor Jake White referenced under-fire Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and said that it was perhaps time for him to go introspective given his side’s struggles after a promising start to the URC season. Bulls coach Jake White questioned whether he had made mistakes, and their latest humiliation has only intensified concerns about the team’s current state. Surprisingly, White chose not to field his strongest side for the away game, and the players’ lack of intent in the closing stages at Stade Pierre-Fabre, despite a dominant start, left Bulls fans even more frustrated.
The Bulls had to beat Castres in France for them to have a chance of cracking into the last-16, but now, after three straight defeats in the Champions Cup (four adding in their URC loss), securing a win – and a big one at that – against Stade Francais is a non-negotiable if they want to at least drop down to the EPCR Challenge Cup for the playoffs. Failing to do so could see them knocked out of the competition altogether.
Other Champions Cup Results:
Leicester Tigers 38 – 10 Ulster (81.42)
Stade Francais 45 – 35 Northampton Saints
Munster 17 (13.03) – 12 Saracens
Exeter 17 – 69 Bordeaux-Begles
Glasgow Warriors 29 (7.54) – 19 Racing 92