The Bulls, Stormers and Lions will go big game hunting in the world’s premier club rugby competition, the Investec Champions Cup, which gets underway this weekend, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
ALSO READ: SA United Rugby Championship Team of the Week – Round 3.
The Bulls and Stormers will look to use their bolstered squads and experience acquired from previous campaigns to make a run at the title, while the Lions embark on their maiden hunt in the ultimate club rugby jungle.
The trio, who will all be in action on Saturday, will represent South Africa and are three of the eight United Rugby Championship sides who’ve qualified to compete in the showpiece, which also includes eight PREM outfits and eight TOP 14 teams.
All 24 clubs will play four pool stage matches, facing four different opponents, with two matches at home and two away. The top three clubs in each pool will automatically qualify for the knockouts, while the remaining four places will be awarded to the four clubs with the highest number of match points across all four pools, regardless of which pool they are in.
The Bulls will look to set the tone for the local teams when they square off against Stade Francais at Loftus Versfeld. The Stormers battle the Bristol Bears in Cape Town, while the Lions have a daunting opening assignment against La Rochelle at Stade Marcel-Deflandre.
Gloucester vs Bordeaux Begles
Friday, 16 October – 21:00
Back-to-back champions Bordeaux start their title defence away from home against a Gloucester team entering the encounter on the back of an impressive start to their PREM campaign.
Bordeaux have cemented themselves as the kings of club rugby over the past two seasons, and they are my pick to reign supreme again as they have quality across their squad and little to no weaknesses.
As the log leaders in the PREM, Gloucester will be a good first test for the Frenchmen, but they should pass it with flying colours.
Prediction: Bordeaux Begles by 12.
Suggested Bet: Bordeaux Begles -11.5 at 1.88.
Sale Sharks vs Glasgow Warriors
Saturday, 17 October – 14:00
The Sale Sharks head into this fixture on a two-game winning streak, their most recent victories coming against Harlequins and Saracens, yet they have never beaten the Warriors at CorpAcq Stadium, failing to win in either of their two home fixtures against the men from Glasgow.
Stunned in the quarter-finals by Toulon at home after an unbeaten run into the last-eight last season, the Warriors are seething and out to challenge for the silverware. Extremely well-coached by Franco Smith, they should keep their perfect record at Sale intact.
Prediction: Glasgow Warriors by 3.
Suggested Bet: Sale Sharks +4.5 at 1.92.
Bulls vs Stade Francais
Saturday, 17 October – 14:00
The Bulls are in a far better place now than they were at the start of last season. The term was utterly disappointing, with their solitary win being a 26-24 triumph over Pau.
That victory snapped a seven-game losing streak in all competitions and saw them sneak into the Round of 16, where the Warriors finished them off with a 25-21 win.
Stade Francais reached the TOP 14 semi-finals last season, but have won just two of their last five fixtures. The Bulls won the only previous meeting between the two teams 48-7 last year, and after clicking into high gear with a 57-15 URC thrashing of the Lions last weekend, they should get off to a flyer.
Prediction: Bulls by 26.
Suggested Bet: Bulls -24.5 at 1.87.
Clermont vs Leinster
Saturday, 17 October – 16:15
Last season’s runners-up Leinster begin their campaign in France. The Irish giants are desperate to finally claim their elusive fifth star after the agonising series of near-misses in recent years.
They have won six of the 10 all-time meetings with Clermont; however, their biggest winning margin in the head-to-head history stands at 16 points.
What’s more, Clermont have won two of their three games between them at Stade Marcel-Michelin. Therefore, while Leo Cullen’s charges should leave with a win, it’ll likely be close.
Prediction: Leinster by 7.
Suggested Bet: Clermont +10.5 at 1.84.
Stormers vs Bristol Bears
Saturday, 17 October – 16:15
Boosted by the superstar trio of Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe and Wilco Louw, the Stormers are gunning to not only return to the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2022-23 season, but to crack the final four for the first time.
Three pool wins last season saw the Capetonians head to France for a last-16 clash with La Rochelle, which resulted in a heart-breaking 28-27 loss as Adre Smith was deemed to have been held up in the final play of the game.
Kolbe is still recovering from a broken jaw that he suffered on Springbok duty, but Kolisi and Louw will add their class and power to the now formidable pack, which also includes the fit-again Evan Roos, in this first-ever meeting against Bristol.
The Bears will try to recreate their South African away win form against the Bulls last season. Sixth in the PREM, they are no pushovers, but the Stormers were a different beast last weekend in their first game back in black.
Wearing the iconic all-black strip for the first time since 1999, they smashed the Sharks 39-22 and will stick with this kit for their Champions Cup opener. Expect a similar physical, complete performance.
Prediction: Stormers by 17.
Suggested Bet: Stormers -16.5 at 1.86.
Connacht vs Saracens
Saturday, 17 October – 18:30
Three-time champions Saracens hope to return to their former European glory this season.
The English club have won all three previous clashes against Connacht, including a 23-17 success in their only previous outing at Dexcom Stadium back in 2013.
Connacht head into this fixture having won just two of their last five matches, and with the likes of Maro Itoje and Ben Earl in excellent form for Saracens, the visitors look set to prevail.
Prediction: Saracens by 5.
Suggested Bet: Saracens -3.5 at 1.91.
La Rochelle vs Lions
Saturday, 17 October – 18:30
The Lions have entered the chat, as the kids say.
The Pride punched their ticket to their maiden Champions Cup campaign by finishing seventh in the URC last season, and are looking to slay a couple of giants.
Luck was not on their side during the draw as they were hit with one tough assignment after the other, starting with this historic meeting against the two-time champions.
Having extended his commitment to the French club, Ronan O’Gara will want to start this new campaign with a win and go on to earn redemption after failing to make the playoffs last season.
Coming off a domestic drubbing by the Bulls, the Lions will be gutsy, but La Rochelle’s powerful pack should lay the platform for a convincing win for the hosts.
Prediction: La Rochelle by 16.
Suggested Bet: La Rochelle -14.5 at 1.92.
Munster vs Racing 92
Saturday, 17 October – 21:00
The all-time head-to-head record between these sides is perfectly level at four wins apiece with one draw across nine meetings, making this one of European rugby’s most evenly contested rivalries.
Munster are leading the URC for defensive ruck entries this season with 191, averaging 63.7 per match. Racing 92, meanwhile, have won 49 turnovers in the TOP 14 this season (fourth) and recorded 18 jackals (third).
Therefore, the breakdown battle will play a major role in the outcome of this game, and the support of the home crowd should give Munster the boost they need to get over the line.
Prediction: Munster by 10.
Suggested Bet: Racing 92 +10.5 at 1.83.
Bath vs Montpellier
Saturday, 17 October – 21:00
Bath welcome Montpellier back to the big time.
Many casual fans assume that Bath are all about keeping the ball in hand given Scotland flyhalf Finn Russell, who was the Champions Cup’s leading points scorer last season (81), wears their No. 10 jersey.
However, they led the Champions Cup for retained kicks last season with 46, with scrumhalf Ben Spencer accounting for 22 of those as the team’s top individual contributor in this category.
Montpellier, who won the EPCR Challenge Cup last season, lead the TOP 14 for defenders beaten with 182 and for post-contact metres with 1,020, setting the stage for a compelling stylistic battle.
Bath have won five of the seven all-time meetings with Montpellier, and have claimed victory in three of the four head-to-head fixtures played at The Rec. The tactical astuteness of Johann van Graan’s men should earn them the W.
Prediction: Bath by 9.
Suggested Bet: Bath -8.5 at 1.90.
Pau vs Leicester Tigers
Sunday, 18 October – 14:00
Pau head into this fixture on a three-match winning run, and have won two of their four all-time home meetings against Leicester at Stade du Hameau.
They have scored the most tries in the TOP 14 this season with 32, and have an absolute sharpshooter in Joe Simmonds, who leads the French league in successful goals with 21 and a goal-kicking success rate of 95.5%.
These numbers point to a win for the home team against the kick-heavy Tigers.
Prediction: Pau by 7.
Suggested Bet: Leicester Tigers +8.5 at 1.87.
Toulouse vs Exeter Chiefs
Sunday, 18 October – 16:15
The mighty Toulouse are the most decorated side in the competition’s history with an unrivalled six titles.
Currently on a five-match winning streak, the star-studded French super club were ranked second in the competition for offloads (83) and scored three maul tries (second) last season, highlighting a multi-faceted attacking threat both in open play and from set piece.
They’ll blow away the outmatched Chiefs.
Prediction: Toulouse by 30.
Suggested Bet: Exeter Chiefs +32.5 at 1.87.
Northampton Saints vs Cardiff
Sunday, 18 October – 18:30
Reigning PREM champions Northampton will look to lay down a marker in the final match of the opening round.
The Saints have retained the services of Henry Pollock, who led the team for turnovers won with nine last season (third overall), and have their sights set on the ultimate prize in club rugby.
They have won all four previous head-to-head matches against Cardiff at Franklin’s Gardens, and that streak will no doubt continue come Sunday.
Prediction: Northampton Saints by 25.
Suggested Bet: Northampton Saints -22.5 at 1.90.
Note: Odds subject to change.
Quintin van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 20 years of experience.
