Stormers, Bulls face tough last 16 opponents; Sharks up for a challenge; Lions, Cheetahs lose out

There were mixed fortunes for South Africa’s five teams in the weekend’s European club competitions, with the Bulls and Stormers advancing while the Sharks, Lions, and Cheetahs fell by the wayside.

The Bulls pulled off something of a Houdini act to sneak into the Champions Cup Round of 16 despite winning just one pool match. That victory came on Friday night when they bravely snapped a seven-match losing sequence by battling past Pau 26–24 in France.

The Bulls lost their first three pool games against Bordeaux Bègles (46–33), the Northampton Saints (50–5), and the Bristol Bears (61–49) before playing Pau. They finished fourth in Pool 4, above Pau and the Scarlets, who lost 43–28 to the Saints on Sunday.

They will face former United Rugby Championship champions Glasgow Warriors away in April in the tournament's round of 16.

The Sharks delivered one of their better performances of the season to demolish French club Clermont 50–12 in a humid Durban on Saturday afternoon, but it was not enough for them to progress from Pool 1 after Toulouse annihilated the Sale Sharks 77–7. The Durban side needed a huge favour from the Glasgow Warriors on Sunday evening — a 50-point defeat of Saracens — to remain the elite tournament, but it wasn’t meant to be; Glasgow won 28–3.

Instead, the Durbanites will now compete in the second tier EPCR Challenge Cup in the Round of 16 in April, and will face URC opponents Connacht in Galway,

In Pool 3, the Stormers cruised into the last 16, where the will face French giants Toulon, thanks to a hard-fought 39–26 victory over England’s Leicester Tigers in Cape Town on Saturday.

The Lions slipped out of the Challenge Cup on Saturday night, though not through lack of effort. They drew 20–20 with Perpignan in France.

The weather conditions were atrocious and the Lions stuck manfully to the task, but in the end, it was a case of so close but so far. They finished tied with Perpignan on the log, but the French club's superior points differential saw them go through.

The Cheetahs played well against Racing 92 in Paris, but before kick-off they were already out of the Challenge Cup. The Free Staters lost 31–28.

CONFIRMED ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES

CHAMPIONS CUP

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

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP

1. Montpellier Hérault Rugby (1) v USAP (16)
2. Benetton Rugby (2) v Cardiff Rugby (15)
3. Ulster Rugby (3) v Ospreys (14)
4. Stade Français Paris (4) v Dragons RFC (13)
5. Zebre Parma (5) Section Paloise (12)
6. Newcastle Red Bulls (6) v Stade Rochelais (11)
7. Exeter Chiefs (7) v Munster Rugby (10)
8. Connacht Rugby (8) v Sharks (9)