CHAMPIONS CUP: All three SA teams do still have realistic hope

A pall of gloom descended on South African rugby when the first phase of the Investec Champions Cup was concluded with three embarrassing defeats but the donning of sackcloth to signify mourning might have been premature.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks remain this country’s most realistic hope for silverware, as they were at the start of the competition, but while the other two teams find themselves well behind the eight-ball heading into this weekend’s third round, both the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers do both go into this penultimate round of the group phase seeing a potential shard of light at the end of the tunnel.

This despite the fact that in the six games played by the SA sides in the first two rounds, only one, the Sharks’ home clash with Exeter Chiefs, was won by a local franchise. The five points they picked up in that game maintains the Sharks’ status as the SA flag-bearers in the elite European competition.

Although John Plumtree’s understrength team got a bloody nose and no log points to bring home from their clash with Leicester Tigers at Welford Road, they did at least satisfy rule No 1 of this competition - you have to win your home games.

Which does contextualise the importance to the Sharks’ quest for a place in the round of 16 of their game against Toulouse at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, a clash that their World Cup winning prop Ox Nche aptly described as a clash between “the French DNA and the Springbok DNA”.

BORDEAUX VISIT WILL BE TOUGH CHALLENGE

The Sharks’ remaining game will be a trip to Bordeaux Begles, who are a much improved team on the one that the Durbanites edged out in Bordeaux en route to making the quarterfinal round two seasons ago. With so many experienced Boks in tow, the Sharks can win against even the best teams on French soil - but they won’t be favourites. Which means a victory over the reigning champions is close to a non-negotiable - but not completely so.

The Sharks are currently fourth in Pool 1 on five points, five behind the top placed French duo of Toulouse and Bordeaux, who both have full points, and one point behind Leicester Tigers. Exeter Chiefs and Ulster are both yet to register a point, and they both face tough games against Bordeaux and the Tigers respectively.

So even if they do lose, they could still be in the top four bracket in their pool that means round of 16 qualification after this round. It’s the knowledge of what comes next for them that makes a win so important.

KNOCK-OUT TIME FOR BULLS AND STORMERS

For the Stormers and the Bulls, this is really the knock-out phase arrived early. Defeat to the Sale Sharks at the DHL Stadium will be the death-knell to any hopes of a Stormers advance, and ditto for the Bulls in their visit to French club Castres.

But given that the teams they are competing with for a place in the top four in their respective groups have to play each other, they do still stand more of a chance of advancing than might have been thought when they suffered comprehensive defeats in round 2 in December.

Of the two, the Stormers arguably have the better chance of advancing just because they are at home against Sale first and, given the momentum they picked up through two good Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby wins over the Christmas week, a full house of five log points is distinctly possible.

That will leave them knowing what to do when they visit Racing 92 for their last group game. If the Stormers lose to Sale, that game will become a dead rubber, but a victory on Saturday will mean they go to France with everything on the line.

With the game coming a week before the important URC clash with Leinster in Dublin, the Cape side will also be able to treat their trip north as a proper tour.

The Stormers are also benefited by the fact that the top team in their group, Toulon, only has eight points out of a possible 10, with URC champions Glasgow Warriors bringing up second position in Pool 4. The two English clubs, Harlequins and Sale, are tied fourth with five points, with Racing one point behind them.

Harlequins are away to Toulon on Sunday, which means one of those teams will be set back and become more vulnerable to the chasing pack, while Racing 92 will be in Glasgow on Friday night to kick off what should be an absorbing round of Champions Cup rugby.

You can see from that why the Stormers have a chance, and they will be on the cusp of the top four, and round of 16 qualification, if they go for broke and win with a four try bonus point in Cape Town.

For the Bulls the immediate task is more difficult as they are away from home, but they can use as their motivation for their game against Castres the memory of how unlucky they were not to beat Lyon away from home with an understrength team last season.

If they do get across the line against Castres they are in the top four in Pool 3 and will have the carrot of knowing that a win over Stade Francais in their final group game at Loftus will be enough to secure them an advance.

Investec Champions Cup Pool standings after two rounds (top 4 in each group advance):

Pool 1 - Toulouse 10 pts, Bordeaux 10 point, Leicester Tigers 6 points, Hollywoodbets Sharks 5 points, Exeter Chiefs 0, Ulster 0.

Pool 2 - La Rochelle 9 points, Leinster 9, Clermont-Auvergne 5, Benetton 5, Bath 2, Bristol Bears 0.

Pool 3 - Northampton Saints 10, Saracens 9, Munster 6, Castres 4, Vodacom Bulls 0, Stade Francais 0.

Pool 4 - Toulon 8, Glasgow Warriors 7, Harlequins 5, Sale Sharks 5, Racing 92 4, DHL Stormers 0

Investec Champions Cup Third Round (10/11/12 January):

Glasgow Warriors v Racing 92 (Glasgow, Friday 10pm)

DHL Stormers v Sale Sharks (Cape Town, Saturday 3pm)

Hollywoodbets Sharks v Toulouse (Durban, Saturday 5:15pm)

Exeter v Bordeaux Begles (Exeter, Saturday 5:15pm)

Munster v Saracens (Limerick, Saturday 7:30pm)

Stade Francais v Northampton Saints (Paris, Saturday 7:30pm)

Castres v Vodacom Bulls (Castres, Saturday 10pm)

Leicester Tigers v Ulster (Leicester, Saturday 10pm)

Toulon v Harlequins (Toulon, Sunday 3pm)

La Rochelle v Leinster (La Rochelle, Sunday 5:15pm)

Bristol v Benetton (Bristol, Sunday 5:15pm)

Bath v Clermont-Auvergne (Bath, Sunday 7:30pm)