Will it be the clash of the Investec Champions Cup or rather turn out to be a damp squib?
That’s the question this week when French trendsetters Bordeaux-Begles are heading to Pretoria to face the Vodacom Bulls in round four of the Champions’ Cup, with the big question being what team the French side will send out to South Africa.
Because if they send the one that demolished Saracens on Sunday, then Loftus Versfeld is about to see a humdinger.
The Bulls win at Ashton Gate on Saturday, beating Bristol Bears and grabbing a bonus point in the process has given them one foot in the Round of 16, but they probably need a point or two to confirm their status this weekend.
Given their record at Loftus Versfeld - no international team has come within 10 points of them at their fortress since they entered Europe, they will start as odds-on favourites, but the question will be just who they will be facing.
Bulls coach Jake White knows the team’s destiny is in their own hands, and while both French sides - Bordeaux and Lyon - have already qualified for the round of 16, the Bulls, along with Connacht, Bristol and Saracens will fight it out for the last two places.
It’s hard to see the Bulls missing out on the top four places - Bordeaux are top with 15 points from their three wins, Lyon second on 12 and the Bulls third on 10. Saracens and Bristol have five each and can technically pass the Bulls on points difference, although that seems highly unlikely with the Bulls playing at Loftus Versfeld.
French teams have a habit of sending second string teams to foreign destinations at the best of times, and since Bordeaux are unlikely to be out of the top two in the pool, they may choose their “Espoires” squad to travel to South Africa. Espoires literally means “hope” when translated directly and it would be a squad of young up and coming players rather than the first team that demolished Saracens.
Given the 3pm summer kickoff at altitude, Bordeaux may feel this is their best option, resting their players for more important games, but the Bulls are likely to return to their best line-up to try and ensure a higher seeding for the Round of 16.
“Destiny is in our own hands now, we have Bordeaux at home and if we win that game we are probably in. It would be a great way for us to go into the next round,” White said after beating Bristol.
If Bordeaux do send a full-strength side, it would be one of the games of the tournament, even if the Bulls don’t have their four World Cup winning Springboks on hand.
On Sunday Bordeaux scored nine tries against Saracens, condemning the English Premiership champions to their heaviest defeat ever in the Champions Cup,
World Cup wingers Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored a brace each while Romain Buros, Maxime Lamothe, Nicolas Depoortère, Matthieu Jalibert and Pablo Uberti picked up one try apiece.
Jalibert was exceptional in controlling his side’s play and several players would have made healthy bids for the Six Nations squad.
And with Bordeaux second in the Top 14, they may feel there are more important games than a summer jaunt to Loftus.
But wouldn’t it be a game if they did bring their flyers?