CHAMPIONS CUP PREVIEW: Bulls odd one out in thrilling finale

You can decide for yourself what it says about the competition's format that teams yet to win and who have no points after three games have a chance of getting into the phase of the Investec Champions Cup, but that is the case as we head into the final round.

It is in fact only the Vodacom Bulls who are the odd ones out among the 24 teams that participate in the elite European competition. Jake White’s team can get into the secondary competition, the EPCR Challenge Cup and veteran Bulls loose-forward Nizaam Carr stated that as an intention this week.

But even that is going to take some doing as it will mean they have to beat Stade Francais by a big score and deny them a bonus point while clinching one themselves. Of course, that is possible, particularly if the Bulls go full strength and given that the game is to be played in the mid-afternoon in mid-summer, though the caveat needs to be added that the recent Gauteng weather has underlined the fact that this is also the rainy season upcountry.

While a very distinct second prize is possible, the main prize of advancing to the last 16 in the premier competition is beyond the Bulls, which you can’t say about the other 23 teams. Okay, so for Ulster and Exeter, both on zero points in Pool 1, it is a long shot, as their points differential is vastly inferior to that of the Hollywoodbets Sharks, who currently occupy the all-important fourth position. But an advance is theoretically still possible for both.

STILL VERY MUCH ON FOR COASTAL TEAMS

It is the top four in each of the four pools of six that go through, and the two other South African teams, the Sharks and the DHL Stormers (Pool 4), currently occupy those positions. So for them it is very much on and they have everything to play for in the round that brings the group phase to an end.

Indeed, the Sharks will know if there is anything they still need to do in Sunday’s game two days before kick-off. Ulster host Exeter in Belfast on Friday night and if the winner of that game does not manage a bonus point and a massive win, the Sharks are through to the round of 16 regardless of what happens in their tough away match against Bordeaux Begles.

There is one thing you can say for the format - you couldn’t have asked for a better finish to the first four weeks of the prestigious European competition if you had asked a script writer to conjure it up. The top spot in each pool are all undecided with one game to go, while most teams from third in each pool lower face the jeopardy of dropping out.

STADE HAVE A LOT TO PLAY FOR


The Bulls cannot make it to the fourth position required to stay alive in the Champions Cup because the team that beat them last week, Castres, are out of range of the South African side with an advantage of nine points.

Castres can though be overtaken by fifth placed Stade, so there is arguably a lot more to play for for the visitors to Loftus than the hosts. Castres visit Saracens for their final game on Sunday and a win there will be enough for them to secure a place in the Champions Cup round of 16 regardless of what happens in Pretoria.

If Ulster or Exeter do enough to eclipse the Sharks when starting the final round on zero points, it would be a remarkable achievement. But even if Ulster or Exeter do achieve their initial objective by bagging a full house of log points and winning by a massive enough margin to tax the Sharks, the Durbanites will still be able to deny them if they secure a bonus point on Sunday.

TIGHT BATTLE IN STORMERS’ GROUP

The DHL Stormers have recovered well from their earlier hiccups in the competition to be fourth in Pool 4 going into the final round, but the competition in their group is incredibly tight. They are one of three teams with five points, with Harlequins ahead of them in third because of points differential and it is also points differential that puts them ahead of the fifth-placed Sale Sharks.

The potential jeopardy doesn’t end for the Stormers with the three-way tie, for their opponents at La Defense Arena on Saturday night, Racing 92, are just one point behind. So the team mentored by former England coach Stuart Lancaster also has everything to play for.
Harlequins host Vodacom United Champions Glasgow Warriors in a game that kicks off at the same time as the one in Paris does and it won’t be easy for them, while Sale, who were well beaten by the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend, also have a tough home game against Pool 4 leaders Toulon visiting Manchester.

Pool 4 has been very competitive and the Stormers should be kicking themselves for letting their chance of victory against Toulon slip in their game in Gqeberha at the start of the competition. They’d be playing for top spot and a good seeding going into the knock-outs had they got over the line at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at the beginning of December.
As it stands, it is anyone’s guess which of Toulon or Glasgow will end top, for there is only one log point separating them, with the closeness of the battle mirroring the closeness of their clash in Toulon in mid-December.

TOP TEAMS VYING FOR SEEDING AND HOME ADVANTAGE

With home ground advantage and who plays who during the knock-out phase being determined by the seedings that will be decided by points accumulated in the Pool phase, there is a lot for the top teams to play for too.

By denying Toulouse a try scoring bonus point last weekend, the Sharks allowed Bordeaux to inch ahead of Toulouse, but they can help out Toulouse if they take points off Bordeaux on Sunday.
Leinster went ahead of La Rochelle in Pool 2 when they won last Sunday’s clash of the Galacticos, but they can still surrender top spot if they get beaten by what should be a determined Bath team that has shown great form this season under the coaching of South African Johann van Graan and La Rochelle get the better of Benetton.

The Italian team has a lot to play for as they are currently fourth, meaning as it stands they would qualify for the round of 16. However, Clermont-Auvergne and Bristol Bears, who clash in Clermont on Saturday evening, are breathing down their necks.

CHALLENGE CUP

It is also a big final round for the South African teams participating in the Challenge Cup. After losing to Montpellier last week and failing to secure any bonus points, the Emirates Lions have to beat the Dragons in Johannesburg on Saturday evening or they could miss out.
The Toyota Cheetahs, who scored an exciting win with a late Cohen Jasper try against the Zebre in Amsterdam last weekend to keep them alive in the competition, have a difficult away game to Lyon to contend with and they too are playing for a place in the last 16.

The Investec Champions Cup Pool standings

Pool 1: Bordeaux Begles 15, Toulouse 14, Leicester Tigers 11, Hollywoodbets Sharks 5, Ulster 0, Exeter Chiefs 0.

Pool 2: Leinster 13, La Rochelle 10, Bath 7, Benetton 7, Clermont-Auvergne 5, Bristol Bears 5.

Pool 3: Northampton Saints 11, Munster 10, Saracens 10, Castres 9, Stade Francais 5, Vodacom Bulls 0.

Pool 4: Toulon 13, Glasgow Warriors 12, Harlequins 5, DHL Stormers 5, Sale Sharks 5, Racing 92 4.

Investec Champions Cup four-round fixtures

Ulster v Exeter (Belfast, Friday 22.00)

Vodacom Bulls v Stade Francais (Pretoria, Saturday 15.00)

Northampton Saints v Munster (Northampton, Saturday 15.00)

Clermont-Auvergne v Bristol Bears (Clermont, Saturday 17.15)

Leinster v Bath (Dublin, Saturday 19.30)

Benetton v La Rochelle (Treviso, Saturday 19.30)

Racing 92 v DHL Stormers (Paris, Saturday 22.00)

Harlequins v Glasgow Warriors (London, Saturday 22.00)

Bordeaux Begles v Hollywoodbets Sharks (Bordeaux, Saturday 15.00)

Saracens v Castres (London. Sunday 17.15)

Toulouse v Leicester Tigers (Toulouse, Sunday 17.15)

Sale Sharks v Toulon (Manchester, Sunday 19.30)


EPCR Challenge Cup fourth round fixtures


Newcastle v Montpellier (Friday, 22.00)

Cardiff v Connacht (Friday, 22.00)

Pau v Ospreys  (Saturday, 15.00)

Emirates Lions v Dragons (Saturday, 17.15)

Scarlet v Vannes (Saturday, 19.30)

Lyon v Toyota Cheetahs (Saturday, 19.30)

Edinburgh v Black Lions (Sunday, 15.00)

Gloucester v Bayonne (Sunday, 15.00)

Zebre v Perpignan (Sunday, 17.15)