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The Hollywoodbets Sharks proudly showcased South Africa’s prowess in the opening round of the Investec Champions Cup, while the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls faced setbacks. The Toyota Cheetahs secured a draw, and the Emirates Lions endured a defeat in Wales during the EPCR Challenge Cup.
The KwaZulu-Natal team kicked off the weekend on a high note, achieving a 39-21 victory over the Exeter Chiefs in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
Regrettably, this was the only win of the weekend, as the DHL Stormers were defeated 24-14 by Toulon at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium the same day, followed by the Vodacom Bulls suffering a 27-5 loss to Saracens in London on Saturday evening.
In the EPCR Challenge Cup, Perpignan managed to score a last-minute equalizer, which denied the Toyota Cheetahs a fantastic win in Amsterdam, while the Emirates Lions struggled against the Ospreys in Llanelli.
Hollywoodbets Sharks excel in European campaign with a remarkable victory
The Hollywoodbets Sharks kicked off their 2024/2025 Investec Champions Cup campaign with an impressive 39-21 win against the Exeter Chiefs in Durban, featuring two tries from Springbok captain Siya Kolisi.
Competing in extreme heat and humidity, the Sharks led 26-14 at halftime and continued to assert their authority, ultimately clinching a bonus-point victory after outscoring Exeter by five tries to three.
Both teams had difficulty maximizing their early opportunities. Exeter’s No.8, Greg Fisilau, received a yellow card for a head-on collision with Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi just seven minutes in. Despite being a player short, Exeter opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a try from hooker Dan Frost.
The hosts found parity in the 20th minute, with Phepsi Buthelezi finishing a well-executed move. Soon after, Springbok speedster Makazole Mapimpi scored their second try following a counter-attack initiated by Fassi and his Springbok teammate Grant Williams, who added a third try shortly thereafter thanks to an offload from Ethan Hooker.
Exeter’s discipline faltered again when replacement Will Rigg received a yellow card in the 32nd minute. Taking advantage of their dominance, Kolisi grounded the Sharks’ fourth try just before halftime. However, Exeter managed to narrow the halftime deficit with Frost’s second try, making it 26-14 at the break.
The Sharks extended their lead to 29-14 early in the second half with a penalty goal from Jordan Hendrikse, who also played a crucial role in setting up Kolisi’s second try in the 54th minute.
Disciplinary issues plagued the Sharks during the final quarter as Eben Etzebeth and Emile van Heerden were both shown yellow cards, reducing their ranks to 13 players. Exeter capitalized on this with a try from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who scored after gathering a cross-kick.
Further disciplinary troubles arose as Eduan Keyter was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on, leaving the Sharks with 12 men. Despite their numerical advantage, Exeter couldn’t secure a fourth try, as Tommy Wyatt lost the ball in the opposing in-goal area.
Scorers:
Hollywoodbets Sharks 39 (26) – Tries: Phepsi Buthelezi, Makazole Mapimpi, Grant Williams, Siya Kolisi (2). Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse (4). Penalty goals: Hendrikse (2).
Exeter Chiefs 21 (14) – Tries: Dan Frost (2), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Conversions: Josh Hodge (3).
Toulon triumphs over DHL Stormers in Gqeberha
The French giants Toulon triumphed over the DHL Stormers 24-14 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in their Investec Champions Cup opener on Saturday afternoon.
This match, marked by its heated encounters leading to several cards (one red and three yellow), took place in the Eastern Cape due to the HSBC SVNS event in Cape Town.
Yannick Youyoutte received a red card for head-on-head contact, while Willie Engelbrecht (for collapsing a maul near the line), Marius Domon (for slapping the ball down), and Leolin Zas (for a shoulder charge to the head) were all sent to the sin bin.
Trailing 14-10 at halftime, the French side stepped up their game in the second half, outscoring their rivals with two unanswered tries while preventing the Capetonians from scoring.
French international scrumhalf Baptiste Serin shone as the key playmaker for Toulon, earning the man of the match award. Both Joseph Dweba and Engelbrecht celebrated their 50th appearances for the DHL Stormers.
Gabin Villiere opened the scoring early in the fourth minute with a clever backline play, with Serin adding the conversion and a penalty five minutes later to give Toulon a 10-0 lead.
However, the DHL Stormers responded with an outstanding effort from their backs, resulting in a spectacular try from Warrick Gelant in the 14th minute, converted by Manie Libbok to close the gap to 10-7.
Just before halftime, Dweba was driven over the line from a powerful maul, giving the DHL Stormers a narrow 14-10 lead at halftime.
A free kick against the home side for a scrum infringement allowed Facundo Isa to charge over from five meters out, with Serin converting and reclaiming the lead at 17-14 for Toulon. Shortly after, Villiere delivered a hefty hit on Libbok, leading to Serin picking up the ball and scoring another try, along with his conversion, extending the lead to 24-14 with just 15 minutes remaining.
After Libbok suffered another heavy hit and had to leave the field, TMO Dean Richards and referee Karl Dickson determined that Youyoutte was culpable for the dangerous contact, resulting in his red card.
Domon and Zas subsequently received yellow cards for their infringements. Despite this, the visitors managed to withstand the pressure and secured a ten-point victory.
Scorers
DHL Stormers 14 (14) – Tries: Warrick Gelant, Joseph Dweba. Conversions: Manie Libbok (2).
Toulon 24 (10) – Tries: Gabin Villiere, Facundo Isa, Baptiste Serin. Conversions: Serin (3). Penalty goal: Serin.
Saracens dominate Vodacom Bulls in harsh conditions
Saracens convincingly defeated the Vodacom Bulls 27-5 on Saturday evening in a match that Pretoria fans will want to forget. The home side led 8-5 at halftime in their Investec Champions Cup clash.
Despite enjoying favorable wind conditions, the Bulls struggled to maintain their composure, repeatedly making errors while Saracens efficiently adapted to the challenging gale-force winds and heavy rain.
Disciplinary issues further complicated matters for the Bulls, with Jannes Kirsten and Sebastian de Klerk both receiving yellow cards as their penalty count exceeded 15.
The Vodacom Bulls’ sole try came from a brilliant left-hand skip pass by Springbok fullback Willie le Roux to De Klerk, who was notable for his work rate under difficult conditions.
Saracens secured their bonus point with tries from Rhys Carre, Tom Willis, Jamie George, and Ben Earl, fully deserving their victory in front of their passionate supporters. Meanwhile, the Vodacom Bulls have considerable reflection ahead of their next match.
Scorers:
Saracens 27 (8) – Tries: Rhys Carre, Tom Willis, Jamie George, Ben Earl. Conversions: Fergus Burke (2). Penalty goal: Burke.
Vodacom Bulls 5 (5) – Try: Sebastian de Klerk.
Toyota Cheetahs and Perpignan conclude in stalemate in Amsterdam
In a chilly Sunday afternoon clash, Perpignan flyhalf Antoine Aucagne converted a last-minute penalty to secure a 20-20 draw with the Toyota Cheetahs in their EPCR Challenge Cup encounter in Amsterdam.
The French side led 17-10 at halftime, having scored tries through Aucagne, Setareki Toganiyadrava, and Job Poulet.
The Bloemfontein team temporarily took the lead with a penalty from Ethan Wentzel near the end of the match, but a breakdown infringement enabled Aucagne to level the score as time expired.
The Free Staters initially struggled in the cold, missing multiple opportunities despite tries from Jeandre Rudolph, Louis van der Westhuizen, and Daniel Maartens.
Scorers:
Toyota Cheetahs 20 (10) – Tries: Jeandre Rudolph, Louis van der Westhuizen, Daniel Maartens. Conversion: Ethan Wentzel. Penalty goal: Wentzel.
Perpignan 20 (17) – Tries: Antoine Aucagne, Setareki Toganiyadrava, Job Poulet. Conversion: Aucagne. Penalty goal: Aucagne.
Ospreys capitalize on youthful Emirates Lions
The inexperienced Emirates Lions succumbed to a 30-14 defeat (halftime 13-7) against the Ospreys in their EPCR Challenge Cup match in Llanelli, Wales, succumbing to the Welsh side with four tries to two.
The Lions opted to send several players home following their recent Vodacom United Rugby Championship match in Ireland, focusing on this weekend’s showdown against Section Paloise.
Moreover, due to storm damage at the Swansea.com Stadium, the match was relocated to Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli.
Though they opened the scoring through Franco Marais, the Highvelders could not sustain their early momentum. Ospreys’ Jac Morgan, awarded man of the match for his exceptional performance, led his team in dominating both the breakdown and general play.
The Welsh side seized control, scoring tries from Morgan, Keelan Giles, Kieran Hardy, and Dan Edwards, while Owen Williams added two penalty goals and two conversions.
Erich Cronje scored a late try for the Lions, but it was not enough to prevent their third consecutive defeat across all competitions.
Scorers:
Ospreys 30 (13) – Tries: Jac Morgan, Keelan Giles, Kieran Hardy, Dan Edwards. Conversions: Owen Williams (2). Penalty goals: Williams (2).
Emirates Lions 14 (7) – Tries: Franco Marais, Erich Cronje. Conversions: Sam Francis, Sanele Nohamba.
SA Rugby
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