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As the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs look to capitalize on their encouraging starts in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup from the previous week, the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers, and Emirates Lions are gearing up to reclaim their footing after their losses in the opening round of the European tournaments.
This Saturday, the Vodacom Bulls will kick off an exciting day of fixtures by taking on the Northampton Saints in Pretoria for the second round of the Investec Champions Cup. This will be followed by thrilling matchups featuring the Leicester Tigers against the Hollywoodbets Sharks and the Harlequins squaring off against the DHL Stormers in England.
In the EPCR Challenge Cup, the Emirates Lions are prepared to host Section Paloise in Johannesburg for their initial home game of the season, while the Toyota Cheetahs are set to battle Cardiff in Wales.
As this round consists of only four in the pool stages before teams return to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and other club obligations, all five teams will be striving for wins to improve their prospects for progressing to the Round of 16, which marks the opening stage of the playoffs next year.
Investec Champions Cup
The Vodacom Bulls plan to harness their home ground advantage and favorable weather conditions as they host the Northampton Saints at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. They are eager to bounce back from their disappointing 27-5 loss to Saracens last week and preserve their unbeaten record in Pretoria this season.
Currently sitting in third place on the Vodacom URC table, this serves as significant motivation against the Northampton Saints, who are in eighth position in the Gallagher Premiership with three victories from seven matches, but are riding high after a commanding 38-8 win over Castres Olympique last weekend.
In the meantime, the Hollywoodbets Sharks aim to build on their 39-21 victory over the Exeter Chiefs, wanting to achieve their fifth straight win (including three Vodacom URC successes and their round one triumph in the Investec Champions Cup) as they take on the Leicester Tigers in England.
They must remain vigilant against the threats posed by the Tigers, who hold third place in the Gallagher Premiership, despite suffering a 42-28 defeat against Bordeaux Begles last week in their first match of this tournament.
The encounter between the DHL Stormers and Harlequins at Twickenham Stoop is anticipated to be an exciting battle, as both sides have struggled to find their rhythm in the Vodacom URC and Gallagher Premiership, currently positioning them at the lower end of the standings.
Both teams experienced setbacks in their opening Investec Champions Cup matches, with the DHL Stormers losing 24-14 to Toulon and Harlequins falling 23-12 to Racing 92.
EPCR Challenge Cup
The Emirates Lions hope to leverage their home turf and enthusiastic fans when they host Section Paloise at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday for their second-round EPCR Challenge Cup matchup, determined to recover from their 30-14 defeat to Ospreys last week and capitalize on their solid home form this season.
With two wins in three home matches in the Vodacom URC this season and currently positioned fifth on the table, they approach this fixture with confidence, particularly considering that Section Paloise has registered only four wins in their 11 Top 14 encounters.
The Emirates Lions will need to be diligent and not underestimate their French competitors, who secured a victory against the Newcastle Falcons in their opening match of the tournament last week.
The Toyota Cheetahs started their campaign with a draw against Perpignan last week and are enthusiastic about stepping up their performance to clinch a victory over Cardiff.
However, the Free Staters recognize the necessity for a strong performance, as Cardiff currently occupies fourth place on the Vodacom URC log with four wins in seven games.
Nevertheless, the Toyota Cheetahs will draw inspiration from Lyon’s recent 37-26 victory over the Welsh team last week as they look to make a noteworthy impact in their sole international competition this season.
Match information – Investec Champions Cup Round 2:
Vodacom Bulls v Northampton Saints
Date: Saturday, 14 December
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
SA Time: 15h00
Referee: Luc Ramos
TV: SuperSport
Leicester Tigers v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Date: Saturday, 14 December
Venue: Mattioli Woods Welford Road, Leicester
SA Time: 19h30
Referee: Andrea Piardi
TV: SuperSport
Harlequins v DHL Stormers
Date: Saturday, 14 December
Venue: Twickenham Stoop, London
SA Time: 22h00
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
TV: SuperSport
Match Information – EPCR Challenge Cup Round 2:
Emirates Lions v Section Paloise
Date: Saturday, 14 December
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
SA Time: 17h15
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
Cardiff v Toyota Cheetahs
Date: Saturday, 14 December
Venue: Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
SA Time: 22h00
Referee: Eoghan Cross
TV: SuperSport
