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The Emirates Lions stood out as the sole victors for South African franchises in the two European competitions over the weekend, while the Toyota Cheetahs encountered a setback in Cardiff during the EPCR Challenge Cup. The Vodacom Bulls, Hollywoodbets Sharks, and DHL Stormers all faced defeats in the Investec Champions Cup.
The Johannesburg side outmatched their French opponents, Pau, winning an exhilarating match 43-35 at Emirates Airline Park, marking their inaugural win in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season. Meanwhile, the Toyota Cheetahs were defeated 26-10 in Wales by Cardiff.
In the Investec Champions Cup, the three South African teams turned in underwhelming performances against their English rivals, leaving supporters baffled.
Struggling with errors, the Vodacom Bulls lost at Loftus Versfeld as the Northampton Saints claimed victory with a score of 30-21, which marked the Pretoria team’s second defeat in succession this season.
The DHL Stormers experienced a heavy loss to Harlequins in London, suffering a 53-16 defeat, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks, who had triumphed in their opening game last weekend in Durban, were thoroughly outmatched in Leicester, where the Tigers dominated with a score of 56-17.
Seabelo Senatla wins a high ball against Tyrone Green.
Bright start not enough for DHL Stormers in London
The DHL Stormers began positively in London, with flyhalf Jurie Matthee nailing two early penalty goals, taking a 6-0 lead after just eight minutes in their Investec Champions Cup clash against Harlequins, who ultimately prevailed with a score of 53-16.
Harlequins scored their first try in the 12th minute with Cadan Murley. South African lock Irne Herbst was penalized with a yellow card for a dangerous tackle, but despite being a man down, Danny Care added a second try for Quins, with Marcus Smith converting for a 12-6 advantage.
As the match progressed, Harlequins tightened their control, with Alex Dombrandt scoring from a lineout maul, extending the lead to 19-6 at halftime after another Smith conversion.
The second half followed the same trend, with Smith contributing a penalty goal to increase the score to 22-6 before Matthee responded with a well-placed drop goal for the Stormers.
Yellow cards issued to Stefan Ungerer and Seabelo Senatla deepened the DHL Stormers’ difficulties, with Dombrandt completing his hat-trick with two more tries.
Murley also rounded off his hat-trick with two quick tries. A late yellow card for Angelo Davids allowed Sam Riley to score, converted by Jarrod Evans.
Some positive news for the visitors came when JC Mars, who came on for Clayton Blommetjies in the 70th minute, scored the only try for the Stormers. Matthee’s conversion as the final whistle blew capped a disappointing evening for the DHL Stormers at The Stoop.
The Cape Town team struggled with discipline, conceding 17 penalties as opposed to just four from Harlequins, receiving four yellow cards. The home side took full advantage of ball possession and gained significant yardage, while the DHL Stormers found it hard to penetrate defenses. Centre Wandasile Simelane shone, defeating five defenders in 13 carries, but overall, the team’s efforts resulted only in collisions that hindered their progress.
Scorers:
Harlequins 53 (19) – Tries: Cadan Murley (3), Danny Care, Alex Dombrandt (3), Sam Riley. Conversions: Marcus Smith (3), Jarrod Evans (2).
DHL Stormers 16 (6) – Try: JC Mars. Conversion: Jurie Matthee. Penalty goals: Matthee (2). Drop goal: Matthee.
Jaden Hendrikse gets the ball away against Leicester.
Pollard helps bury Hollywoodbets Sharks in Leicester
The Hollywoodbets Sharks struggled in Leicester, unable to respond to their dominant hosts at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, ultimately losing 56-17. The home team had a commanding 35-10 lead at halftime, and aside from a strong start from the Sharks, the English club was in control throughout.
The KwaZulu-Natalians initially led 10-7 before the Leicester pack asserted themselves, highlighted by two maul tries from Argentinean hooker Julian Montoya, with four tries in each half demonstrating their dominance.
With a powerful pack, Springbok double Rugby World Cup champion Handre Pollard orchestrated play seamlessly, scoring a try and converting six for a total of 17 points.
Although the visitors were missing several international stars, the Tigers displayed their skills with players such as Pollard, Montoya, and Jack van Poortvliet showcasing their status as elite Test players.
The Durban side was thoroughly outmanaged, revealing a lack of depth and a high error rate against a commanding home team.
Scorers:
Leicester Tigers 56 (35) – Tries: Julian Montoya (2), Ollie Hassell-Collins, Solomone Kata, Handre Pollard, Jack van Poortvliet, Charlie Clare, Emeka Ilione. Conversions: Pollard (6), Jamie Shillcock (2).
Hollywoodbets Sharks 17 (10) – Tries: Emmanuel Tshituka, Ethan Hooker. Conversions: Siya Masuku (2). Penalty goal: Masuku.
Cameron Hanekom scored twice against the Saints, but it wasn’t enough.
Saints march on against struggling Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria
Despite an encouraging start, the Vodacom Bulls squandered their early momentum, falling to a disappointing 30-21 defeat against Northampton Saints in Pretoria.
The home side kicked off the scoring early, going up 7-0 thanks to an impressive run by Marcell Coetzee. Nonetheless, they failed to convert several scoring opportunities and allowed their opponents easy access to their try-line.
With 60% possession and 10 entries into the red zone, the Bulls still found themselves behind 12-7 at halftime, missing chances over an open try line and having tries disallowed for obstruction, which heightened the frustration among fans.
Conversely, the English side executed their game plan with remarkable effectiveness, extending their lead to 22-7 as the Bulls slipped into disarray.
Newly capped Springbok No. 8 Cameron Hanekom scored two impressive solo tries, narrowing the gap to just one point at 22-21, but further mistakes from his fatigued teammates allowed an easy penalty goal and a late try from Tommy Freeman, who scored his second of the match.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls 21 (7) – Tries: Marcell Coetzee, Cameron Hanekom (2). Conversions: Johan Goosen (3).
Northampton Saints 30 (12) – Tries: George Hendy, Juarno Augustus, Tommy Freeman (2). Conversions: Fin Smith (2). Penalty goals: Smith (2).
Morne vd Berg was named Player of the Match in Johannesburg.
Emirates Lions the solo shining light in Joburg
The Emirates Lions returned to winning form after defeating Pau in Johannesburg, clinching a 43-35 victory on Saturday afternoon.
This high-scoring encounter was delayed by an hour due to weather warnings, with a brief interruption in the second half, but the Johannesburg team managed the disruptions more effectively than their French counterparts.
Outscoring Pau six tries to four in a closely contested battle, the visitors held the lead twice throughout. Pau first erupted through Dan Jooste’s maul, but tries from Edwill van der Merwe, Morne van den Berg, and PJ Botha helped the hosts to a 19-16 advantage at halftime.
Pau led initially in the second half, but following two yellow cards and a penalty try, the momentum shifted to the Emirates Lions, who established a commanding 33-23 lead, which they maintained until the final whistle.
Scorers:
Emirates Lions 43 (19) – Tries: Edwill van der Merwe, Morne van den Berg, PJ Botha, Juan Schoeman, Ruben Schoeman, Penalty Try. Conversions: Kade Wolhuter (4). Penalty goal: Wolhuter.
Pau 35 (16) – Tries: Dan Jooste, Axel Desperes, Romain Ruffenach, Josselin Bouhier. Conversions: Desperes (3). Penalty goals: Desperes (3).
Michael Annies on the attack against Cardiff.
Cardiff too strong for Toyota Cheetahs in Wales
The Toyota Cheetahs put up a determined first half, generating numerous scoring opportunities, but ultimately fell to Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday evening, losing 26-10.
Their inability to convert opportunities plagued the Free Staters in the second half as the Welsh side rolled on to score 21 unanswered points.
Despite the Cheetahs holding a favorable 10-5 lead at halftime, it didn’t truly reflect their territorial advantage or ball possession. With favorable wind conditions, they crafted several chances but often mismanaged final passes.
Cardiff defended robustly in the early minutes, but when opportunities arose at the 18-minute mark, Josh Adams dashed away for a long-range try, granting his side the lead.
After being previously held up, the Toyota Cheetahs eventually secured a try with Ruben de Haas crossing the line, accompanied by a conversion and a penalty goal from Ethan Wentzel that boosted their lead to 10-5 at halftime.
However, Cardiff dominated the second half, with Tom Bowen scoring early and Adams quickly adding a second try, electrifying the home supporters. The game’s decisive moment occurred with only 12 minutes remaining when the Cheetahs collapsed a Cardiff maul, resulting in a penalty try and a yellow card for Robert Hunt.
Scorers:
Cardiff 26 (5) – Tries: Josh Adams (2), Tom Bowen, Penalty try. Conversions: Callum Sheedy (2).
Toyota Cheetahs 10 (10) – Try: Ruben de Haas. Conversion: Ethan Wentzel. Penalty goal: Wentzel.
