BY VOICE SPORTS TEAM
IT WILL be a case of sink or swim for the five South African franchises participating in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions this weekend.
The Sharks and Stormers – who are both in fourth place in their pools – will have one last roll of the dice to secure playoff spots in the Champions Cup, while the Lions and Cheetahs – both ranked fifth in their groups – will be under moerse pressure to register victories to keep their Challenge Cup playoff hopes alive.
The Bulls, meanwhile, will wrap up their 2024-25 Champions Cup campaign after dropping out of the race following their defeat last weekend, although they can still sneak into the Challenge Cup playoffs.
With a logjam on all their respective tables, victories and a bit of luck from the competing teams will be essential to see them make it beyond the pool stages.
The Bulls will get the action underway tomorrow when they host Stade Francais at Loftus at 3pm, while the Stormers will line up against Racing 92 in the French capital later that evening at 10pm.
The Sharks will wrap up the Champions Cup pool action for SA’s teams on Sunday when they take on log-leaders, Bordeaux Begles, in France at 3pm.
Both Challenge Cup matches will play out tomorrow, with the Lions welcoming the Dragons to Ellis Park at 5.15pm, while the Cheetahs will battle it out with Lyon in France at 7.30pm.
Onse Stormers face a team that, alongside Sale Sharks in and Racing 92 are also still in the playoff race.
The top four teams in the six-team groups all make the Round of 16. The Stormers are currently fourth in Pool 4 on five points alongside third-placed Harlequins and fifth-placed Sale Sharks.
Leaders Toulon and Glasgow Warriors have already qualified and face Sale and Harlequins respectively. Racing 92 are laaste with four points.
SA EURO FIXTURES
Champions Cup:
Today: Bulls v Stade Francais 3pm, Racing 92 v Stormers (10pm)
Tomorrow: Bordeaux Begles v Sharks (3pm)
Challenge Cup:
Today: Lions v Dragons (5.15pm), Lyon v Cheetahs (7.30pm)