Investec Champions Cup: Big week ahead for Sharks, Stormers

Key topics.Stormers revive playoff hopes with a 40-0 victory over Sale Sharks.Sharks face Bordeaux-Begles for a bonus-point qualification chance.Bulls out of playoffs; aim for Challenge Cup spot against Stade Francais..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here..The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events – and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here..If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.ICCSA (INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP SA).Two of South Africa's coastal franchises will go "flat out" this week to try and ensure qualification for the playoff rounds of the Investec Champions' Cup after a mixed bag of results in round three of the tournament..The DHL Stormers gave themselves a lifeline with an impressive 40-0 thrashing of English team Sale Sharks in Cape Town, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks' hopes of a qualification place took a dent in going down 20-8 to defending champions Toulouse in Durban..Both sides have a chance of qualifying if they can win their Round Four games – both away from home – this coming weekend, to ensure South African participation in the Round of 16..The task is a massive one though as the Stormers will travel to Paris to face Racing 92 in their final pool match while the Sharks head to Bordeaux-Begles in another epic match-up to try and ensure qualification..But the story of the weekend was the lazarus performance of the Stormers, who fielded a young backline, but welcomed back several stars from injury and were way too clinical for the English side..The flair that has often been missing this season for the Stormers has returned, led by the mercurial Warrick Gelant as the Cape Town side kept their opposition scoreless through some massive defensive plays and then used their magic on attack to score six tries without reply on a perfect day at the DHL Stadium..The Stormers sit on five points alongside two other teams with Racing 92 one point below them on four. Glasgow Warriors and Toulon have already qualified, leaving the other four teams to fight it out for the two places on offer..Dobson wasn't going to be overawed by the task at hand, and enthusiastically leaned into the prospect of a big clash in Paris.."We'll go for it next week – we have to – there's not one game we won't," Dobson added. "But we might have a look at a few guys because the following week it's Leinster in Dublin, so we will maybe look at resting some players who've gone through the whole Summer Series with high workloads.."But there's no doubt when we're on the field next week at La Defense we'll be going for it, no question. Either playing for a place in the Challenge Cup or a place in the last 16.."We pride ourselves that in every competition we've been in as a group, we've made the playoffs and we'll be absolutely determined.".The Sharks, who lost kingpins Eben Etzebeth and Andre Esterhuizen before kickoff, never really troubled the French giants, who are on course for a seventh star in the competition they love dominating. Afterwards Plumtree was glowing about the French team.."You can see they are a class outfit," Plumtree said.."Just the way they can apply pressure not just through their defence and setpiece, but their continuity play, attack and the ability to keep the ball alive is what makes them so dangerous.."We just couldn't hold on to the ball for long enough to apply the pressure that we needed to.".The Sharks need just one bonus point to qualify, and will be looking to do that against a rampant Bordeaux-Begles, who beat Exeter 69-17 away from home in an eye-raising result..Elsewhere the Vodacom Bulls hopes of qualification were extinguished by a massive late surge by French side Castres, who took a 16-10 lead on 60 minutes and turned it into a 49-10 thrashing by full-time..For coach Jake White this weekend's final match against Stade Francais at Loftus Versfeld will either be for a place in the Challenge Cup, or to exit both competitions altogether as they cannot still qualify for the playoffs in the elite competition..Vodacom United Rugby Championship giants Leinster won an epic battle against Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle, with former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber's defensive system powering them to a 16-14 victory in dramatic circumstances. .Antoine Hastoy missed a long range penalty and then a drop goal in the dying minutes that would have given his side victory, handing the points to the Dublin side in the process..Toulon kept up their unbeaten record with a win over Bristol Bears, Munster won a hard-fought clash with Saracens while Stade Francais' 45-35 win over Northampton Saints may make the Loftus clash a lot spicier this coming weekend..But with seven teams already qualified, the remaining nine spots will go down to the wire this weekend, with several intriguing prospects – including the two involving South Africa's hopes of a playoff spot..Round 3 – Results.Glasgow Warriors 29 Racing 92 19.DHL Stormers 40 Sale Sharks 0.Exeter Chiefs 17 Bordeaux-Begles 69.Hollywoodbets Sharks 8 Stade Toulousain 20.Munster 17 Saracens 12.Stade Francais 45 Northampton Saints 35.Leicester Tigers 38 Ulster 10.Castres Olympique 49 Vodacom Bulls 10.RC Toulon 33 Harlequins 21.Stade Rochelais 14 Leinster 16.Bristol Bears 35 Benetton 29.Bath 40 ASM Clermont Auvergen 21.Round 4 – fixtures .Friday.Ulster vs Exeter Chiefs (22.00).Saturday.Vodacom Bulls vs Stade Francais (15.00)Northampton Saints vs Munster (17.15)ASM Clermont Auvergne vs Bristol Bears (17.15)Benetton vs Stade Rochelais (19.30)Leinster vs Bath (19.30)Harlequins vs Glasgow Warriors (22.00)Racing 92 vs DHL Stormers (22.00).Sunday.Bordeaux-Begles vs Hollywoodbets Sharks (15.00)Saracens vs Castres Olympique (17.15)Stade Toulousain vs Leicester Tigers (17.15)Sale Sharks vs RC Toulon (19.30).Read also:.Ackerley, supported by Gayton, submits new bid for SpringboksSharks shine as SA's torchbearers in dramatic Investec Champions Cup first roundSA teams poised for a defining Investec Champions Cup campaign: Round one preview

Investec Champions Cup: Big week ahead for Sharks, Stormers

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