Thrilling pool phase conclusion: Champions Cup weekend packed with high-stakes action

Key topics:.Bulls face uphill battle: Despite slim chances, the Vodacom Bulls aim to secure a Challenge Cup spot in Pretoria.Sharks and Stormers in the mix: Both South African teams eye knock-out qualification amidst fierce competition.Pools on a knife-edge: Tight standings across all pools promise thrilling matchups and pivotal moments..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..INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP SA.The Vodacom Bulls are effectively the odd one out on a final weekend of Investec Champions Cup group action in which 23 of the 24 teams stand a chance of advancing to the knock-out phase..You couldn't have asked for a better finish to the first four weeks of the prestigious European competition if you had asked a script writer to conjure it up – the top spot in each Pool is still undecided with one game to go, while the bottom teams can theoretically still be alive in the Champions Cup after this weekend..With the exception that is of the Bulls, who can manage to qualify for the secondary EPCR Challenge Cup if they win their final Pool 3 encounter against Stade Francais at Loftus. They will need to do more than that in the only Champions Cup game to be played on South African soil this weekend – they will need to win with a bonus point and a big points differential and also deny their French opponents a bonus point..The Bulls cannot make it to the fourth position required to stay alive in the Champions Cup because the team that beat them last week, Castres, are out of range of the South African side with their advantage of nine points..Castres can though be overtaken by fifth placed Stade, so there is arguably a lot more to play for for the visitors to Loftus than the hosts. Castres visit Saracens for their final game on Sunday and a win there will be enough for them to secure a place in the Champions Cup round of 16 regardless of what happens in Pretoria..For the other two local sides playing in the Champions Cup, an advance to the round of 16 is still realistic. Indeed, the Hollywoodbets Sharks might already be sure of their place in the knock-outs when their game against Bordeaux Begles kicks off in Bordeaux on Sunday. In fact, they should know on Friday night, when the two bottom teams in their Pool clash..Ulster host Exeter Chiefs in Belfast, with both teams yet to register a log point in the competition. The Sharks are five points ahead of them in fourth place in Pool 1. That means the winner has to also pick up a bonus point, and win by a massive margin as the Sharks' points differential is far superior, to remain in the Champions Cup..The winner will at the very least qualify for the Challenge Cup, but the Champions Cup will be the main target and it will make for an interesting face off between the teams and a riveting start to the weekend's action. If one of the team does go through after starting the final round with zero points it would be a remarkable achievement..But it appears unlikely, and even if Ulster or Exeter achieve their objective by bagging a full house of log points and winning by a wide enough margin to tax the Sharks, the Durbanites will still be able to deny them if they secure a bonus point on Sunday..The DHL Stormers have recovered well from their earlier hiccups in the competition to be fourth in Pool 4 going into the final round, but the competition in their group is incredibly tight. They are one of three teams with five points, with Harlequins ahead of them in third because of points differential and it is also points differential that puts them ahead of the fifth placed Sale Sharks..The potential jeopardy doesn't end for the Stormers with the three way tie, for their opponents at La Defense Arena on Saturday night, Racing 92, are just one point behind. So the team mentored by former England coach Stuart Lancaster also has everything to play for..Harlequins host Vodacom United Champions Glasgow Warriors in a game that kicks off at the same time as the one in Paris does and it won't be easy for them, while Sale, who were well beaten by the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend, also have a tough home game against Pool 4 leaders Toulon visiting Manchester..Pool 4 has been very competitive and the Stormers should be kicking themselves for letting their chance of victory against Toulon slip in their game in Gqeberha at the start of the competition. They'd be playing for top spot and a good seeding going into the knock-outs had they got over the line at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at the beginning of December..As it stands, it is anyone's guess which of Toulon or the Warriors will end top, for there is only one log point separating them, with the closeness of the battle mirroring the closeness of their clash in Toulon in mid-December..With home ground advantage and who plays who during the knock-out phase being determined by the seedings that will be decided by points accumulated in the Pool phase, there is a lot for the top teams to play for too. .By denying Toulouse a try-scoring bonus point last weekend, the Sharks allowed Bordeaux to inch ahead of Toulouse, but they can help out Toulouse if they take points off Bordeaux on Sunday..Leinster went ahead of La Rochelle in Pool 2 when they won last Sunday's clash of the Galacticos, but they can still surrender top spot if they get beaten by what should be a determined Bath team that has shown great form this season under the coaching of South African Johann van Graan and La Rochelle get the better of Benetton..The Italian team has a lot to play for as they are currently fourth, meaning as it stands they would qualify for the round of 16. However, Clermont-Auvergne and Bristol Bears, who clash in Clermont on Saturday evening, are breathing down their necks..It amounts to an exciting and absorbing final round with plenty of jeopardy for most teams who are third or lower in their Pools and also a lot to play for for those near the top who have proper title ambitions. In the Champions Cup, home-ground advantage heading into the knock-outs means everything..The Investec Champions Cup Pool standings .Pool 1: Bordeaux Begles 15, Toulouse 14, Leicester Tigers 11, Hollywoodbets Sharks 5, Ulster 0, Exeter Chiefs 0..Pool 2: Leinster 13, La Rochelle 10, Bath 7, Benetton 7, Clermont-Auvergne 5, Bristol Bears 5..Pool 3: Northampton Saints 11, Munster 10, Saracens 10, Castres 9, Stade Francais 5, Vodacom Bulls 0..Pool 4: Toulon 13, Glasgow Warriors 12, Harlequins 5, DHL Stormers 5, Sale Sharks 5, Racing 92 4..Investec Champions Cup round four fixtures.Ulster v Exeter (Belfast, Friday 22.00).Vodacom Bulls v Stade Francais (Pretoria, Saturday 15.00).Northampton Saints v Munster (Northampton, Saturday 15.00).Clermont-Auvergne v Bristol Bears (Clermont, Saturday 17.15).Leinster v Bath (Dublin, Saturday 19.30).Benetton v La Rochelle (Treviso, Saturday 19.30).Racing 92 v DHL Stormers (Paris, Saturday 22.00).Harlequins v Glasgow Warriors (London, Saturday 22.00).Bordeaux Begles v Hollywoodbets Sharks (Bordeaux, Saturday 15.00).Saracens v Castres (London. Sunday 17.15).Toulouse v Leicester Tigers (Toulouse, Sunday 17.15).Sale Sharks v Toulon (Manchester, Sunday 19.30).Read also:.Sharks in the hunt, Stormers must conquer France: Key weekend ahead in Investec champions cupAckerley, supported by Gayton, submits new bid for SpringboksSA teams eye European Champions Cup Glory (games and forecasts)

Thrilling pool phase conclusion: Champions Cup weekend packed with high-stakes action

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