Champions Cup flourish has bought battling SA teams some time

Before the first round of the Champions Cup, a number of European coaches and players raged at the inclusion of the South African franchises. Conservative critics in the north began to question whether the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers would add value to the world’s elite club tournament. Some went as far to suggest that the inclusion of the trio would dilute the product.

Fast forward to the final round of the pool phase, where all three teams are on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs. Results are what matter at this level, and yet the South African sides have proved that they belong via a series of rousing performances. 

While the traditional facets of the South African game — set piece, breakdown and tactical kicking — have been prominent, the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers have certainly shown some ambition and precision on attack. 

Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian Willemse and Jaden Hendrikse are just some of the backline stars that have hogged the headlines in recent weeks. Meanwhile, forwards such as Siya Kolisi and Hacjivah Dayimani have been just as breathtaking with ball in hand. 

Schedule quirks, travel demands to curb momentum 

Can these players and teams maintain their momentum — not only in the latter stages of the Champions Cup, but at the back end of the URC? 

That is the big question for a fatigued South African contingent that has played non-stop for the better part of two years. The URC’s new partnership with Qatar Airways has further compromised the South African teams, who have been forced to travel to matches in Europe via far-flung Doha. What’s more, player resources will be stretched to the limit when top Boks earmarked for the World Cup are rested over February and March. 

In short, the top South African teams cannot be expected to maintain their current form. The coaches will need to box clever over the next few months, and hope for a bit of luck with regard to injuries. 

Fortunately, the top teams have bought themselves some time via a series of big results in the Champions Cup and URC. They can afford to take a few hits in the short term, without it compromising their ambition to progress to the playoffs of both tournaments. 

But will they be in any sort of shape to win a Champions Cup or URC title should they progress to either decider? 

Squad rotation

For now, all and sundry will focus on qualification. 

The Bulls and Sharks can afford to rotate their squads over the remaining 20 weeks of the season. In theory, these teams have the depth to accumulate sufficient log points in the URC to ensure that they qualify for the playoffs of this competition, as well as the next edition of the Champions Cup. 

The Bulls sit at third on the URC table and will play four of their remaining six matches at Loftus Versfeld. Several other teams have played one or two games fewer than the Bulls, and so Jake White’s side will be under pressure to win the bulk of their remaining URC matches if they want to host a quarterfinal. 

White has opted to split his squad at various stages this season in an attempt to cope with the logistical challenges, and may need to pursue the same tactic when the Bulls face Ulster in Belfast in late March. 

Thereafter, the Bulls’ strongest side may be needed for (possibly) two consecutive Champions Cup playoff matches. Immediately after the Champions Cup window closes, the Bulls may find themselves needing crucial log points in their last two URC league matches against Zebre and Leinster, both at Loftus. 

Again, this may all be complicated further if the Bulls are forced to travel overseas during the Champions Cup playoffs, which seems likely. 

Sharks on top in Europe, playing catch-up in URC 

With a home fixture against Ulster postponed to a later date, the Sharks still have eight URC games to complete. This may allow them to climb the URC rankings — they currently sit in ninth — but may compromise them in their quest to juggle top players across two tournaments. 

The away fixture against Scarlets in late March could be crucial for the Sharks in the context of their URC campaign — and qualification for the next Champions Cup. But will director of rugby Neil Powell send his first-string side to Wales, knowing that a Champions Cup playoff may be staged in Durban a week later and — should the Sharks advance — the subsequent quarterfinal overseas? 

The Sharks will round off their URC league campaign with home matches against Benetton — one of the better teams this season — and Irish giants Munster.

The Stormers — who are still on the hunt for a private equity partner — don’t boast the same quality in depth as the Bulls and Sharks. They are ranked second in the URC standings with seven games to play and should be expected to qualify. Whether they will be in a position to host a final — as was the case when they won the tournament in 2022 — is another story. 

The Stormers will be hard-pressed to knock over the Sharks at Kings Park and the Bulls at Loftus in February (at a time when all key Boks are being rested). Coach John Dobson may save his best combination for the Champions Cup playoffs, and for the latter stages of the URC, where the Stormers may need to make up some lost ground.

That may be easier said than done against Munster and Benetton, but the Stormers are fortunate that both of those fixtures — which could determine whether they host a URC playoff or not — will be staged in Cape Town.

It’s been great to see the South African sides winning regularly in the Champions Cup recently. But given all the challenges — specifically the travel and logistical demands — it will come as a surprise to see any of the local teams pushing for that European title in May.

The Stormers and Bulls contested the URC trophy in 2022, but the odds are against two South African teams progressing to the decider staged this June. DM