Stormers set the standard, Bulls and Sharks falter as pressure mounts in Europe

The festive season is done and dusted, and for South Africa’s top rugby franchises, the moment of truth has arrived.

Two Champions Cup pool matches remain, and by the end of the preliminary phase, we will know whether the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers have improved on last season’s shocking results in Europe and whether they will go toe to toe with the world’s best clubs in the knockout phase.

As things stand, the Stormers are best placed to qualify for the next round.

After beating Bayonne in France and La Rochelle in Gqeberha, they sit at the top of their pool, and could secure home advantage for the Round of 16 if they accumulate sufficient log points in their remaining clashes against Harlequins in London and Leicester Tigers in Cape Town.

The Bulls are in crisis, having lost six games across both tournaments, and may need to win their remaining pool matches against the Bristol Bears in Pretoria and Pau in France to qualify for the Champions Cup playoffs.

The Sharks are in a similar situation, and on current form they may be hard pressed to beat the Sale Sharks in Manchester and Clermont Auvergne in Durban in successive weeks.

The big question is whether the Bulls and Sharks can afford to target these matches, given their respective rankings in the URC.

The Bulls dropped to 11th following their 13-8 defeat to the Stormers last week, while the Sharks finished the round in 14th place after losing 23-22 to the Lions at home.

Publicly, the Bulls and Sharks coaches have spoken about winning the next two Champions Cup games and earning a place in the playoffs.

But privately, they will know that the next round of matches in the URC – the Bulls face Edinburgh in the Scottish capital while the Sharks host the Stormers – will be all important.

Both teams face an uphill slog to qualify for the URC quarterfinals, and for the next edition of the Champions Cup.

Meanwhile, the Stormers – who have coped in the absence of key Springboks and have continued to win while rotating their starting lineup and bench – will have the opportunity to strengthen their position in both competitions.

Following the Boks’ lead

The Stormers racked up their 10th consecutive win when they edged the Bulls in Cape Town last week.

Much has been said about their squad rotation in the early stages of the season, as well as their bench variations – and how these tactics and policies resemble the Springboks’ player management strategies.

Rassie Erasmus has used several bench formations since joining the Boks in 2018, and more recently, rival Test teams such as England, France and Italy have followed suit, favouring the six-two split between forwards and backs, and in some cases, the seven-one.

Whenever the Boks have faced a logistical challenge – such as playing in South Africa on one weekend and in far-flung New Zealand the next – Erasmus has split his squad in order to ensure that the latter combination is fresh rather than fatigued.

The size of the wider squad certainly matters, and Erasmus used 50 players across the 2024 Test season, and 50 across 2025.

And yet, big player numbers alone don’t guarantee sustained success.

France used more than 70 players in 2024 and 2025, but weren’t as consistent as the Boks in terms of performances and results during this period.

Erasmus has prioritised the development of his squad since day one, and has rotated his team regularly to ensure that individuals as well as combinations receive sufficient game time. And after eight seasons, he has built a group featuring two or three match 23s with the potential to beat even the best teams on a regular basis.

Balance in Stormers selections

After bombing out of the Champions Cup before the playoffs and failing to progress past the URC quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, the Stormers were under pressure to get things right in 2025/26.

In a sense, one could have forgiven the coach for picking his strongest available side for the first phase of the season in an attempt to build team morale and win back the fans. But after months of soul searching, Stormers boss John Dobson took a more measured approach.

Fast forward to the present, where the Stormers have won 10 games – and five of those overseas. Their incredible +136 points-difference in the URC highlights a more balanced playing style, while their impressive second-half stats and ultimately their ability to close out big contests has drawn further comparisons with the Boks.

Following the Stormers’ gritty win against the Bulls, it was interesting to hear Dobson talk about the 41 players he has used over the past 10 matches.

That number may seem high, but it doesn’t tell the whole story about how the workload has been shared, how the team has been rotated or how second-, third- and even fourth-choice players have been backed to do the business in key moments.

The Bulls (46) and Sharks (51) have used more players during the first part of the season.

While both teams have more Boks on their books, it would be fair to say that neither coach has struck the right balance in selection.

Recent results as well as performances show how the Bulls and Sharks have struggled whether their Boks have played or not – and on the back of those failings, there have been massive changes to the coaching structures.

Bulls director Jake White made way for Johan Ackermann last June, while two more Bulls assistants were axed before Christmas.

JP Pietersen took the reins at the Sharks in December after John Plumtree fell on his sword.

A six-two bench split is no guarantee of a good second-half performance or a positive result, but it does assist with the management of personnel over the course of a match and over the course of a season.

Dobson has used a six-two split in all 10 matches to date, and has alternated between an extra lock and loose forward on the bench according to the opposition and game scenario.

By comparison, the Bulls have favoured a traditional five-three split in eight out of 10 games.

The Sharks have opted for a six-two on four occasions this season – and more specifically, have used the forward-heavy strategy in the past three matches, winning two of those three games.

Alternate combos doing the business

Erasmus often talks about balance in selection and is loath to describe different lineups as “A” and “B”.

Looking at the selections of the top three clubs this season, it seems as if the Stormers have followed the Boks’ lead in this respect, whereas the Bulls and Sharks have not.

The Stormers claimed their biggest wins of the season – a 35-0 hammering of URC title-holders Leinster in Cape Town and a 26-17 victory in Bayonne – without many of their stars in tow.

Second-choice halfbacks Stefan Ungerer and Jurie Matthee starred in the landmark win against the Irish giants, as did rookie loosehead prop Vernon Matongo.

Dobson’s decision to pluck winger Dylan Maart from Griquas and utility back Clinton Swart from the Pumas paid off when the team headed to France, with the latter – as the franchise’s fourth-choice flyhalf – scoring 16 points.

One would expect the likes of Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to feature more prominently in the big matches to come – but what Dobson and co have realised is that successful teams need enough quality in depth to maintain their winning momentum while their star players are either on Test duty or enjoying a necessary break.

The Bulls and Sharks are unlikely to have that luxury in the coming weeks and months, as they fight for survival in the Champions Cup and – more importantly – a URC playoff place.

While the South African teams face significant logistical and player management challenges in a never-ending season, the Bulls and Sharks cannot cite this excuse indefinitely, and certainly can’t use it as a reason for missing the Champions Cup playoffs or for finishing in the bottom half of the URC table.

If the Stormers can get it right, why can’t the Bulls and Sharks?

The Stormers have adopted the Boks’ attitude of embracing the challenge and have adapted some of Erasmus’ management strategies to improve their standing in both the Champions Cup and URC.

They may fall short of winning both tournaments – French giants Bordeaux and Toulouse remain favourites for the Champions Cup title – but their recent results, performances and off-field strategies and recruitment suggest they will grow stronger in the seasons to come. DM