The Vodacom Bulls, Sharks, Lions and Cheetahs kicked off their respective Champions and Challenge cup campaigns on a winning note as five SA teams returned to European club competition.
However, a youthful DHL Stormers side fought valiantly but in vain as John Dobson’s troops missed out on a losing bonus point in a 35-26 defeat against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road in the Champions Cup on Sunday.
Less than 24 hours earlier at Loftus Versfeld, the boot of Johan Goosen gave the Bulls the edge over English giants Saracens, with David Kriel and Janko Swanepoel crossing the whitewash in a 27-16 win for The Herd.
Round One ✅
Here are the #InvestecChampionsCup standings after the first round 🔥
Read about the biggest moments ⬇️
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 10, 2023
SAFFAS ABROAD: Kolisi shines in Champs Cup
Meanwhile, the Sharks made a welcome return to winning ways in the Challenge Cup with a resounding 45-5 victory against French outfit Pau in Durban, after veteran playmaker Ruan Pienaar kicked four penalties and three conversions – tallying 18 points – as the Cheetahs routed Zebre Parma 33-15 at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
Lions flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse also had a strong performance from the tee, kicking 23 points in an impressive 28-12 win for The Pride at Perpignan on Sunday.
Here is how everything stands after Round 1 of #ChallengeCupRugby 🙌
Catch up on all the action on our website: https://t.co/gHsIb6OSJQ 💻 pic.twitter.com/KmyjvRXXX0
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) December 10, 2023
Looking ahead to round 2 of the Champions Cup, the Stormers host defending champions La Rochelle at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (3pm), while the Bulls face Top 14 club Lyon away from home (7:30pm).
In the Challenge Cup, the Lions welcome Newcastle Falcons to Ellis Park (5:15pm), with the Cheetahs and Sharks set to clash in Bloemfontein on Sunday (3pm).
For a round-up of the weekend’s action and upcoming fixtures, see the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup match centres.
Photo: @BlueBullsRugby/Twitter