This weekend, four franchises from South Africa will turn their attention to Europe: the Bulls, Lions, and Stormers will begin their campaigns in the Champions Cup, while the Sharks aim to recover in the Challenge Cup after their defeat in the URC derby on the coast.
The Bulls team seeks to transfer its domestic dominance to Europe, while the Lions will face a serious test in France, the Stormers hope to leverage home advantage, and the Sharks will travel to Lyon to forget the recent loss.
Representatives from Pretoria will take on Stade Français at the Loftus Versfeld stadium, hoping to build on their confident success in the Jukskei derby and make an early statement on the European stage. Former Sharks runner Luan Gilliummi (20), who is comfortable both as a winger and a fullback, may debut for the Bulls after recently moving from Durban to Pretoria. He is one of the young players striving to establish himself at Loftus over the next few weeks.
Head coach Johan Ackermann has included 42 Springboks players in his Champions Cup squad, providing the Bulls with significant international experience. Nevertheless, Stade Français presents a different challenge, and the hosts will need to demonstrate the same intensity and clinical finishing that proved too much for the Lions to start their campaign with a win.
Lions Face Test Against La Rochelle
The Lions face difficult tasks as they begin their first Champions Cup campaign with a tough away trip to La Rochelle. Their confidence was undermined by a heavy defeat to the Bulls, and they will need a quick response against the two-time European champions, known for their complex home game.
Head coach Ivan van Rieen has formed a squad of 30 players for the three upcoming away matches, with the fixture in France being the first in a tense northern hemisphere tour. Versatile backfielders Erich Kronhe and Bronson Mills were included in the squad after returning from injury, and the Lions will rely on their Springbok contingent for the experience and quality needed to start their European adventure. A positive result would provide a significant boost, but another defeat could make an already difficult tour even harder.
In Cape Town, the Stormers will host the Bristol Bears on Saturday afternoon, with rugby director John Dobson hinting at possible squad changes for their first match. In the past, the Stormers have learned a bitter lesson that major changes can come at a cost, and they will strive to find the right balance between squad management and maintaining cohesion. The home advantage offers an opportunity to set the tone for their campaign, but Bristol will not allow it to be easy.
Sharks Seek Answer in Lyon
Meanwhile, the Sharks are heading to Lyon for their opening Challenge Cup match after a disappointing defeat to the Stormers in the URC. Head coach JP Pietersen will aim to refresh his squad, as veteran lock Eben Etzebeth and winger Wusi Mayo are shadowed by injuries after both left the field in the first half against the Stormers.
Pietersen stated that the Sharks will have to look inward to change things in Europe. He noted: 'We won't talk too emotionally about being awful and bad. There were some positive moments (against the Stormers), but as a coach, you are always inclined to see the negative things. But we have to study deeper what we can improve. There are some good things we can focus on. We just have to stay in the present.'