Bath flanker Sam Underhill has been suspended for four weeks for a dangerous tackle in last week's Challenge Cup final victory, tournament organisers European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said on Wednesday.

England's Underhill, 28, was yellow carded after making contact with Lyon full-back Davit Niniashvili's head in a challenge during Friday's 37-12 in Cardiff.

English Premiership leaders Bath's next game is at Saracens on Saturday. They have already secured a home play-off on June 6, with the final scheduled for a week later.

"The date when Underhill can return to play will be determined once his future playing schedule is confirmed," EPCR said.

The most capped Springbok and Hollywoodbets Sharks captain Eben Etzebeth believes that South African teams are much closer to competing for Investec Champions Cup glory than many think and believes this year’s Vodacom URC successes will boost next year’s challenge.

No local team made it out of the Pool phase of this year’s prestigious European competition, which was won by Bordeaux-Begles in a thrilling final against Northampton Saints in Cardiff last weekend.

The failures cast a pall of negativity over the SA chances of ever competing, but Etzebeth, who spoke after last year’s Sharks win in the Challenge Cup about what a big competition the Champions Cup is, disagrees.

“I definitely think we have the players to compete with those teams,” said Etzebeth in the buildup to his Sharks team’s URC quarterfinal against Munster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.

“There has been some logistics and stuff that has held us back. It hasn’t been ideal. Issues around travel and stuff. But those are bad excuses. I do feel that when we have our strongest teams on the field we can compete with those top teams.”

BLIGHTED BY INJURY

It is true that the South African campaign was blighted by injury and that, for various reasons, the teams were seldom at full strength. Ironically, it was in his team’s opening Champions Cup pool game against Exeter Chiefs in Durban in early December that Etzebeth sustained the concussion that kept him off the field for much of the season.

And with several other influential Sharks Boks also being injured, like Andre Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi, who were injured in the same URC derby against the Stormers just after Christmas, it meant the Sharks were below strength when they played what could have been a statement game against Toulouse in Durban in January.

Antoine Dupont was still fit and playing for the reigning champions at that time and the Sharks actually put up a fair fight before losing by 12 points, but they were lacking the star quality they needed against those opponents.

The Vodacom Bulls’ Champions Cup campaign was effectively ruined by their start to the competition, with the weather phenomenon known as Storm Darragh playing a big role in their comprehensive defeat in England to a Saracens side they had beaten quite easily at Loftus the previous season.

Northampton Saints then showed the fighting spirit that took them all the way to the final, and a huge upset win away against Leinster, by shocking the Bulls in Pretoria the following week.

For the DHL Stormers the campaign got off to a rotten start when within minutes of the start of their opening game against Toulon in Gqeberha they lost looseforward Keke Morabe to a season ending injury and also lost their tireless international quality looseforward Ben-Jason Dixon during the game, while Manie Libbok was poleaxed by a ridiculously late and high tackle towards the end of the game.

Both they and the Sharks had chosen to take under-strength teams to their next games overseas to preserve them for the festive season URC derbies, so by the time the second round ended the Stormers had lost twice in two starts.

They did show their capabilities with an excellent 40-0 win over Sale Sharks in Cape Town, by which time their top players were returning, but by then it was really too late to salvage their campaign.

HIGH URC PLACINGS MEANS BETTER SEEDINGS

Next year, according to Etzebeth, should go better though as the high placings of South African teams in this season’s URC will give them better seedings going into the next edition of the Champions Cup.

“Hopefully next year we will be better. This year no South African team made the round of 16, but obviously we should have a better draw going into next season,” said the Sharks captain.

“The Bulls finished second in the URC, we finished third and the Stormers finished fifth, so that should lead to a draw that will make the group stages easier. Obviously if you finish eighth in the URC you end up playing the strongest teams from the other leagues, the French Top 14 and English Premiership.”

The Sharks qualified for the recently completed Champions Cup not by finishing low down in the URC, but by winning the secondary Challenge Cup, which would have given them the worst draw. \

Together with them in their Pool were champions Toulouse and one of last year’s form team’s, Bordeaux-Begles, who went on to win the competition. The powerful Leicester Tigers were another team that the Sharks had to play in the group stage.

Etzebeth is right, next season should see a better draw, and that could in turn lead to a Pool stage finish that could give them a chance of success heading into the playoff phase.

“Hopefully being in easier groups will help us (SA teams) and then once you are in the playoffs you have a chance,” said Etzebeth.

“Munster showed two years ago in the URC that you can even go away from home and win knockout games, so once we get to that stage we will feel we can go all the way.”

Former Bulls and Springbok assistant coach Johann van Graan has the chance of doing something amazing in the next few weeks, and it all starts with this Friday’s EPCR Challenge Cup final against French side Lyon in Cardiff.

Since leaving his post at Munster, Van Graan has taken English club Bath from the bottom of the Premiership to unbelievable heights and is now close enough to taste the glory that his side could achieve.

They have already won the Premiership Cup, the knockout trophy in English rugby and finished top of the Premiership league. They are favourites to win the English Premiership outright at the end of the season and on Friday have the chance to add another trophy to their arsenal.

This all from a side that, when Van Graan arrived, was in the doldrums and hadn’t won a trophy for over 20 years.

ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKERS IN THE GAME

The success of the Pretoria-born and raised coach is not surprising, as Van Graan is known as one of the hardest working coaches in the sport, and is a student of the game, having started as a ball-boy at Loftus Versfeld before being given his first opportunity as a technical analyst by then Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer.

But this week, we caught up with Van Graan to chat about the final, and found that the nerves surprisingly weren’t really there.

“Finals are awesome,” he smiles. “I find quarterfinals and semifinals a bit more intense in the fact that you are so close and you're yet so far, whereas once you're in the final, it's a once-off, winner takes all.

“You've got to enjoy finals week. At the club, we played in the Prem Cup final in the middle of March on a Sunday afternoon and last season we played in the Premiership final on a Saturday afternoon against Northampton at Twickenham. So, this is the first European final for the club in many years and coming up against a very good Lyon side who won this competition a few years ago.

“There's some very good rugby players in their team and it is great to see Arno Botha doing so well for Lyon. But from a final point of view, I think it's about focusing on yourself and enjoying it. It's such a short turnaround. We played on Saturday early evening in Bath against Leicester and it's only a few days now and then we play on Friday night in Cardiff.”

NO NERVES YET

So how does he stop the nerves from getting in at him ahead of the big game?

“No, I'm pretty calm. Follow our process, start at zero, something that we started here around two years and 11 months ago, this journey. Two of our big principles are to start every week at zero and then you are never too high, never too low.

“The season is so long, rugby is an emotional game, so many things can happen. Red card, yellow card, special player doing something special, big moments, some calls go and some don't. So no, it's back to our process. I'm enjoying the journey with this group, a playing group that works incredibly hard and are hungry. I think that's the one bit, they're hungry and they're tough to beat and they're competitive every single week. We've played just over 35 competitive games across all competitions now this season and in every single one we've fought.

“And as a coach, that's great to see and we've got some very good coaches here and some incredible staff, world-class staff. We'll just keep following our process, whether it's the first game of the season or, in this case, a final in Europe.”

POSSIBILITY OF THREE TROPHIES THIS SEASON

Three trophies in a season is something that is achievable, but it isn’t something that Van Graan wants to think about, at least not now.

“No, obviously it's a reality. This is an opportunity to win our second trophy this season. If we think domestically, the Prem Cup was the first trophy the club won in more than 25 years, I think it was 27 years if I'm not mistaken.

“So, it's been quite a while and the opportunity to win two is a testament to a lot of hard work, a bit of luck and a lot of grace by a lot of people. But we'll be mostly dreaming about it. We've actually got to go and do it on Friday evening. And I think that's one of the things that we're focused on is enjoying the week and make sure we perform on the weekend. And ultimately, what will be, will be.

“So, yeah, it's obviously a reality, but it's not a driver for us, if I can put it that way.”

CRUEL EXIT IN CHAMPIONS CUP

Bath had a cruel exit from the Investec Champions Cup and were drawn in a tough group with French giants La Rochelle, Italian side Benetton, Irish juggernaut Leinster and Clermont Auvergne.

“From a Champions Cup point of view, obviously, when you get to a Champions Cup final, you're definitely one of the two best teams in Europe. Our season started with a game against La Rochelle in the rain at the REC, a game of small margins. And in a season, you've got to make decisions in terms of selection.

“And we went with a totally different team to Benetton and we lost in the last minute of the game with a try. Again, small margins in sport, then we beat Clermont convincingly at the REC and it was all to play for against Leinster in the Aviva, up by 21-19 at halftime, scored three tries. And unfortunately, we conceded a red card with a double yellow, the second being from a scrum.

“Leinster, as we all know, once they get momentum, they're pretty difficult to stop. So across four games, the margins for error are very small. But we looked at the Challenge Cup as a massive positive and we absolutely loved it.

NEW JOURNEYS

“We had to go away to Pau in the south of France. This group of ours haven't won in France yet, so we did that. Then Gloucester beat Montpellier from a quarterfinal point of view. We put 60 on Gloucester in the quarterfinal at the REC on a Sunday afternoon. And then Edinburgh away, as we've seen from a South African context - where the Sharks won in the last play of the game and Bulls came up short - is a very tough place to go.

“I think we played that game really, really well on that plastic pitch of theirs. And now you're in a European final. So obviously from a bigger picture, the Champions Cup, from a personal point of view, it's a competition that I've loved since coming to the Northern Hemisphere.

“I loved our time at Munster in the Champions Cup. It's a different journey for us in the Challenge Cup, but it's a European trophy up for grabs. We've got an opportunity to win a European competition on Friday evening.”

And if Bath’s season goes according to plan, Friday night may be the second trophy that Van Graan and his side lift in their incredible season thus far.

Lyon will face Bath in the Challenge Cup final after coming through their all-French semifinal against Racing 92 with a 29-15 win at Stade Gerland on Sunday.

Vincent Rattez and Beka Saghinadze scored a try each for the home side. Leo Berdeu converted both and adding five penalties for a tally of 19 points.

Diego Escobar and Kleo Labarbe responded for Racing but Tristan Tedder had fewer chances off the tee and converted just one of the tries and one of his two penalty attempts.

"We showed resilience and consistency throughout the match," said Lyon captain Baptiste Couilloud.

"We were able to win our scrums and line-outs. Our forwards were often under pressure. They responded. They deserve all the credit for the win."

Lyon, who won the trophy in 2022, went into the match in excellent home form, not having lost there since November 23 since when they have won eight and drawn nine in all competitions.

Back in the #ChallengeCupRugby Final 👊@LeLOURugby take the victory over Racing 92 to keep their title hopes alive 🏆

Catch up on all the moments as they happened with the rolling wrap ⬇️

— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) May 4, 2025

With France international lock Mickael Guillard, in imposing form in the line and in the loose, Lyon always had the upper-hand although they were made to work hard, especially in a tight first-half.

Leading 10-8 at the break, Lyon took a grip on the game at the start of the second half, despite being without New Zealand centre Josiah Maraku who picked up a yellow card in the 36th minute.

The Lyon pack stepped up a gear to secure a penalty for Berdeu two minute after the restart and then a try for Georgian back-rower Saghinadze which, with Berdeu's conversion, took them to 20-8.

Racing, who lost former England captain Owen Farrell to injury after just 18 minutes, clawed their way back with a try from replacement scrum-half Labarbe but another three penalties from Berdeu sent his team through to take on Bath in the final in Cardiff on May 23.

"We're in the final, but we haven't won anything," said head coach Karim Ghezal.

"But we don't reach the final every year. It's not a regular occurrence. It's good to enjoy it."

Scotland star Finn Russell enjoyed his return to familiar surroundings as Bath reached their first European final in 11 years on Saturday with a 39-24 Challenge Cup semifinal win away to a gutsy Edinburgh.

Bath, the runaway English Premiership leaders, lost players to yellow cards in each half and were down 17-12 in the third quarter as Edinburgh threatened an upset.

But in a match being played at the Hive – a venue in the grounds of Murrayfield, Scotland's national stadium, which Russell knows so well from his test career – Bath hit back.

The southwest side's power proved decisive, with all six of their tries scored by forwards and Russell adding three conversions and a penalty.

Bath will now face the winner of Sunday's semifinal between French sides Lyon and Racing 92 in the final of Europe's second-tier club rugby union competition at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on 23 May.

.@BathRugby are into the final of the #ChallengeCupRugby!

The road to Cardiff is complete for them, and they’re now one win away from lifting the trophy 🙌🙌 pic.twitter.com/YKRJXYJE38

— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) May 3, 2025

Bath took the lead in the 10th minute as Sam Underhill went over from close range, with Russell adding the extras.

But they suffered a setback minutes later when wing Will Muir was sin-binned for a ruck infringement.

Edinburgh made their man advantage count in the 19th minute as Mosese Tuipulotu – an early replacement for the injured Harry Paterson – finished off on the left.

With Muir back on the field, Bath regained the lead in the 31st minute when Tom Dunn scored off a line-out maul.

Ross Thompson's penalty meant Edinburgh turned round just two points behind and they were in front early in the second half following a penalty try where Bath full-back Tom De Glanville was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on as he stopped Wes Goosen's pass, releasing wing Darcy Graham.

But Edinburgh lock Sam Skinner was yellow-carded to even things up, and Bath edged ahead in the 54th minute when Dunn got his second try of the match off a line-out maul, and Russell converted.

Replacement Alfie Barbeary added another try just before the hour and Russell's penalty soon afterwards gave Bath a 10-point lead.

Ali Price pulled a try back for Edinburgh but Bath replacement hooker Niall Annett put the game beyond Edinburgh with a close-range score converted by Russell, before Guy Pepper wrapped things up late on.

Toulouse full-back Thomas Ramos has been ruled out of this weekend's Champions Cup semifinal against Bordeaux-Begles with a calf issue, the French club announced on Friday.

France's Ramos, 29, has been replaced in the starting line-up by Argentina's Juan Cruz Mallia for Sunday's game at Bordeaux's Matmut Atlantique stadium.

The six-time champions are also without superstar scrumhalf Antoine Dupont, hooker Peato Mauvaka and winger Blair Kinghorn.

The absence of Ramos, the club's record points scorer, as well as Scotland's Kinghorn means Mallia will take over the goal-kicking duties.

For the hosts, Tonga prop Ben Tameifuna starts on the bench after a calf injury had sidelined him since their April 12 quarterfinal win over Munster.

TEAMS (15-1)

BORDEAUX-BEGLES

Romain Buros; Damian Penaud, Nicolas Depoortere, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lucu (capt); Pete Samu, Guido Petti, Mahamadou Diaby; Cyril Cazeaux, Adam Coleman; Sipili Falatea, Maxime Lamothe, Jefferson Poirot

Replacements: Connor Sa, Matis Perchaud, Ben Tameifuna, Pierre Bochaton, Marko Gazzotti, Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, Arthur Retiere, Joey Carbery

TOULOUSE

Juan-Cruz Mallia; Ange Capuozzo, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Pita Ahki, Dimitri Delibes; Romain Ntamack, Paul Graou; Alexandre Roumat, Jack Willis, Francois Cros; Emmanuel Meafou, Thibaud Flament; Dorian Aldegheri, Julien Marchand (capt), Cyril Baille

Replacements: Guillaume Cramont, Rodrigue Neti, Joel Merkler, Clement Verge, Anthony Jelonch, Mathis Castro-Ferreira, Naoto Saito, Santiago Chocobares

The chief executive of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), Jacques Raynaud, has told AFP that while the current format of the Champions Cup "is not perfect", it is still "very good".

The Frenchman said some changes needed to be made but insisted that South African teams, whose inclusion in what was previously the European Cup has proved contentious from both playing and logistical angles, remain eager to win the competition.

"It's not a question of revolution, but of adjusting a formula that is giving us a lot of satisfaction," he said in an interview.

XV - #ICYMI our European Club Rugby Team of the Week, which featured players from 13 different teams. Selection.

🔗 Read more ➡️ https://t.co/liTo3YAjop pic.twitter.com/2MtRPLSpPQ

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) April 30, 2025

The format sees 24 teams drawn from France's Top 14, the English Premiership and the United Rugby Championship (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, South Africa) split into four groups which compete in a modified round robin format, with teams not playing others from their own league.

"We're in the third season of this format," said Raynaud.

"It's not perfect but the feedback we're getting is that it's very good.

"It maximises international encounters, between clubs from a different culture, from a different league.

"For the last two years, there has only been one match with nothing at stake at the end of the fourth round of group matches. That was one of the big criticisms of the previous formats.

"People forget that there could be days five and six with matches with nothing at stake."

'PREMIUMISATION'

Raynaud said that EPCR was looking at tweaks in the knock-out phases with "advanced discussions" taking place about a move to adopt France's Top 14 play-off format.

Raynaud said the current system of playing a last-16 game followed a week later by a quarterfinal "poses problems in terms of ticketing, logistics and so on".

There are also moves to reduce the number of teams taking part.

"That's one of the ways in which we're working to make the Champions Cup more prestigious," he said.

"One solution in the medium term is to go back to 16 or 18 teams as before. It's something we're thinking about, but it's not a done deal yet.

"The 'Premiumisation' of the Champions Cup is a real project, which could take several forms, including these, but it will take longer to put in place."

South African clubs joined the EPCR competitions in 2022-23.

The Durban-based Sharks won the second-tier Challenge Cup in 2024 but there have been rumblings about the logistical and environmental implications of jetting sides between Europe and South Africa.

On occasion, this has prompted the use of under-strength teams which has devalued both competitions.

"For the South Africans, the first year, they had two teams in the quarterfinals, and the second year they won a title," said Raynaud.

"This year, everyone is disappointed. They've started to think about the subject and are analysing it.

"Don't get me wrong about the South Africans: it's not enough for them to win the World Cup, they want to win the Champions Cup."

South Africa’s presence in the EPCR Challenge Cup competition may be over, but all eyes will now fall on two coaches who can lead their respective teams to cup glory.

While Jake White lamented his side’s poor first half as they left their fightback too late to defeat Edinburgh, Sean Everitt, one-time assistant to White and former Sharks coach, will have the opportunity to give Scotland their last remaining chance for Cup glory after Glasgow exited the Investec Champions Cup on Friday night.

Everitt’s Edinburgh will face off against English side Bath - the current Premiership leaders and Premiership Cup winners - who are coached by former Springbok assistant coach Johann van Graan in a much-anticipated semifinal which will have a lot of South African interest in it.

Bath’s nine-try 61-26 demolition of fellow English side Gloucester underlined their hunger for silverware this season as they look to add the Challenge Cup to their Premiership Cup they already won earlier this season.

Van Graan has transformed the club from bottom of the Premiership to runaway leaders in a short amount of time, and the showdown with Everitt will be a keen one to watch.

Edinburgh’s win over the Bulls was marked by a stunning first half display which caught the South African side flat-footed, and which was enough in the end to give Everitt a narrow win after an epic fightback.

FULL TIME 🐂

What a fight till the end 🔥@ChallengeCup_ | @Vodacom #ChallengeAccepted pic.twitter.com/IXCot3YhWj

— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) April 12, 2025

White lamented afterwards about the bad start, but the Bulls, with six Springboks on their bench, made the most of the second half as they fought back from 31-7 down to end up just six points adrift and lose 34-28.

The sight of former Bulls prop Pierre Schoeman winning the crucial turnover penalty at the end to secure victory for his side was not lost on White either.

But the Bulls coach had no excuses as his side started poorly and then gave themselves a mountain to climb to secure the victory.

“This one hurts more than any other game because you are out of the competition,” White said afterwards. “It was disappointing because I genuinely thought that especially with the bench we had, it was almost like we ran out of time. If we played for five more minutes I have no doubt we would have ended up winning that game.”

White said the big difference was a yellow card to Zak Burger, who left the field for a costly 10 minutes in the first half.

“You can’t play against an international team with the calibre of players they have with 14 men,” White said. “During that period, we conceded 21 points. Once you are 7-24 down, it makes it very difficult. But I am still very proud. At 7-31, it could have easily been worse.

“We’ve seen how a lot of teams at the back end of this competition have blown other teams away. And to literally get turned over in the last play of the game in the [opposition] 22 [metre area] is obviously something I’m really happy about. But I just stress that I’m obviously very disappointed because we came here with a group that I thought would be good enough to beat Edinburgh.”

The other teams from the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in the Challenge Cup also bowed out as Lyon won a tense clash against Ospreys 20-18 in Swansea despite a late try by George McGuigan.

Racing 92 ended Irish side Connacht’s run with a close 43-40 win, another game which saw a late fightback as Connacht scored twice in the last 10 minutes, but it wasn’t enough to get them through.

The Vodacom Bulls bowed out of the EPCR Challenge Cup on Saturday afternoon, going down 34-28 to Edinburgh in their quarterfinal in the Scottish capital.

But while the Bulls will be kicking themselves for a game they could have won, and a bit more accuracy in the second half probably would have given them the victory, they won’t be able to hide the fact that a nightmare first half cost them the game.

Bulls coach Jake White will probably point to the fightback as vindication for the strong bench he picked to be in the game at the end, but the advantage they surrendered in the first half made it an uphill battle that in the end was a bridge too far.

Because by no means is this Edinburgh side one of the top sides in the competition.

Comparing the effort to Leinster’s 52-0 demolition of Glasgow in the Investec Champions Cup not even 24 hours earlier will underline just how much of a gulf in class there currently is and just how poor those opening 40 minutes for the Bulls were.

FIGHTBACK

Their 21-10 second-half fightback was heartening, but it will also infuriate Bulls fans to the extent that if the Bulls were just a little better, or showed a little more fight in the first half, they probably could have won the contest.

Instead it was left to the bench to make the impact and in the end it fell short of a win as Edinburgh held on for dear life and managed to get the 50-50 calls their way to eke out the win.

It also means that the best South African participation in both European competitions will be down to those who are plying their trade for other teams, while the four South African franchises will sit back for two weeks and watch others play for the glittering prizes.

To be honest, South Africa’s campaign in this season’s EPCR and Champions Cup competitions has been embarrassing and some reflection at the end of the season will have to be done to see a better result in Europe.

It is hard to dismiss some of the complaints from up north if South African teams don’t put up a better performance.

SHELL-SHOCKED

And in the first half that was a very valid argument as the Bulls simply looked as if they were shell-shocked.

They looked not only out of their depth, but unwilling to fight for any sort of parity as Edinburgh did what they were expected to do - come out fighting.

It was a marked difference from a week earlier when the Bulls were fighting for every point in France and where they won a firm victory against the hostile home team and their hostile home crowd.

This time the Bulls were flat, tame and uninterested. They ceded any sort of first-half advantage to Edinburgh to such an extent that the home side could have scored more tries.

And with that in mind, the 24-7 halftime lead that Edinburgh had built up was almost flattering to the Bulls.

To be fair to the visitors, some of the refereeing from French referee Pierre Brousset was bizarre to say the least.

While South African teams struggle to get the rub of the green in Europe, Brousset helped Edinburgh’s scrum by not rewarding the Bulls' dominance until late in the game, and some of his interpretations will confuse many a rugby fan.

Unfortunately one of the rules in life is clear - there is purgatory, there is hell and then there are games controlled by French referees.

The Bulls simply needed to be better, but weren’t.

LINEOUTS A BIG FACTOR IN DEFEAT

If the Bulls had to analyse their own game they would have to admit that a game plan that is built on the strongest scrum in the URC, never got the reward they needed.

The more worrying part was the poor lineouts, that stunted almost every opportunity they got in the first 50 minutes and then again when they needed to chase the game hard at the end. 

Those elementary errors were their downfall.

Coupled with that, the discipline was not good enough.

Jannes Kirsten was lucky not to see red twice for tackles that away from home seem to bring much more investigation than normal.

But his technique was poor and on both occasions he could easily have been dispatched for them.

Zak Burger’s yellow card was harsh, but 20 minutes with 14 men didn’t help the Bulls at all.

The campaign for the Bulls as a whole was underwhelming, disappointing and rested on a poor Champions Cup campaign where they could only win one game and where their form in the Challenge Cup never stood up to scrutiny.

As a whole the reflection is not only warranted but necessary as they now pin their hopes on the URC for the remainder of the season.

Still, the way they started you would have wondered if they had sampled too much of Edinburgh’s tourist attractions, rather than preparing for the game.

DEFENSIVE ERRORS

Defensive errors abounded - such as the open gap left on the dog-leg defence on the inside for James Lang to run through and score.

Magnus Bradbury - the man of the match - exploited a second gap with ease to add to Edinburgh’s total.

Only a broken-field break by Harold Vorster, picking up a loose ball and scything through a gap, allowed the Bulls to get onto the board when David Kriel took the pass and stretched his arm over to score.

Lang scored his second off a grubber that rebounded off Wilco Louw and back into his arms.

A lucky try, but one that went with the momentum of the game.

At 21-7 Ross Thompson stepped up to make it three more at the break and leave the Bulls seriously needing to climb a mountain to get back into the match.

They did, but not before they conceded another try as Kirsten got his yellow from the kickoff for a dangerous tackle that could have been more, and Grant Gilchrist was over a few phases later as the Bulls backpedalled.

BENCH MADE A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE

The bench came on and the class improvement showed, but the Bulls still were struggling.

They got the breakthrough they needed when Ross McCann committed a professional foul to stop a rampant driving maul, earning him a yellow card and the Bulls a penalty try.

Cameron Hanekom forced his way over in the 49th minute to give the Bulls hope and then David Kriel made it a close game by going over for his second four minutes before the end.

In between the Bulls had chances, but poor lineouts, handling errors and their own demons stopped them short.

It was left to an ironic end as Pierre Schoeman, a product of Affies and the Bulls, won the crucial turnover penalty as the Bulls attacked at the end to put his former team out of the competition.

But in reality the Bulls' first half killed their chances and they never recovered enough to win.

SCORERS

EDINBURGH - tries: James Lang (2), Magnus Bradbury, Grant Gilchrist. Conversions: Ross Thompson (4). Penalties: Thompson (2).

VODACOM BULLS - tries: David Kriel (2), Penalty try, Cameron Hanekom. Conversions: Keagan Johannes, Johan Goosen (2).

The Vodacom Bulls have decided to go for their own “bomb squad” ahead of their EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinal against Edinburgh on Saturday, picking no less than six Springboks on their bench.

While the Bulls have stuck with a traditional five-three bench, they have a host of Boks in their ranks to try and up the tempo in the last quarter of the game, precisely where they believe they will need to take control of the match to earn themselves a semifinal spot.

In the starting line-up, captain and Springbok lock Ruan Nortje returns to the starting line-up for the first time since his knee injury against the Lions several weeks back, Nortje played off the bench in the last two games for the Bulls and has slowly progressed back to full fitness, and now takes control of the leadership group for this vital game.

It means that Reinhardt Ludwig, who was in the second row last weekend, drops to the bench along with Springbok and World Cup winner Marco van Staden, with Cameron Hanekom returning to the starting line-up for the game.

COETZEE TO CONTINUE AT SIDE OF SCRUM

Hanekom’s return to the No.8 jersey means that Marcell Coetzee moves to the side of the scrum, hardly surprising since his man of the match performance against Bayonne as the Bulls look for something similar this week.

But the bench has a mean look about it, especially with the two young Bok front row forwards in Johan Grobbelaar, who returns from a shoulder injury to be reserve hooker and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who will cover loosehead, on the bench.

Mornay Smith is the third member of the front row on the bench, and only one of two non-Boks among the reserves, but the trio are the same three that engineered a scrum penalty against Leinster a few weeks back to turn the result in their favour at Loftus Versfeld.

Other than Ludwig and Van Staden, all three backline reserves are Boks - with Embrose Papier, Johan Goosen and, surprisingly, Canan Moodie returning to the match day 23 for this game.

PARTNERSHIPS LIKELY TO CONTINUE

The starting line-up is a vote of confidence in the players that beat Bayonne, with Simphiwe Matanzima partnering Akker van der Merwe and Wilco Louw in the front row, while JF Van Heerden and Jannes Kirsten make up the rest of the pack.

Zak Burger and Keagan Johannes continue their partnership at halfback while the rest of the backline is unchanged.

White says the team will borrow from last weekend’s victory as they look to further their stay in the competition.

“Last week’s result was massive. To get an away win in France is a big deal, especially because Bayonne are a strong outfit that sits fourth in their league.

BRIMMING WITH CONFIDENCE

"That winning feeling is something you cannot bottle, but it has given us confidence, and the vibe in the camp is upbeat. We have a nice environment, and it gives us a nice feeling as a group.”

“I am really happy we got that win, and we must now take that momentum into this week.”

Edinburgh, meanwhile, have surprised by dropping Scottish international Pierre Schoeman to the bench ahead of the meeting with his old team, with another South African in Boan Venter set to face Louw up front.

Other than that, they have some serious firepower out wide with Wes Goosen and Scottish try-scoring sensation Darcy Graham, while their forward pack has several Scottish internationals in it.

VODACOM BULLS: Devon Williams; Sergeal Petersen, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs; Keagan Johannes, Zak Burger; Cameron Hanekom, Jannes Kirsten, Marcell Coetzee (captain), JF van Heerden, Ruan Nortje (captain), Wilco Louw, Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima.

REPLACEMENTS: Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, Marco van Staden, Embrose Papier, Johan Goosen, Canan Moodie.

EDINBURGH: Wes Goosen; Darcy Graham, Matt Currie, James Lang, Ross McCann; Ross Thompson, Ben Vellacott (co-captain); Magnus Bradbury, Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie, Grant Gilchrist (co-captain), Sam Skinner, Javan Sebastian, Ewan Ashman, Boan Venter.

REPLACEMENTS: Dave Cherry, Pierre Schoeman, D’arcy Rae, Rob Carmichael, Ben Muncaster, Ali Price, Cammy Scott, Mosese Tuipulotu

The Vodacom Bulls carry South Africa’s last remaining hopes in European Cup competitions into battle on Saturday as they take on Scottish side Edinburgh in their EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinal match-up in the Scottish capital.

 

✨ Quarter-Finals Fixtures ✨

Who are you backing to go all the way to Cardiff? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Get tickets to the #ChallengeCupRugby final now ⬇️

— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) April 6, 2025

 

Jake White’s side has played down their chances in the match, mainly due to a tough tour that includes two very crucial United Rugby Championship battles in the next fortnight that follow this weekend, but it is abundantly clear that his side will go all out to keep a South African team in the competition.

The Bulls’ impressive win in the haze of Bayonne, in front of a partisan crowd and with the odds against them, has shown the players have more than enough grit and determination to get them through. The key, as always this weekend, will be accuracy in the way they execute.

Johan Goosen’s return to the team will also be crucial as the Bulls have missed the accuracy of a dead shot pivot that can keep them on the front foot. But what they gain in terms of kicking accuracy, they tend to lose a bit in attacking play, and after Edinburgh’s strong start against the Emirates Lions last weekend, the Bulls will be wary.

The two coaches know each other incredibly well, White having been the Director of Rugby above Edinburgh’s Sean Everitt at the Hollywoodbets Sharks before Everitt took over as head coach.

The two then combined again when Everitt left the Sharks for the Bulls for a brief time, before he joined Edinburgh with the Bulls winning the match at Loftus Versfeld between the two sides at the beginning of the season.

Yet, that wasn’t an easy game and the Bulls had to scramble for a 22-16 win - thanks to a try by Canan Moodie against the run of play at the time.

Since then the Bulls have improved significantly and their third spot in the URC is testament to their form - especially away from home. This season they have seen some impressive wins away from Loftus at Benetton, Connacht and Ospreys and they will hope to add Edinburgh to their scalp list this weekend as well.

BULLS' POWER, FORWARD PLAY AND PHYSICALITY

Everitt is rightly wary of the power that the Bulls pose. For all their form out wide - and they did score some excellent tries against Bayonne - the Bulls are based around the best scrum in the URC, and a driving maul that is among the best in the business.

They pride themselves on their forward play and physicality, and Everitt rightly points out that this is the key for his side. They have the strike power out wide as well, but to beat the Bulls, they will need parity up front.

It will be intriguing to see the battle with former Bulls prop Pierre Schoeman and Scottish international Zander Fagerson - if they are selected - go up against the Bulls scrum. That battle in itself will be worth the admission ticket.

Out wide, Duhan van der Merwe’s ankle injury will keep him out of the game, but with Scottish whizz Darcy Graham and last weekend’s man of the match Wes Goosen in fine form, the Scots won’t be lacking pace.

Everitt rightly said it was a step up for his side this week from the Lions.

“Yes, it is a step up,” Everitt acknowledged. “Bulls are two-time URC finalists. They had a good win against Bayonne away from home, and South African teams have struggled against the French teams away. So, it was important for them to get that win.”

“We know they pride themselves on set-piece and physicality. So, a difficult team to play against. We know them quite well after playing them in the earlier rounds of the URC and then obviously at home last year.

"So, we know what they’re going to bring. It’s about us being able to stop them and using the opportunity that we can create against them.”

The match will not be the only one in the EPCR Challenge Cup that will interest South Africans, but it is the one that matters most.

At stake for the Bulls is a possible semifinal match-up with another South African coach - Bath’s Johann van Graan - as the English side take on their countrymen Gloucester in Sunday’s final quarterfinal.

Van Graan is a former Bulls and Springbok assistant coach and would relish such a match-up, but both teams need to win their respective matches this weekend first.

The other two quarterfinals see Ospreys host Lyon, the side that ended the Sharks’ defence of the title they won last season, while Irish side Connacht host Racing 92 in the other quarterfinal.

QUARTERFINALS

(Pool stage rankings in brackets)

Saturday 12 April

QF 3: Edinburgh Rugby (3) v Vodacom Bulls (11), Hive Stadium (1:30pm)

QF 4: Ospreys (4) v Lyon Olympique Universitaire (5), Swansea.com Stadium (6:30pm)

QF 1: Connacht Rugby (1) v Racing 92 (9), Dexcom Stadium (9pm)

Sunday 13 April

QF 2: Bath Rugby (10) v Gloucester Rugby (15), The Recreation Ground (6:30pm)

Semifinals – 2/3/4/ May

SF 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 4

SF 2: winner QF 2 v winner QF 3

NB: The matches will be played in Europe and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage

2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final: Friday 23 May; Principality Stadium, Cardiff.

A massive opportunity beckons for the Vodacom Bulls in the EPCR Challenge Cup on Saturday as they stake a claim for a semifinal spot after booking their quarterfinal berth against Edinburgh at the Hive Stadium in the Scottish capital.

As the last remaining South local team in the European showpiece, all eyes will be on the Pretoria outfit to continue flying the SA flag and keep the trophy in South Africa after the Hollywoodbets Sharks won the title last season.

The Vodacom Bulls may be playing away in Scotland, but they will face a familiar foe in Edinburgh, who they cross paths with annually in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

With the men from Pretoria coming off four successive victories in the Vodacom URC and EPCR Challenge Cup – where they defeated Bayonne 32-22 in France in the Round of 16 last weekend – combined with the fact that they have fared much better than the hosts the Vodacom URC this season with 10 victories in their 14 matches to date to only six by Edinburgh, they will enter the clash with confidence.

Fuelling their motivation, the Vodacom Bulls pulled off a 22-16 victory against Edinburgh in Pretoria in their opening Vodacom URC game this season, while they have shown on a few occasions that they have what it takes to win abroad.

Jake White’s charges, however, will brace themselves for a challenging encounter against the Scots, who are fresh off two victories against the Dragons and Emirates Lions respectively and who have only suffered two defeats at home across both competitions this season.

Adding to that this, they boast a better attacking record in the EPCR Challenge Cup than the Vodacom Bulls, who qualified for the Round of 16 through the Investec Champions Cup, which will boost their confidence.

With Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt working with Jake White at the Vodacom Bulls before he left for the Scottish capital before the start of the 2023/23 season, and with everything to gain for both teams, an epic battle is on the cards.

Match Information – EPCR Challenge Cup Quarterfinal:

Edinburgh v Vodacom Bulls

Date: Saturday, 12 April

Venue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

SA Time: 1:30pm

Referee: Pierre Brousset

TV: SuperSport

Quarterfinal fixtures (pool stage rankings in brackets, SA times):

Saturday 12 April:

1:30pm: Edinburgh (3) v Vodacom Bulls (11) - Hive Stadium (QF3)

6:30pm: Ospreys (4) v Lyon Olympique Universitaire (5)- Swansea.com Stadium (QF4)

9pm: Connacht (1) v Racing 92 (9) - Dexcom Stadium (QF1)

Sunday 13 April

6:30: Bath (10) v Gloucester (15) - The Recreation Ground (QF2)

Semifinals – 2/3/4/ May

SF 1: winner QF1 v winner QF4

SF 2: winner QF2 v winner QF3

It’s not often the hard men get together and have a serious chat.

But that’s precisely what may well make a major difference for the Vodacom Bulls on their tough journey through their current tour that comprises not only EPCR Challenge Cup knockout games, but two crucial Vodacom United Rugby Championship matches as well.

While it is often overused in a team context, the word “respect” is something that is taken very seriously by those in a team environment, and especially among the forwards.

That’s why it was enlightening to hear the Bulls forwards got together and made a pledge to each other to play through the toughest part of the season for each other.

It may sound like something that every team does, but the decision to reiterate their belief in their season may well be a crucial factor for the Bulls as the games only get tougher going forward.

It worked for them to drown out the noise in France when they beat Bayonne last weekend and will most likely be employed again when they kick off against Edinburgh in the Scottish capital this weekend.

THE PLEDGE

One of the younger Boks in the side, Jan Hendrik Wessels spoke about it in his media interview this week, talking about how the gritty last-minute win against Leinster - and the powerful scrum that brought the Bulls back from the brink - sparked a conversation that will take the Bulls forward for the rest of their campaign.

“I think we just spoke about it after that Leinster game. We really want to show some respect to one another, and really want to fight for one another,” Wessels said about the talks among the forwards.

“Even if it’s difficult, even if the crowd is against us, if we’re travelling – just find a way to win. So, I think the tour is doing us well at the moment. We had some slip-ups this year, so we just want to stick to our strong points and just want to find a way, if possible. We're just starting to play for each other.

“It’s not early days, but there are still three games to go in the Challenge Cup, and four league games in the URC.

“So, we are on tour and want to try our best to perform well in both tournaments.

“There is no talk about winning a tournament yet. It’s just preparing well in the week, and sticking to what we’ve been doing and what’s been working for us.”

FOCUSED AGAINST BAYONNE

That togetherness was apparent against Bayonne where everything seemed to be against them, and the Bulls simply put their heads down, focused and moved forward.

Wessels has grown in stature since his surprising selection for the Springboks.

At the time, many may have felt he was too young to already be thrust into test rugby - especially as a tight forward and - in Rassie Erasmus’s words “a swinger” who plays between loosehead and hooker in a test environment.

But since he was put in the Bok squad, Wessels has returned stronger, more determined and has grown immensely.

His part in that monster scrum that turned the game after the hooter against Leinster is one testament to this.

And the determination that is going through the side at the moment shows that while they have some tough challenges ahead, there is a bond that is carrying them through.

The Bulls know if they beat Edinburgh they prolong their tour - because their next two vital URC games against Munster and Glasgow - both sides who beat them at Loftus last season - are just as vital for the rest of the season.

And a win against Edinburgh means a four-week tour becomes five, as the semifinal follows after the Glasgow game.

It is a tricky juggling act for coach Jake White, but while things go well, the tour won’t seem that long after all.

SWINGER ROLE

For Wessels, playing the swinger role has its advantages and disadvantages. And the youngster isn’t going to step into it by choosing a preference.

For now, all he wants to do is get on the field, and wherever he is picked the better. If that means a bench role for now, he is just as happy.

“Rugby's changing, and I believe the eight players on the bench are just as crucial as the starters," Wessels smiled.

"Whether I'm wearing jersey 1 or 17, or 2 or 16, my goal is the same - to give my best for the team. I focus on both positions, so I don't have a preference. It's about growing as a player and helping the team in any way I can."

"I train in both positions throughout the week. It's not always a planned thing, but it's a possibility, and I prepare for it. My goal is to be ready for whatever the coaches need from me."

GAME TIME MAKES IT EASIER

It makes it easier whenever he does play, because as much as game scenarios are simulated in practice sessions, nothing beats the real thing.

“If you get time under the belt in games, it’s obviously helping a lot with the lineouts.” he explained.

“We’ve got good locks coming through, and the guys make it really easy in picking the right options.

“It’s easy to slip a lift and then you’ll look at the hooker, and maybe it’s his fault. But the guys pitching up on a Saturday and working hard to perfect everything is making my job a lot easier.

“There is planning during the week, so because I can play both positions, I need to learn the lineout, the detail that comes with every game.

“I scrum on both sides in the week, so there is well-rounded prep going into it. So, on my side, I just want to do everything I can during the week to be at my utmost prepared at both positions.”

The Bulls will name their side for the clash on Friday.

The latest chapter in Munster's storied relationship with the Champions Cup takes place on Saturday as the two-time champions head to Bordeaux-Begles in the quarterfinals.

Last Saturday, Jack Crowley kicked a late drop goal in a dramatic 25-24 win at La Rochelle, coached by Munster icon Ronan O'Gara, in front of thousands of vocal red-clad travelling fans to reach the quarters.

This weekend the 2006 and 2008 winners, who have only failed to reach the knock-outs four times since the turn of the century, go to Stade Chaban-Delmas to face the locals' star-studded back-line including France wingers Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

"Bordeaux-Begles look to play a little bit more chaotic than La Rochelle," Munster defence coach Denis Leamy told reporters on Tuesday.

"These sort of players are very special players and they get them into spaces where they get really threatening and really effective, so that's a challenge for us," he added.

Bordeaux-Begles finished the group stages as top seeds, crossing 33 times in four games and are eyeing a first semifinal since 2021, having only been founded 19 years ago.

They beat Ulster 43-31 last weekend as Penaud scored a record-equalling 11th try in one Champions Cup campaign.

"Anyone who's watched them right throughout the European Cup would be really impressed by what they've done over the last season," Leamy said.

"Their instinct to play running, attacking rugby, to create any sort of opportunity into a score, that's really strong.

"I think that's something that you have to admire and it's for us to try and shut them down," the former Munster and Ireland back-rower added.

TRICKS

After crossing paths with O'Gara last time out, another former Munster fly-half awaits the Irish side in the next round.

Joey Carbery, who started against Ulster before limping off early in the second half, spent six seasons in western Ireland before moving to France in 2024.

"He's somebody we know very well," Leamy said.

"We know all the qualities that he will bring and the tricks that he possesses," he added.

Elsewhere, four-time winners Leinster host Glasgow on Friday having trounced Harlequins 62-0 thanks to an influential Sam Prendergast.

The Scottish side, United Rugby Championship holders, have never reached the top-tier competition's last four and will be missing flanker Henco Venter due to suspension.

Castres head to Northampton in their first Champions Cup quarterfinal since 2002 but will be without centre Adrien Seguret, who has been banned for three weeks for a high tackle in the last 16 win over Treviso.

On Sunday, holders Toulouse travel to three-time champions Toulon, who are hosting a Champions Cup quarterfinal for the first time since winning a third straight title in 2015.

Toulouse's last 16 win over Sale on Sunday was delayed for more than 40 minutes after a parachutist was stuck on the stadium roof before being rescued, with tournament organisers inviting the individual to a future match to make up for his bad luck.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Leinster (IRL) v Glasgow (SCO) (7pm)

Saturday

Bordeaux-Begles (FRA) v Munster (IRL) (2pm), Northampton (ENG) v Castres (FRA) (4:30)

Sunday

Toulon (FRA) v Toulouse (FRA) (2pm)

It will be a full-circle moment when Jake White and Sean Everitt duel in the EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinal in Edinburgh on Saturday when White’s Vodacom Bulls face off against Everitt’s Edinburgh in the Scottish capital, reuniting two South African coaching minds in a career path of mentorship, divergence and symmetry.

We are headed to Hive Stadium for the Quarter Final of the @ChallengeCup_ 🏆

🏉Vodacom Bulls vs Edinburgh
🗓️12 April 2025
⏰KICK-OFF: 13:30
📍Hive Stadium
📺SuperSport 201 #ChallengeAccepted pic.twitter.com/bpwCgj1XK5

— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) April 8, 2025

What started as a mentor-protégé relationship evolved into a friendship, then a rivalry and now an intercontinental showdown as the two clubs battle to progress on the road to Cardiff’s EPCR Challenge Cup Final on Friday, 23 May.

Their intertwined past, from the Hollywoodbets Sharks to the Bulls and now this European showdown, adds a layer of intrigue to what is already a high-stakes playoff.

The story begins in 2013 at the Sharks where White arrived as Director of Rugby and Head Coach, fresh off a successful Super Rugby stint with the Brumbies in Canberra, Australia, following his 2007 Rugby World Cup triumph as head coach of the Springboks.

Everitt, then an assistant coach with deep roots in the Durban franchise, worked under White whose time at Kings Park was brief, leading to his departure after just one season.

In 2015, White swapped South Africa for France, taking the helm at Montpellier where he quickly etched his name in the record books, guiding the club to the 2015/16 EPCR Challenge Cup title with a 26-19 win over Harlequins — underlining his credentials as a man who could transform underperforming teams into contenders and champions.

Everitt, meanwhile, stayed with the Sharks, climbing the ranks and by 2019 he was head coach, leading the team to consecutive Currie Cup finals in 2021.

His tenure ended in late 2022 after a heavy defeat, but opportunity knocked early the following year when his phone rang and White was on the other end of the line offering him a job.

The World Cup-winning Coach had returned to South Africa in 2020, rebuilding the Pretoria outfit into a domestic force, and he recruited Everitt as consultant.

The reunion was brief as Everitt was lured away in July 2023 to become the Edinburgh Head Coach.

Fast forward to 2025 and the Challenge Cup has set the stage for an intriguing twist.

Everitt’s Edinburgh earned their quarterfinal spot with a gritty 24-12 win over the Emirates Lions in the Round of 16, blending defensive steel with attacking flair.

White’s Bulls followed suit, overpowering home team Bayonne 32-22 with their trademark physicality and strike power.

A TACTICAL CHESS MATCH - WITH A PERSONAL EDGE

Now, the two coaching paths intersect again in poetic symmetry: White left Everitt at the Sharks to win the Challenge Cup with Montpellier, and Everitt left White at the Bulls and is closing in on the same trophy with Edinburgh — only to meet his former boss in the quarters.

White knows Everitt’s methodology from their Sharks days and the 2023 Bulls overlap, while Everitt has solid intel on White’s Bulls machine.

“I probably know him better than most other coaches know him,” White said in a media conference last season in the buildup to the Round 5 Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash in Edinburgh.

“I know how he thinks, I know how he coaches… and I know he is clever enough not to go too far from what Edinburgh wants to do.

“Edinburgh plays a certain style, Scotland plays a certain style, and I'm sure he’ll bring one or two nuances to the team but not go too far from what has made them successful in the past.”

Everitt was indeed successful as Edinburgh clinched a 31-23 victory over the visiting Bulls.

However, when the two coaches battled in the inaugural Vodacom URC playoffs, it was White’s team that won through.

The Bulls finished the 2021/22 season in fourth place with 58 points while Everitt’s Sharks logged 57 points in fifth place.

When elimination was on the line in the quarterfinal at Loftus Versfeld, it was White who emerged victorious.

Now, the stakes are higher.

White's Bulls are making their maiden Challenge Cup quarterfinal appearance.

Their Investec Champions Cup campaign ended in three pool defeats, and the Edinburgh playoff represents an opportunity for redemption.

Edinburgh, sitting eighth in the Vodacom URC with 36 points, have been more consistent in Europe, topping their Challenge Cup pool with three wins.

Edinburgh will bank on the speed of the Hive Stadium synthetic turf and fervent home support, while the Bulls are battle-hardened and riding high after victory in Bayonne.

It’s a tactical chess match with a personal edge — a shot at an Edinburgh legacy for Everitt, and a chance for White to reassert his coaching seniority.

Buckle up, this one is going to be an eventful reunion.

Saturday showdown 🏰

All eyes are on Hive Stadium as we host Vodacom Bulls in the last eight of Europe - don't miss out on the hottest ticket in town! 🎟️

Book now ➡️ https://t.co/vrEZqMGpJq pic.twitter.com/Fs8AM0emBV

— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) April 9, 2025

The headline was right - “Sharks surrender their Challenge Cup title”. It was a wilful surrender in a game which, frankly, had they gone in even half strength they could have won against a Lyon team that weren’t that good.

Hollywoodbets Sharks coach John Plumtree made it pretty clear a while ago that his team would not be targeting the EPCR secondary trophy. Been there and done that. Last year they needed to win the trophy that was effectively secured in a final that acted as a Friday night curtain-raiser to the Saturday main event - the Investec Champions Cup final between Toulouse and Leinster at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Sharks played all out because they had bombed in their bread-and-butter competition, the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, and there was no other route into the prestigious Champions Cup. Which is where the Sharks, with all their money, need to be.

Their CEO at the time, Eduard Coetzee, made it plain at a media weekend in Durban in 2021 that his franchise saw winning the Champions Cup as their long-term goal.

It still is, but as Joey Mongalo, the defence coach who took charge of a very young team that played in Lyon, has acknowledged, the Durban franchise is still adjusting to playing across two competitions.

He didn’t go back to December for illustration purposes, but he might have done - it was then that Plumtree was forced to go second string to Leicester Tigers because his team had two tough URC derbies to play straight after that trip.

WEAKENED TEAMS NOT UNIQUE TO SA

Going second string to overcome logistical hurdles has become a norm - just ask Leinster, who come to South Africa just once a year in league play and yet the travel is too much for them when juxtaposed with their EPCR commitments to ever come here with a full-strength squad.

Neither is prioritising one competition over another new, or for that matter unique to South African teams.

The French have been doing it for years. With the Top 14 having such a cut-throat promotion-relegation system, with the bottom two automatically dropping out, how seriously the French sides take the EPRC competitions usually depends on where they are in their league when the European games arrive.

If they are anywhere near the relegation zone, then it is all hands on deck for the Top 14 and the EPCR, be it Champions Cup or Challenge Cup, becomes of secondary importance.

And if you are in the Challenge Cup it should be low on the list of priorities as it is just a Plate event for teams that aren’t good enough to play in the elite competition. The Vodacom Bulls and the Sharks played the Challenge Cup round of 16 games only because they ended outside of the top four in their respective Pools and therefore got knocked out of the Champions Cup.

Is winning a trophy that becomes available because you got knocked out of the group stage of a higher competition really something to boast about? Plumtree and the Sharks think not. They broke their trophy duck last year when they beat Gloucester, not ranked in the top eight clubs in England, in last year’s final.

They then also went on to win the Carling Currie Cup, something that almost happened as an after-thought for them. The only URC aligned union that appeared to be taking winning the domestic competition seriously last year was the Emirates Lions, or actually ADT Fidelity Guard Lions in that competition, who the Durbanites beat in the final.

The Sharks used the playoff phases of the Currie Cup as a pre-season preparation for the bigger competition, the URC. Much of the Currie Cup was played in what should be the South African offseason, and the side that made it into the playoffs wasn’t even coached by Plumtree, but by JP Pietersen.

It was captained by young Nick Hatton, who did not lead them in the playoffs, but was back to lead when the Sharks went young again this past weekend.

SHARKS NEVER HAD ANY BACK TO BACK AMBITION

The long and the short of it is that the Sharks have won the two less significant trophies in the past 12 months and when Plumtree referred to the URC as a big trophy it was pointed. Because it is a much more prestigious trophy.

While there were some who rather ignorantly spoke up the Sharks’s chances of making it back to back wins in the Challenge Cup, that was never going to be their intention. These months of the season are a direct contrast to the corresponding months of last season, when the Sharks were focusing on the Challenge Cup and relegating their URC commitments as a means to an end.

To be fair the Lions, who probably need it most as an avenue to the Champions Cup, never had a realistic hope of winning the Challenge Cup so it was no surprise to see them get knocked out this past weekend, but the Bulls do have an excellent chance and they appear to have a different attitude to the Sharks.

They are going all in to win the Challenge Cup and they scored a good win over Bayonne to advance to a quarterfinal against Edinburgh.
Even then, the Bulls’ ambitions are down to circumstance.

If the quarterfinal was being played in Johannesburg, which would have been the case had the Lions beaten Edinburgh, Bulls director of rugby Jake White would have kept his full strength squad in Europe for the start of a crucial two-match URC tour and relied instead on the players left at home against the Lions.

For White the URC is also the more important competition and the one that can’t be sacrificed. However, the Bulls will try their best to win the Challenge Cup if they can and if the logistics don’t cause it to compromise their URC challenge they haven’t won any trophy since the times of Covid. The Sharks have, and the Stormers have (the inaugural URC in 2022).

After losing a few finals since then, such as the Rainbow Cup in 2021 and two URC finals, it probably is important for the Bulls to do what the Sharks did in London last May by breaking a trophy drought. Getting some silverware in the trophy cabinet, no matter what it is, can be a step towards building future success.

ONLY ELITE THREE CAN WIN CHAMPIONS CUP

During the Pool phase of the Champions Cup, certainly subsequent to their opening defeat to Saracens, I sometimes got the impression that White had half an eye on the Challenge Cup. And if he figured out that the Challenge Cup is winnable and the Champions Cup isn’t, he would be right.

If you take a look at the results of the Champions Cup round of 16 it emerges that there is an elite group of teams that can win that competition and the rest are also-rans who make up the numbers. Some would include Toulon in a top four because they hit 70, but for my money, and given that two time winners La Rochelle have faded, there are only three teams that can win Europe’s most prestigious prize - Leinster, who put 62 points on Harlequins, reigning champions Toulouse and Bordeaux. Both those French teams were short of their best this past weekend and yet won easily.

No-one is going to beat them and certainly there’s no South African side that can challenge those sides in an overseas playoff game so if trophies are White’s currency it probably made a lot of sense for him to drop to a competition where the trophy is winnable.

The Bulls are challenging strongly in the URC and have got to the final twice in three seasons but realistically it is going to be much harder this season to keep Leinster away from a trophy that they dominated when it was the PRO14 and which they continue to dominate in league play.

The Challenge Cup, with the also rans from the various leagues and teams that have been knocked out of the Champions Cup competing, is certainly the easiest route to silverware if that is what you are looking for.

The Vodacom Bulls fly the last remaining flag of South African teams in European competitions after a weekend where they stunned a partisan Basque crowd to beat Bayonne while the Emirates Lions and Hollywoodbets Sharks fell by the wayside.

Jake White’s side will face Edinburgh in the early EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, and will come face to face with Sean Everitt, who until he left for Edinburgh was one of White’s assistants at the Bulls.

Everitt’s time at the Sharks as well will give him a clear idea of what to expect from the Bulls this weekend as he looks to take his team a step further in the Challenge Cup as well.

But in a weekend where the results were underwhelming, the Bulls at least showed a lot of fight in their ability not only to handle the hostile atmosphere in Bayonne, but also the challenge that the French side brought.

It was strange to say, but the Bulls kept their cool while Bayonne lost their heads at times, arguing almost every decision with the referee.

And the way the Bulls handled that was something that made White smile.

“The one thing I enjoyed the most is just how we handled the crowd. It’s a big learning curve for South African sides when they play in France,” White said afterwards.

“It’s unique, and especially this Basque region. It’s generally a very tough place to come and play good rugby. I really enjoyed the way we embraced the atmosphere and the way that we started.

WONDERFUL TRIES

“We scored some wonderful tries, and that is also very good for us because it’ll give us confidence. To get a result like that with the way we played is fantastic.

“I can’t underplay the fact that when you’ve come to this region of France, it's rugby country, and you can feel it. It’s an honour, and it’s important for our players too, because for a lot of them, this is the first time they’ve been to this part of the world.”

Knowing that they are the last remaining SA team standing creates a bit of a quandary for White, as he has two very important games in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship against Munster and Glasgow Warriors away from home after this, so player management will become an important factor this week for the side.

The stand-out players for the Bulls were captain Marcell Coetzee, who led from the front and was an easy man of the match candidate, while Akker van der Merwe and David Kriel both stood out as well.

Edinburgh scored three times in the first half in their Friday night win over the Lions, and while they failed to run away with the game, with the Lions doing better in the second half with the wind at their backs, it was still a comprehensive victory.

Scottish winger Darcy Graham was sensational as Edinburgh raced to a 17-0 lead before halftime, and set the platform for the win.

FOURTH LOSS IN A ROW FOR LIONS

The loss was the fourth in a row in all competitions for the Lions, who have been disappointed in the way they have fallen away in the second half of the season.

Coach Ivan van Rooyen was disappointed with the loss, which meant their three games in Europe gave them no joy and all ticked in the loss column.

“We are pretty disappointed with the loss and the two previous results. It’s three very different games in terms of weather and tests, so a lot to learn from the tour and a lot to improve,” said Van Rooyen.

“There was still some good character and fight. I think if I look at the second half against Glasgow, not conceding anything after being smashed in the first half, and again on Friday, we showed some good character and fight.

“However, that speaks to our start. We are pretty disappointed with our first 40 minutes in the last two games and just the consistency thereof. So it’s not an effort thing, it’s just the consistency.

SHARKS LOSS NO SURPRISE

The Sharks probably lost the game against Lyon before they got onto the plane, as they selected a second string outfit to travel, leaving almost all of their Galacticos at home and it wasn’t a surprise when the Durban team struggled to contain the power game of Lyon, who scored three first half tries to sew up the match early.

But the Sharks would not have been happy with their own defensive errors, which led to those tries, and contributed to their own downfall.

Assistant coach Joey Mongalo said afterwards the strong wind in the first half helped Lyon get on top.

“It gave them territory and possession. The first 10 minutes of the game showed the game we wanted to play and was well executed. I was very proud of the boys for getting together for three days and executing the plan so well. But then in the next 20 minutes we lost the territory battle and they got a lot of 22m entries and we could have been better defensively.

“If we had turned around one score less with the wind at our backs, we could have done a lot better. We had all the possession and territory the first 20 minutes of the second half and if we had finished one or two of those chances early we could have made a shout of it.”

Of the other results, Johann van Graan’s Bath were impressive in their away win against Pau, almost putting up 50 points while Connacht, Ospreys, Gloucester and Racing 92 all advanced.

RESULTS

Edinburgh 24 Emirates Lions 12

Section Paloise 24 Bath 49

Aviron Bayonnais 22 Vodacom Bulls 32

Montpellier 17 Gloucester 24

Perpignan 18 Racing 92 24

Connacht 35 Cardiff 20

Lyon 34 Sharks 21

Ospreys 36 Scarlets 14

QUARTER-FINALS

(Pool stage rankings in brackets)

Saturday 12 April

QF 3: Edinburgh Rugby (3) v Vodacom Bulls (11), Hive Stadium (1:30pm)

QF 4: Ospreys (4) v Lyon Olympique Universitaire (5), Swansea.com Stadium (6:30pm)

QF 1: Connacht Rugby (1) v Racing 92 (9), Dexcom Stadium (9pm)

Sunday 13 April

QF 2: Bath Rugby (10) v Gloucester Rugby (15), The Recreation Ground (6:30pm)

Semifinals – 2/3/4/ May

SF 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 4

SF 2: winner QF 2 v winner QF 3

NB The matches will be played in Europe and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage

2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final: Friday 23 May; Principality Stadium, Cardiff.

Defending Vodacom United Rugby Championship champs Glasgow Warriors will face off against Irish juggernaut Leinster in a preview of a possible URC final later this season after the fixtures for the Investec Champions’ Cup quarterfinals were announced on Sunday night.

Franco Smith’s Glasgow side will travel to the Aviva Stadium where his impressive attacking outfit will pit themselves against former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber’s defensive system in a mouthwatering clash on Friday night.

There are also several other clashes among the giants of European rugby this weekend, including Bordeaux facing Munster after the latter scored a stunning upset of former champions La Rochelle on Saturday.

Bordeaux beat Ulster in a high scoring match on Sunday to book their place.

Saturday’s other clash will be between Premiership champions Northampton Saints and Castres Olympique, the latter who needed a last gasp try to beat Benetton in their quarterfinal.

Sunday is truly a clash of the French giants as defending champions Toulouse host rivals Toulon in a mighty clash for a place in the semifinals.

QUARTER-FINALS

(Pool stage rankings in brackets)

Friday 11 April

QF 2: Leinster Rugby (2) v Glasgow Warriors (7), Aviva Stadium (21.00)

Saturday 12 April

QF 1: Union Bordeaux-Bègles (1) v Munster Rugby (9), Stade Chaban-Delmas (16.00)

QF 3: Northampton Saints (3) v Castres Olympique (6), cinch Stadium @ Franklin's Gardens (19.30)

Sunday 13 April

QF 4: RC Toulon (4) v Stade Toulousain (5), Stade Félix Mayol (16.00)

Semifinals – 2/3/4 May

SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4

SF 2: Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3

NB The matches will be played in Europe and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home country advantage

2025 Investec Champions Cup final: Saturday 24 May; Principality Stadium, Cardiff

The Vodacom Bulls will face Edinburgh in their EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinal in the Scottish capital on Saturday.

Edinburgh booked their place by ousting the Emirates Lions on Friday night while the Bulls beat Bayonne in an epic performance in front of a highly-partisan crowd.

The Bulls will be looking for a victory against Sean Everitt’s side, and it will pit Jake White against the same coach who was his assistant recently after Everitt was fired by the Sharks.

Lyon, who beat the Sharks on Sunday night, will face Welsh side Ospreys, while Connacht will host Racing 92 in the third quarterfinal.

Former Springbok assistant coach Johann van Graan’s Bath side are also in the quarters, but will face fellow English side Gloucester at home in the fourth quarterfinal.

QUARTER-FINALS

(Pool stage rankings in brackets)

Saturday 12 April

QF 3: Edinburgh Rugby (3) v Vodacom Bulls (11), Hive Stadium (13.30)

QF 4: Ospreys (4) v Lyon Olympique Universitaire (5), Swansea.com Stadium (18.30)

QF 1: Connacht Rugby (1) v Racing 92 (9), Dexcom Stadium (21.00)

Sunday 13 April

QF 2: Bath Rugby (10) v Gloucester Rugby (15), The Recreation Ground (18.30)

Semifinals – 2/3/4/ May

SF 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 4

SF 2: winner QF 2 v winner QF 3

NB The matches will be played in Europe and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage

2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final: Friday 23 May; Principality Stadium, Cardiff.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks surrendered their EPCR Challenge Cup title with a tame 34-21 defeat at the hands of French side Lyon on Sunday evening.

FINAL SCORE #ChallengeCup #LOUvSHA pic.twitter.com/PHz4HGSFCu

— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) April 6, 2025

The result was set before the kick-off, with the Sharks choosing to send a virtual B side to the clash, and keep their biggest stars at home. It wasn’t a surprise that the home side used their pressure and power game to turn out a solid win and move into the quarterfinals.

The decision may benefit the Sharks in the long run as a number of young players were thrown into a cauldron and would have learnt a lot from the experience, but it was hardly a satisfying end to the campaign from their fans’ point of view.

It was clear with the selection that the Sharks have decided to turn all their focus on winning the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and it was unfair to expect this young side to take on a seasoned outfit away from home.

Jurenzo Julius, the creator 😮‍💨🏉

That pass from the Boogieman is too clean 💯

📺 Stream #ChallengeCupRugby on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/dAap92i4m4

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) April 6, 2025

HANDLING ERRORS

Many of these young players haven’t played for months and even if they have, they had hardly played together, with cohesion missing throughout the game, and handling errors costing the Sharks dearly when they did have chances to score.

Still, they didn’t look totally outclassed, but were beaten by a Lyon side that was more clinical, more physical and exploited the poor Sharks defence with relative ease. The scoreline flattered the Sharks a bit, especially as Tino Mavesere scored at the death to make it look a lot closer than it was. In reality Lyon probably won’t be happy that they didn’t win by more.

It would be precisely the defence that would worry caretaker coach Joey Mongalo, who took charge of the side for the fixture, yet the fact the team hasn’t played together will be a reasonable excuse, even if it is not a satisfying one.

It was also a reminder of some of the talent that the French sides possess. Former Springbok Arno Botha was a colossus in the game, making metres whenever he touched the ball. Botha, who has been forgotten back home, put in such a commanding performance that he was often the start of the Lyon attacks that led to tries.

SOFT TRIES

Lyon scored with their first foray into the 22, and scored almost at will, with all of the four first half tries being soft ones thanks to some poor defensive alignment.

The Sharks were better in the second half when they had the wind at their backs, but hardly threatened Lyon’s defence and when they did, were mostly unable to convert because of handling errors.

Ironically it was the Sharks who scored first and looked as if they were keen on trying to upset the odds as Fez Mbatha powered over in the fourth minute at the back of a rampant driving maul.

But slowly, Lyon took over and their physicality started to tell. They seemed to outmatch the Sharks both up front and out wide, where they beat tackles with ease, and the Sharks had no answer to try and stop them getting over the advantage line.

Leo Berdeu put the home side on the board with a penalty before three tries in 11 minutes allowed them to take control of the game and never look back.

The first would have frustrated any defence coach as former Sevens star Alexandre Tchapchet danced his way on the wing past two poor tackles to score in the corner in a try reminiscent of Cheslin Kolbe.

LAZINESS AROUND THE RUCK

Then, the Sharks laziness around the ruck was exploited as Lyon lock Theo William picked up the ball at the back of the ruck and darted through without a hand being laid upon him. If ever there was a defensive error that would show just how incohesive the Sharks defence was, this underlined it.

Seven minutes later, Lyon extended their lead as Yanis Charcosset burrowed his way over from close range. It was easy to see the Sharks would struggle for the rest of the match but the coup de grace would come shortly before halftime when Theo Millet did a round-the-corner pass to a flying Josiah Maraku, who went between midfielders Andre Esterhuizen and Francois Venter without them coming close to touching him.

At 27-7 at the break, the Sharks were struggling, but they at least put up a fight in the second half with the wind at their backs, and stopped Lyon’s momentum for most of the half.

Eventually, in the 69th minute, the defence broke, with a blindside break putting Vincent Rattez down the sideline for an easy run in for the fifth try.

The Sharks best moment came when Jurenzo Julius sparked a move that took Jean Smith close to the line, leaving Corne Rahl to finish off from the recycled ball, and when Mavesere scored at the death, the scoreline looked a little better.

But in reality there was only one team on the park, and at times it felt like men versus boys.

And with it, the Sharks defence of their title is over, and Lyon move on to face Ospreys in Swansea next weekend.

Scorers

Lyon - tries: Alexandre Tchapchet, Theo William, Yanis Charcosset, Josiah Maraku, Vincent Rattez. Conversions: Leo Berdeu (2), Martin Meliande. Penalty: Berdeu

Hollywoodbets Sharks - tries:  Fez Mbatha, Corne Rahl, Timo Mavesere. Conversions: Siya Masuku (2), Jean Smith.