Bulls lock Corne Beets (second from right) is tackled during the Champions Cup match against Castres Olympique. Picture: Valentine Chapuis / AFP
South African fans expected much more from their teams going into the third round of the Champions Cup after just one win in their first six games (Sharks besting Exeter Chiefs).
While the Stormers more than delivered against Sale Sharks, winning 40–0 with a bonus point, the Sharks struggled as expected against a superior Toulouse side amid an injury-hampered season and lost 20–8.
The Bulls contested well in the first half against Castres Olympique but the inexperience and lack of composure of their young side became evident as Castres ran away in the second half (final score 49–10) to leave them point-less after three games in the competition.
Now, the Bulls must hope for a fifth-place finish after their fourth and final pool match against Stade Francais. This is to qualify for the second-tier Challenge Cup tournament’s round of 16.
Were it not for the Stormers’ sensational six-try win in Cape Town, there would be little positive to say about South Africa’s rugby performances in the Champions Cup this weekend.
Man-of-the-match Warrick Gelant said his team had focused on what they needed to do in training ahead of their must-win game. However, much was still left to chance.
“We try to chase chaos, it’s something they are not used to. Some work and some don’t work but today a lot worked for us,” he said.
Indeed, the agile stepping and impromptu pinpoint-kicking from the backline was sumptuous and kept the visitors guessing.
Gelant warned the same could be expected as they travel to Racing 92 this week.
The Sharks, on the other hand, were little more than spectators as Toulouse plied their own magic when they had ball in hand.
Impressive runs from both the front and backline broke the Sharks line repeatedly in an error-strewn affair.
The slippery ball made it a difficult game to watch for any fan as time and again it was dropped or knocked on. Toulouse could have made it five or six tries instead of two if they did not repeatedly spill the ball forward in the Sharks 22.
“You could just see they’re a classy outfit,” Sharks head coach John Plumtree said of Toulouse.
“Just the way they applied pressure – not just through their defence and their set piece – their continuity play and attack was outstanding, their offloading and ability to keep the ball alive.”
The only silver lining for the Sharks came in the form of 20-year-old centre Jurenzo Julius, who showed energy coming on from the bench. He danced his way around defenders to score the only try for the Sharks.
They must now travel to pool leaders Bordeaux Bègles with only one win after three games in the Champions Cup.
The Bulls heaped pressure on themselves before the game even started when director of rugby Jake White changed all 15 players who started against Northampton Saints.
He named a young side to face Castres in their crucial fixture, citing plans he had made at the beginning of the season to rotate players and his desire to see his squad depth grow through developing every player available.
As mentioned, they were outclassed by Castres, and their hopes of a Champions Cup play-off spot are now gone.
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