Do or die for SA teams in EPCR Challenge Cup

It will be a case of do or die for the three South African teams featuring in the EPCR Challenge Cup play-offs this weekend, as defending champions, the Hollywoodbets Sharks, the Vodacom Bulls and Emirates Lions spring back into action in Europe in the Round of 16, where quarter-final spots will be up for grabs.

While the Lions qualified for the first play-off round by finishing in fourth place in their EPCR Challenge Cup pool after winning two of their four matches, the Sharks and Bulls earned their qualification for the European showpiece by finishing fifth in their respective pools in the Investec Champions Cup competition.

The Lions will take the field first against Edinburgh in London on Friday, while the other two matches will play out in France, with the Bulls taking on Bayonne on Saturday and the Sharks facing Lyon on Sunday.

The Lions face an uphill battle at the Hive Stadium against Edinburgh, who have won their last three EPCR Challenge Cup matches and who finished their pool as the top-placed team but with the Gauteng side’s backs against the wall after three defeats in a row in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and the team still hurting from their heavy 42-0 defeat against the Glasgow Warriors last week, they week they will have all the motivation they need to create an upset and advance to the quarter-finals.

The Scottish outfit will undoubtedly enter the match as favourites and even more so with home ground advantage counting in their favour. But the Lions, who have blown hot and cold this season, will be determined to get their season back on track and build winning momentum – not only to progress further in the European showpiece but also with their other objective in mind of staking a claim for a URC play-off spot when the competition resumes in two weeks.

With both teams boasting 18 tries apiece in their EPCR Challenge Cup campaign so far and the Johannesburgers having the psychological boost of having thumped Edinburgh 55-21 the last time they crossed paths in the URC, they will enter the match confident about turning around their season.

Edinburgh v Emirates Lions - Friday @ Hive Stadium, London (9pm)

Referee: Ludovic Cayre

TV: SuperSport

The Bulls, meanwhile, who are currently in third place on the URC table with 10 victories in 14 matches, will back themselves against Bayonne despite winning only one of their four pool matches in the Investec Champions Cup to three victories out of four by the opposition in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season.

They will, however, have to deliver a quality display on attack and defence to emerge victorious as the hosts come off back-to-back wins in the competition and will have full faith in their abilities as fourth-placed team in the Top 14, who will also be playing in front of their passionate home crowd and in vastly different conditions to that which the Pretoria outfit are used to in South Africa.

The Bulls come off a morale-boosting three-match winning streak in the URC – one of which was a rewarding 21-20 victory against Irish powerhouse Leinster – a trend they would like to build on they prepare for the business end of both the EPCR Challenge Cup and URC respectively.

They will also draw inspiration from the fact that they have proven they can win on the road, with victories against the Ospreys, Benetton and Connacht in the URC, while they registered a comprehensive 48-7 victory against Stade Francais in the Investec Champions Cup in Pretoria – the same side that defeated Bayonne by 31-27 two weeks ago in the Top 14.

Bayonne v Vodacom Bulls - Saturday @ Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne (1.30pm)

Referee: Christophe Ridley

TV: SuperSport

The Sharks, who are in fourth place on the URC standings, find themselves in a similar situation to the Bulls in terms of their results in the Investec Champions Cup, where they have won only one league match to three by the Frenchmen in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

While Lyon have been inconsistent in their Top 14 form of late, the Sharks have done enough to establish themselves as one of the top URC teams this season by playing their way into contention to host a possible quarter-final.

With several Springboks within their ranks, the Sharks will enter the match with confidence, which will be boosted by the fact that Lyon are currently in seventh place on the Top 14 standings with nine wins in 20 matches.

Despite this, the KwaZulu-Natalians will be wary of the opposition, especially after having to fight hard for victories in two of their last three URC matches and succumbing to a disappointing 10-7 defeat against Leinster in Durban last week.

All this combined with the fact that the teams will be playing for a quarter-final berth, means it could prove to be a gripping encounter.

Lyon v Hollywoodbets Sharks - Sunday @ Mamut Stadium de Gerland, Lyon (6.30pm)

Referee: Federico Vedovelli

TV: SuperSport