by SuperSportBet
The DHL Stormers will have the chance to extend their winning run when they host the La Rochelle this Saturday while other local franchises will be under pressure to bounce back from their recent Champions Cup defeats.
The Stormers beat Bayonne in France last week to extend their overall winning streak for the season to seven matches.
In the context of the race to the Champions Cup playoff, the Cape side is ideally placed, having won their first fixture overseas.
If they beat La Rochelle in Gqeberha on Saturday, they will boost their chances of playoff qualification – and find themselves in a position to host a Round of 16 match in Cape Town come March.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks and Vodacom Bulls will have more modest ambitions, following their respective defeats to Toulouse and Bordeaux-Bègles in the opening round of the tournament.
The Sharks will be desperate to prove a point when they tackle Saracens in Durban this Saturday, while the Bulls could be in for a tough time in Northampton on Sunday.
The Stormers managed to beat Bayonne last Friday with a largely second-string team. John Dobson has recalled his Springboks for the first home fixture against La Rochelle, although the clash will be staged in Gqeberha rather than Cape Town. La Rochelle are coming off a convincing 39-20 victory over Leicester Tigers in the first round, but it remains to be seen how sharp Ronan O’Gara’s charges will be this Saturday after travelling all the way from France, and without a clutch of key players. Brave bettors may explore the 19.00 odds against La Rochelle, given that Toulon beat the Stormers at this venue last season, in spite of the travel. The smart money may be on the handicap of +27 (1.95), as the Stormers are one of the form teams in Europe this season but their Boks only recently returned from international duty, and may take time to readjust.
The Sharks have won a single game since the start of the club season in September, and as a result, John Plumtree has made way for the promising yet inexperienced head coach JP Pietersen. Saracens haven’t been at their best in Premiership – and currently sit in sixth place – but made a statement when they thrashed Clermont 47-10 in London last week. The English giants were competitive when they toured Durban in the pre-season, and may have a better feel for conditions when they play against a Bok-laden Sharks team this weekend. Saracens start as 1.70 favourites, but given the levels of desperation and the return of key Boks for the Sharks, it may be worth looking at the 2.25 bet on a home win. The Sharks will start with a +2 handicap (1.90).
The Bulls have dropped down the URC ladder (to eighth) in recent months, and their defensive and disciplinary issues were laid to bare in the Champions Cup opener against Bordeaux in Pretoria last week – where they conceded 24 unanswered points in the second half after leading 33-22 at half-time. Northampton are coming off an impressive 35-27 win in Pau, and start at 1.06 favourites at home this Sunday, while the Bulls start as 7.00 underdogs. With Johan Ackermann opting to keep some of his best players in South Africa for the next round of the URC, and with the team unlikely to resolve their defensive issues overnight, the Bulls may struggle to finish with the +14 handicap (1.95)– and that bet is best avoided.
Place your bets on this weekend’s thrilling Champions Cup clashes. Get the best odds now at SuperSportBet!
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