Stormers, Bulls Clinch Playoff Spots

<p>The DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls booked their places in the Round of 16 while the Hollywoodbets Sharks failed to qualify for the Champions Cup playoffs.</p>

<p>South Africa’s top clubs bounced back in the fourth round of the Champions Cup, following the heavy defeats sustained in the third.</p>

<p>The Bulls showed remarkable character to claim a 26-24 bonus-point victory in Pau on Friday night – and snapped a seven-game losing streak in the process.</p>

<p>Bettors who backed the Bulls to win – in spite of the 4.50 odds – will be thrilled with the result in France.</p>

<p>What’s more, the Bulls did enough to qualify for the Champions Cup Round of 16 – and will travel to Glasgow Warriors in the next round, which kicks off on 3 April.</p>

<p>Despite winning three of their four pool matches, the Stormers finished third in their group, and will travel to Toulon for the Round of 16 as a result.</p>

<p>This past Saturday, the Stormers were made to work for a 39-26 bonus-point win against the Leicester Tigers in Cape Town.</p>

<p>The Tigers fared better than expected, and while they failed to close out the game and defy the 10.00 odds, they did finish within the +19 handicap (1.90).</p>

<p>Down on the East Coast, Clermont Auvergne started the match in Durban as 19.00 underdogs, and as expected, went on to lose by a substantial margin.</p>

<p>In the end, the French side failed to finish within the +28 handicap, as the Sharks romped to a 50-12 win.</p>

<p>Unfortunately for the Sharks, the big victory wasn’t enough to earn them a place in the Champions Cup playoffs – and they will proceed to the Challenge Cup knockouts, where they will face Connacht.</p>

<p>The Lions drew 20-20 with Perpignan this past Saturday, and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Challenge Cup playoffs.</p>

<p>The Toyota Cheetahs went down 31-28 to Racing 92 in Paris on Sunday night to finish their European campaign without a win.</p>

<p>The United Rugby Championship resumes this weekend, and all four South African franchises will be in action.</p>

<p>The Lions and Bulls will remain in the northern hemisphere for their respective clashes against the Ospreys and Edinburgh.</p>

<p>The Lions could strengthen their position on the URC table (seventh) with a win in Wales, while the Bulls (11th) will be desperate to pick up some points in the Scottish capital, and move up the ladder.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Stormers and Sharks will meet in the coastal derby staged in Cape Town on Saturday.</p>

<p>The Stormers lead the URC standings – with eight consecutive wins – while the Sharks are in 14th place.</p>

<h2>Bet on the URC and Champions Cup Playoffs at SuperSportBet</h2>

<p>Back the Bulls, Stormers or your favourite South African team this playoff season. <a href="https://www.supersportbet.com/">Bet now at SuperSportBet</a> for full match odds, outrights and more.</p>