Stormers lay down early Champions Cup marker

The DHL Stormers claimed a crucial win against Bayonne while the Vodacom Bulls were outlasted by a superior Bordeaux-Bégles side in the first round of the European Champions Cup.

Bettors who took a punt on the Stormers this past weekend will be smiling today, after the Cape franchise recorded a 26-17 win in Bayonne.

John Dobson’s charges travelled to France as 2.10 underdogs and with a +1 handicap.

They bossed the early exchanges, but were made to fight for the result, after copping a yellow and red card in the second half.

The Stormers scrum put in another big shift, while Clinton Swart – the franchise’s fourth-choice flyhalf– contributed 16 points to the cause.

The upshot is that the Stormers have started their Champions Cup campaign on a positive note, and have extended their winning run for the season to seven matches.

On Saturday, the Bulls raced to a 33-22 lead in the first half, and at that stage, looked to be on course for a famous win against the reigning champions.

As expected, the game was played at a lively pace, with 79 points and 12 tries scored over the course of the contest.

Bordeaux hit back in the second stanza, though, to score 24 unanswered points and clinch a largely unexpected 46-33 win at Loftus Versfeld.

Northampton Saints, who reached the Champions Cup final last season, claimed an important 35-27 win in Pau, while Leinster began their campaign with a 45-28 victory over Harlequins in Dublin.

On Sunday, a Sharks side missing a host of Springboks was put to the sword by a star-studded Toulouse outfit in south-west France, with the hosts winning 56-19.

Brave bettors may have taken a chance on the 34.00 odds, while others may have been attracted to the +36 handicap. In the end, the battling Sharks side failed to finish within the margin.

The European action continues this coming weekend, with the Stormers hosting former Champions Cup champions La Rochelle in Gqeberha on Saturday, and the Sharks tackling English giants Saracens in Durban. The Bulls head north to face the Northampton Saints on Sunday.

The Lions – who lost 26-18 to Benetton in Johannesburg this past Saturday – will also journey to England this weekend to face the Newcastle Red Bulls in the second round of the European Challenge Cup.

Meanwhile, the Toyota Cheetahs will look to bounce back from their 42-12 loss to the Exeter Chiefs when they face Stade Francais in Amsterdam.

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