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.
South Africa’s top clubs bounced back in the fourth round of the Champions Cup, following the heavy defeats sustained in the third.
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.
Bettors who backed the Bulls to win – in spite of the 4.50 odds – will be thrilled with the result in France.
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.
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.
This past Saturday, the Stormers were made to work for a 39-26 bonus-point win against the Leicester Tigers in Cape Town.
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).
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.
In the end, the French side failed to finish within the +28 handicap, as the Sharks romped to a 50-12 win.
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.
The Lions drew 20-20 with Perpignan this past Saturday, and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Challenge Cup playoffs.
The Toyota Cheetahs went down 31-28 to Racing 92 in Paris on Sunday night to finish their European campaign without a win.
The United Rugby Championship resumes this weekend, and all four South African franchises will be in action.
The Lions and Bulls will remain in the northern hemisphere for their respective clashes against the Ospreys and Edinburgh.
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.
Meanwhile, the Stormers and Sharks will meet in the coastal derby staged in Cape Town on Saturday.
The Stormers lead the URC standings – with eight consecutive wins – while the Sharks are in 14th place.
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