The Sharks face Sale Sharks in Eccles, the Stormers are up against Harlequins at Twickenham and the Bulls host Bristol Bears.
It’s going to be a tough weekend for South African teams in the Champions Cup, with the Bulls in poor form and the Sharks and Stormers venturing into extreme weather conditions for their games.
Below-freezing conditions are expected in the UK due to Storm Goretti moving through Europe, with up to 30cm of snow predicted in the coming days.
The Sharks, playing away to Sale Sharks in Eccles on Saturday (7.30pm), and the Stormers, up against Harlequins at Twickenham on Sunday (3pm), will face more than just their opponents on the field in their third-round Champions Cup clashes.
Champions Cup weekend
The unbeaten Stormers are the best-placed South African side in the competition. They lead Pool 3 on nine points, ahead of Leinster on points difference, following wins over Bayonne and La Rochelle.
The Harlequins are in poor form, having won just two of their last 10 matches, and coach Jason Gilmore faces huge pressure with the historically strong team currently eighth in the Premiership.
The two teams have played each other only twice in the Champions Cup. The Stormers won their 2023 quarter-final 32-28 in Cape Town, before Harlequins thrashed the Stormers 53-16 in the second round of 2024.
But the Stormers, despite their name, will be the less familiar side in such conditions. Forwards coach Rito Hlungwani admitted this when he said their good European form this season – five wins out of five games – came earlier in winter.
“We know it is very different there in January in comparison to October or November,” he said.
Sharks under the pump
The Sharks have one defeat (Toulouse) and one win (Saracens), sitting fifth in pool 1 with five points ahead of their first-ever clash against Sale.
After two wins, they suffered their first defeat under interim coach JP Pietersen, losing 23-22 to the Lions thanks to a try after the hooter in Durban last weekend.
But the mood in the camp is good, No 8 Nick Hatton said this week.
“We know it will have different conditions to what we have back here in Durban,” he said.
“We know it is not going to be easy but we believe we can do something over at Sale. That is the mindset in the group. We believe we are on the right track and we want to just keep improving in our game.”
Bulls have tough clash against in-form Bristol
The Bulls enjoyed the input of Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones ahead of their home match against Bristol Bears at 3pm on Saturday.
They are on a six-game losing streak while Bristol have won their last six matches. The Bulls are fifth in pool 4 after defeats to Union Bordeaux Bègles and Northampton Saints, while Bristol are third after victories against Scarlets and Section Paloise.
Bristol continue their form from the Premiership where they have won seven out of nine games.
The Bulls and Bristol have faced each other only once before, the Bulls winning 31-17 in their third-round Champions Cup clash at Ashton Gate Stadium in 2024.
“At altitude, we will have to make sure we take care of our own forward pack, put them under pressure and get them tired,” said Bulls captain Ruan Nortjé.
“But it’s all about out our drivers, Polly (Handré Pollard), and those guys will manage that and keep our forwards fresh for when we get the opportunities and can put them under pressure.”
