South African clubs face five big tests as European season opens with Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup

SOUTH African sides head into a sharp and high-stakes opening weekend of European competition, with Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures offering early tone-setting matches. 

This opening weekend will quickly separate the teams that adapted their preseason plans for Europe from those still finding rhythm. For South African clubs, early away results in France and tight home tests in Johannesburg can define confidence and shape the campaign ahead. 

The DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks all travel to France for heavyweight tests, while the Lions and Toyota Cheetahs carry local hopes in the Challenge Cup. Below are the five key battles to watch — and why each matters for the South African teams.

Aerial battle vs ruck speed — Bayonne vs DHL Stormers (Friday)

The Stormers land in Bayonne where the tactical kicking game will be decisive. Aviron Bayonnais retained an impressive 20.7% of opponent kicks and 13.3% of restarts in last year’s EPCR Challenge Cup — numbers that underline how dangerous their aerial game can be.

The Stormers, however, arrive with momentum from a perfect start in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and the URC’s highest ruck speed last season. Expect a contest of territory and precision: Bayonne will look to control possession through the air, while the Capetonians will try to turn quick ruck ball and accurate attacking kicks into pressure.

Bulls pack vs Bordeaux’s boot — Bulls vs Union Bordeaux Bègles (Saturday)

Pretoria hosts reigning Investec Champions Cup winners Union Bordeaux Bègles, and the Bulls must contend with a French side built on breakdown teeth and reliable kicking.

Bordeaux led last season in turnovers won (83) and jackals (42) — breakdown metrics that fuel their attack — and their combined goal-kicking accuracy was among the competition’s best. The Bulls will need to secure clean ball at rucks and defend lineouts sharply to blunt Bordeaux’s platform. 

At the same time, Pretoria’s famed forward heft and lineout work will be tested against a side that uses penalties and kicks to strangle rhythm.

High-flyers vs stutterers — Stade Toulousain vs Sharks (Sunday)

Toulouse, the competition’s most decorated club, await the Sharks in a daunting Stade Ernest Wallon fixture. Les Rouge et Noir arrive on a four-match Top 14 streak and sit top of their domestic standings, while the Sharks have struggled for consistency in the Vodacom URC this season.

Durban’s chance lies in set-piece and scrum excellence; last season the Sharks achieved a 100% scrum success rate and led carrying metres and maul tries. If they can replicate those strengths and frustrate Toulouse’s slick attack, an upset is possible — but the visitors must match intensity across 80 minutes against one of Europe’s most clinical sides.

Battle of streaks at Ellis Park — Lions vs Benetton (Saturday)

In the EPCR Challenge Cup the Lions welcome Benetton to Ellis Park. Benetton have troubled the Lions in recent meetings — including a win in Italy — but the Johannesburg side go into this opener on a run of three straight victories after earlier defeat in Treviso.

This clash is about momentum and home advantage. The Lions will be targeting continuity and confidence at Ellis Park, while Benetton will aim to prove past wins were no fluke and to unsettle the hosts early in the campaign.

Lineouts vs line breaks — Exeter Chiefs vs Cheetahs (Sunday)

The Cheetahs head to Sandy Park to face Exeter in the Challenge Cup, a first-time pairing in the competition for the Free Staters. Last year the Cheetahs boasted the competition’s best lineout success (93.2%), an asset they will look to use as a platform.

Exeter, however, turned 59% of their line breaks into tries in the Investec Champions Cup — the best conversion rate in that tournament — so Cheetahs’ defensive alignment and breakdown work will be tested by rapid, incisive attackers. This fixture is a classic contest of structured set-piece strength versus explosive line-break finishing.