The DHL Stormers provided the only ray of light in a bleak opening weekend of European rugby for the five South African teams, as they toppled Aviron Bayonnais in France, while the Vodacom Bulls, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Lions, and Toyota Cheetahs all faltered in their Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup matches.
The DHL Stormers, who are currently the Vodacom United Rugby Championship log leaders, showed that they can replicate that dominant form in Europe in their opening game of the Investec Champions Cup on Friday night as they beat Bayonne by 26-17 in France to register their seventh successive win of the season.
But it was a case of bitter disappointment for the Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks as they went down 46-33 against the Bordeaux Bègles in Pretoria on Saturday, and 56-19 against Stade Toulousain in France on Sunday.
The Lions and Toyota Cheetahs also hit bumps in their opening EPCR Challenge Cup matches, going down 26-18 against Benetton in Johannesburg on Saturday, and 42-12 against the Exeter Chiefs in Exeter on Sunday, which dented their hopes of staking a claim for the title this season.
The result for the DHL Stormers saw them finish the opening round third in their pool behind Stade Rochelais and Leinster, who were able to secure bonus point victories in their matches, while the Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks both finished fifth in their respective pools, with the Pretoria side at least managing to secure a try-scoring bonus point against the defending champions.
The Lions, meanwhile, currently occupy fourth place in their pool and the Toyota Cheetahs fifth in the European Challenge Cup, with both sides unable to secure a point for their efforts this past weekend.