Encouraging starts for three SA teams in Europe

The Vodacom Bulls laid a strong marker for the five participating domestic teams in the two competitions as they produced an impressive display to outplay Stade Francais 56-20 in Pretoria in the Investec Champions Cup, and the DHL Stormers followed suit by thumping the Bristol Bears 49-12 in Cape Town, with both teams securing bonus-point wins.

The 10bet Lions, who opted to play their Champions Cup match against Stade Rochelais in Andrews’ honour despite Friday’s tragic news of their team-mate’s untimely death, were always going to be up against it with their emotions in tatters, and went down 31-14 in their clash against the former champions in France.

These results saw the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls top their respective pools in the Investec Champions Cup, while the 10bet Lions are yet to open their pool account.

In the EPCR Challenge Cup, the Hollywoodbets Sharks scored a try after the final hooter against LOU Rugby for an invaluable 40-33 away victory in France on Saturday, but it was a case of heartbreak for the Toyota Cheetahs, who fought hard but still fell 29-27 short against Aviron Bayonnais on Sunday.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks find themselves in second place in their EPCR Challenge Cup pool, and the Toyota Cheetahs third.

The teams will shift their focus to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship again next weekend, as the second round of pool matches in the European competitions will only resume in December.

**Investec Champions Cup:**

**Jooste hat-trick powers eight-try Bulls past Stade Francais**

The Vodacom Bulls opened their Investec Champions Cup campaign with an eight-try 56-20 victory over Stade Francais at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, with wing Cheswill Jooste earning a memorable hat-trick in the team’s opening match of the competition.

The Junior Bok speedster wasted no time laying a marker in the game as he scored his first try after just 25 seconds by chasing down a grubber kick and dived on the ball.

Both teams applied pressure on attack, with the hosts coming close to scoring again minutes later, but a Stade Francais penalty goal allowed them to reduce their deficit, which was subsequently cancelled out by a second Vodacom Bulls try by Cobus Wiese after some strong forward play close to the tryline in the 16th minute to hand his side a 14-3 lead.

A frustrating period followed for the Vodacom Bulls, who were unable to convert a handful of try-scoring chances into points, while the Frenchmen again kicked a penalty goal.

The hosts eventually earned the rewards from their consistent attacking pressure shortly before the break with Cameron Hanekom forcing his way over the chalk from a quick tap after a scrum penalty to burrow through several defenders, which earned them a 21-6 halftime lead.

The French visitors struck first after the break, but it took only three minutes for the Vodacom to respond as Marco van Staden crashed over from a strong rolling maul to go 28-13 up.

Stade Francais earned their second try shortly before the fourth quarter as they spread the ball wide from a maul, and it was an eight-point game with over 20 minutes to play.

The Vodacom Bulls’ fighting spirit, however, kicked into gear and Jeandre Rudolph produced a magical try from a chip, followed by a well-timed grubber, which he managed to gather and score.

This put a wind in their sails as Jan-Hendrik Wessels scored from a cross-kick by Willie le Roux, followed by an impressive two tries in as many minutes by Jooste. Handre Pollard remained on point with the boot to convert all eight tries for the satisfying 56-20 victory.

**Scorers:**

**Vodacom Bulls 56 (21) –** Tries:**** Cheswill Jooste (3), Cobus Wiese, Cameron Hanekom, Marco van Staden, Jeandre Rudolph, Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Conversions: Handre Pollard (8).

**Stade Français 20 (6) –** Tries: Jacques Botha, Petero Mailulu. Conversions: Louis Foursans-Bourdette (2). Penalty goals: Ihaia West, Foursans-Bourdette.

**Seven-try Stormers overcome 13-man spell to crush Bristol**

The DHL Stormers showed hearts of steel to overcome a 20-minute red card and subsequent yellow card – which saw them being reduced to 13 men at a stage – to outscore the Bristol Bears scored seven tries to two for a comprehensive 49-12 win in the Investec Champions Cup at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

The hosts showed their intent from the outset with Seabelo Senatla opening the scoring only seven minutes in as he sprinted down the field to score in the corner, and after being denied a try and showing true dominance in the opening minutes, Leolin Zas crossed the tryline for their second five-pointer after a brilliant pop pass by Senatla for a 14-0 lead.

The Bristol Bears replied with their first try minutes later, but this was cancelled out soon after following a great break by Damian Willemse, who got the ball off to Jonathan Roche for their third try.

It looked bleak for the DHL Stormers soon after as JJ Kotze received a 20-minute red card for a dangerous tackle in the 33rd minute, but they did well to hold onto the lead to enter the sheds 21-7 ahead.

Matters got worse for the Capetonians in the 48th minute as Zas was yellow-carded, and this paved the way for the visitors to score their second try from a powerful run to the tryline to reduce the hosts’ lead to 21-12, but that proved to be their last points of the match as the DHL Stormers found their rhythm once again.

The home team looked strong and confident as the match progressed with Roche scoring his brace, before Warrick Gelant added another try from a long pass in the corner, and then it was Andre-Hugo Venter’s turn to put his name on the scoresheet from strong forward play.

Zas put the cherry on top with his second try two minutes from the final whistle after Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu launched a long pass wide and closed off the match with his seventh conversion for the 49-12 win.

**Scorers:**

**DHL Stormers 49 (21)** – Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Leolin Zas (2), Jonathan Roche (2), Warrick Gelant, Andre-Hugo Venter. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (7).

**Bristol Bears 12 (7)** – Tries: Joe Owen, Sol Moody. Conversion: Sam Worsley.

**Emotional Lions show fight but ultimately go down to Stade Rochelais**

The 10bet Lions went down 31-14 to Stade Rochelais in an emotionally charged encounter at Stade Marcel-Deflandre in La Rochelle on Saturday – their debut in the Investec Champions Cup – with the French side scoring five tries to two by the South Africans to secure a valuable bonus point victory to kick off their campaign.

It was always going to be a big ask for the Johannesburgers, who received the devastating news on Friday that their team-mate Hyron Andrews had passed away on tour, but they deserve credit for their fight, which saw them apply good pressure for extended periods during the match.

Henco van Wyk scored the first points of the match only three minutes into the game after some strong forward pressure, and it took 10 minutes for the hosts to reply as they scored out wide to level the scores.

The 10bet Lions were dealt a blow in the 28th minute as Siba Mahashe received a yellow card, and this allowed the Frenchmen to strike again a minute later, this time thanks to their forward pressure close to the tryline.

No long thereafter they too received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-down, which gave the Johannesburgers numbers for Morne Brandon to crash over to level the scores once again.

Stade Rochelais regained the lead on the stroke of halftime, which allowed them to enter the break leading by 19-14.

The Frenchmen tightened their grip on the match after the restart, scoring two tries without reply by the visitors despite the 10bet Lions showing promise at times, and that sealed the bonus-point 31-14 win.

**Scorers:**

**Stade Rochelais 31 (19)** – Tries: Tevita Ofa, Oscar Jegou, Davit Niniashvili, Tolu Latu, Avakuki Niusalelekitoga. Conversions: Antoine Hastoy (3).

**10bet Lions 14 (14) –** Tries: Henco van Wyk, Morne Brandon. Conversions: Chris Smith (2).

**EPCR Challenge Cup:**

**Last-gasp try seals Sharks vital win in Lyon thriller**

Lili Bester proved to be the hero for the Hollywoodbets Sharks in their opening EPCR Challenge Cup match on Saturday as he scored the match-winning try after the hooter to earn his side a rewarding 40-33 victory over LOU Rugby at Matmut Stadium Gerland in Lyon on Saturday.

Bester opened the scoring in the sixth minute, and Jaco Williams added their second try from an intercept in the 17th minute to give the KwaZulu-Natalians a 12-0 lead.

This, however, was short-lived as the hosts hit back with two converted tries in eight minutes, and with both conversions successful, they took a two-point lead, but this swapped again before the break as Manu Tshituka crossed the chalk five minutes before halftime after some impressive forward play, which handed the visitors a 19-14 advantage.

The Frenchmen came out strongly in the second half to score their third try, but the intense battle continued as the Hollywoodbets Sharks showed their bite with Nick Hatton cancelling it out with their fourth try, and they backed this up with yet another try, as Zekhethelo Siyaya dotted down for a 33-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The match continued to play out competitively as LOU Rugby again hit their straps as they scored their fifth try to level the scores at 33-33 with a minute remaining.

The match, however, finished in dramatic fashion as the KwaZulu-Natalians retained possession from the restart and spread the ball wide to see Bester dive over for his brace, and Jordan Hendrikse’s conversion sealed the epic 40-33 victory.

**Scorers:**

**LOU Rugby 33 (14**) – Tries: Adrien Seguret, Monty Ioane, Lilian Baret, Gabin Lorre, Baptiste Couilloud. Conversions: Paddy Jackson (4).

**Hollywoodbets Sharks 40 (19)** – Tries: Lili Bester (2), Jaco Williams, Manu Tshituka, Nick Hatton, Zekhethelo Siyaya. Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse (5).

**Cheetahs left gutted by two-point defeat against Bayonne**

The Toyota Cheetahs and Aviron Bayonnais were embroiled in a gripping EPCR Challenge Cup contest from the outset at Stade Jean-Dauger in Bayonne on Sunday, in which both teams ran hard on attack and showed fight at crucial times, but the match ended in heartache for the Free Staters as they suffered a narrow 29-27 defeat.

Bayonne had the upper hand in the first half despite the Toyota Cheetahs scoring first and entered the break 22-13 ahead, but the second half had the home supporters at the edge of their seats as the Free Staters fought back hard.

Had it not been for two vital missed penalty kicks and a possible try-scoring chance or two, which they were unable to take advantage of in the second half, the Toyota Cheetahs could have come away with a victory but instead they had to settled for a two-point defeat.

The visitors started the match strongly with Tiaan Swanepoel slotting a penalty goal followed by a try by Michael Annies off some enterprising play from a set piece in the ninth minute for an early 10-0 lead.

Bayonne hit back through a rolling maul in the 14th minute, with the conversion striking the upright, but they took the lead five minutes later when a dummy pass opened the door for a dashing run through the defence.

Swanepoel’s second penalty goal in the 25th minute edged the Cheetahs back in front at 13-12, but the hosts soon took control, scoring two tries within 10 minutes before the break to take a 22-13 lead.

The Free Staters came out a different side after the interval and struck within three minutes, as CJ Coetzee capped a spell of absorbing pressure by pouncing on a kick through over the tryline, and they backed this up with another try by Louis van der Westhuizen several minutes later to hand them a 27-22 lead.

With the Cheetahs’ pack winning a string of scrum and maul penalties, two chances to stretch the lead went begging, and that proved to be costly, as Herchel Jantjies seized on a turnover to race away for a superb runaway try, which handed Bayonne a 29-27 lead with 12 minutes left to play.

The Cheetahs threw everything at the hosts in the dying minutes, going through phase after phase, but the Bayonne defence held firm to close out the two-point win.

**Scorers:**

**Aviron Bayonnais 29 (22)** – Tries: Facundo Bosch (2), Federico Mori, Yohan Orabe, Herschel Jantjies. Conversions: Rob du Preez (2).

**Toyota Cheetahs 27 (13)** – Tries: Michael Annies, CJ Coetzee, Louis van der Westhuizen. Conversions: Tiaan Swanepoel (3). Penalty goals: Swanepoel (2).

Source: Original report at SA Rugby.