The Stormers and Bulls have booked their places in the Champions Cup Round of 16, although the Cape side will be pretty gutted to not have home ground advantage in the next phase of the competition.
Meanwhile, there was heartbreak for the Lions, as they were forced to settle for a 20-20 draw against Perpignan, which signalled the end of their EPCR Challenge Cup campaign due to the French side’s superior standing on the table.
It comes after the Cheetahs were also knocked out of the competition earlier this month.
RECAP OF RESULTS FOR BULLS AND STORMERS
The Bulls’ bonus-point 26-24 victory against Section Paloise in France on Friday evening was enough to secure them a Round of 16 place against the Glasgow Warriors away in April, despite the fact it was their first win in the pool stages.
With other results going their way, the men from Pretoria booked their playoff spot, while they also ended a seven-match losing streak this season.
There would have been mixed feelings for the Stormers, as they claimed a 39-26 victory against the Leicester Tigers in Cape Town to book a playoff spot against Toulon, but John Dobson’s team will now have to face the challenge of having to travel overseas for that knockout game after La Rochelle lost to Harlequins.
Heartbreak for Sharks and Lions
Unfortunately for the Sharks, their convincing 50-12 victory against Clermont Auvergne in Durban was not enough to keep them in the Champions Cup, but their fifth-place finish in their pool earned them an EPCR Challenge Cup playoff match against Connacht, which means they have a chance of reclaiming the title they won two seasons ago.
In the EPCR Challenge Cup, the Lions produced an encouraging display against Perpignan in France, with the match ending in a draw, but it was not the result they needed to progress.
Meanwhile, a late try by Racing 92 saw the Cheetahs suffer a disappointing 31-28 defeat in Paris as both SA teams’ campaigns ended.
CHAMPIONS CUP PLAYOFF FIXTURES
Round of 16 – 3/4/5 April
R16 1: Union Bordeaux Bègles (1) v Leicester Tigers (16)
R16 2: Glasgow Warriors (2) v Bulls (15)
R16 3: Leinster Rugby (3) v Edinburgh Rugby (14)
R16 4: Bath Rugby (4) v Saracens (13)
R16 5: Northampton Saints (5) v Castres Olympique (12)
R16 6: Harlequins (6) v Sale Sharks (11)
R16 7: RC Toulon (7) v Stormers (10)
R16 8: Stade Toulousain (8) v Bristol Bears (9)
NB The clubs ranked numbers 1 to 8 will have home venue advantage
