The Bulls and Bordeaux line-ups had not been announced by Thursday night, so this column is dedicated to who the Stormers must beat by way of Bayonne in France to be taken seriously in the Investec Champions Cup.
The qualification in this competition is the ability to win away from home, in another country. Win those games, secure the home games, and home play-offs await in what is the greatest club competition in rugby.
The finals weekend is the neutral venue of Balboa in Spain in the last week of May, but for now it is about winning away from home the league stages.
The Champions Cup is into its 31st year, but South Africa’s participation, as a team collective, is in its infancy.
So many South African players have won the Champions Cup playing for teams up north, but no South African team has advanced beyond the quarter-finals.
This is the year it could change, courtesy of the Stormers and Bulls, South Africa’s best two contenders.
Unfortunately, the Sharks, gifted with so many Springboks, remain the underachievers in the competition.
Bordeaux are the champions, and they are a brilliant team, but their only visit to Loftus was in 2024, and they lost 46-40 in a 12-try thriller to the Bulls.
Get to Loftus on Saturday: this is as good as the Springboks playing France.
Don’t have an expectation of the Sharks in Toulouse against the six times champions. The Sharks will get pumped.
For South Africa, this is a competition that needs the Bulls and Stormers to win at home, and then to pox at least one league win away from home.
The Bulls will win, at least I have them to win.
The Stormers have picked a match 23 good enough to win.
But this is who they have to beat in Bayonne, when context is given to the 23 playing, compared to the 23 of Bayonne who have been so impressive in the French Top 14 for the past 12-18 months.
Bayonne are missing some players, but they are 80 percent at full strength, and they are a match-day squad who have beaten the best of France at home and beaten the big guns of the Investec Champions Cup.
The hosts have trusted continuity and the balance of a squad that does not easily lose at home.
The Stormers have a powerful bench, settled combinations and a very good kicker in Clinton Swart at flyhalf. Swart has been big for the Pumas in the Currie Cup, but he was drafted into the Stormers for the URC and Champions Cup, and this is his first start.
Don’t be surprised if his boot is the difference on Friday night. This guy can kick a rugby ball.
The Bayonne pack is Test standard, with real lineout and breakdown quality; just shy of absolute peak because of Setiano and Bruni being out and Bosch on the bench rather than starting.
The No 9/10 combination is strong with Segonds and former Stormer and Springboks World Cup winner Herschel Jantjies at scrumhalf.
The midfield and back three are good Top 14 calibre but clearly softer in collisions and don’t have the X-factor of Tuilagi–Maqala–Carreras.
If you are putting a number to it, Bayonne are at 85 percent and a home crowd at 100-plus percent at the Stade Jean-Dauger.
The Stormers have picked an interesting team. It is not the A team, but it is also not a B team.
Springbok BJ Dixon is the only one involved of the five who played Wales in the Boks 73-0 win in Cardiff a week ago, but plenty of the heroes from the URC 27-21 Munster win in Limerick are playing in France on Friday night.
Stormers coach John Dobson has picked a 23, not at full-strength but talented and strong enough to win. And winning is what I expect to come out of Pretoria for the hosts on Saturday night.
I unfortunately have no such hope for the Sharks, thumped in Connacht a week ago in the URC, and about to be beaten decisively in Toulouse on Sunday.
For South Africa, this is a competition that needs the Bulls and Stormers to win at home, and then to pox at least one league win away from home.
Both north and south are good enough, when talking about South Africa, and the challenge of the Bulls and Stormers.
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