Boks should give Sharks bite

The 30th instalment of the Champions and Challenge Cup competitions kick off this weekend with five South African franchises in action.

The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are in rarefied company in the Champions Cup, while the Lions and the Cheetahs will start their path to better days in the Challenge Cup on Sunday against the Ospreys and Perpignan respectively.

The Sharks, who head into the Champions Cup having secured their spot by lifting the Challenge Cup, take on last year's quarterfinalists Exeter Chiefs in Durban.

The Sharks are in decent form, having won four of their past five matches, and it gives them reason to be emboldened, says loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi.

“We’ve taken a lot of confidence out of our form in the URC and now it’s a matter of translating that into this new competition. The nature of the tournament is a bit different, playing different teams from different countries, but it’s still a game within the four white lines and for us, we have taken a lot of confidence from our URC form and want to take that into this competition,” he said.

The other reason they may feel good about this fixture is the presence of 10 Springboks in their starting team, with six more internationals on the bench.

The Sharks will be under pressure to make a fast start in the competition. They are grouped in pool 1 with defending champions Toulouse as well as former champs Leicester Tigers and the Chiefs.

The Stormers go into their clash against three-time champions Toulon, hoping to find form and with it a bit of consistency. They have lost three of their past five matches and though they have modest expectations of going the distance in the Champions Cup, they need to find form.

The Stormers' task is made more difficult through the absence of captain Dan du Plessis and playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Toulon, who are fourth in the Top 14, are on a three-match unbeaten run. Though they've rested some players they are still laden with Test stars, among others Baptiste Serin, Gabin Vilierre, Dan Biggar, Kyle Sinckler, Lewis Ludlam and Facundo Isa.

The Bulls take on three-time champions Saracens in London in what could be one of the round's more gripping ties.

Saracens, who are fourth in the Premiership, are searching for consistency while the Bulls, who boast four wins from their past five matches, are third in the URC. They are learning how to win away from home more regularly.

Nico Steyn will lead the Lions into battle in their Challenge Cup clash against the Ospreys. Sam Francis gets a start at flyhalf while Darrien Landsberg makes a return from injury at lock.

The Cheetahs, meanwhile, who host Perpignan on Sunday, have had to backtrack on comments made by director of rugby Frans Steyn pertaining to the Challenge Cup.

“I emphasise I greatly respect European rugby and the EPCR. I have had the privilege of playing in Europe for seven years and hold the competition and its participants in the highest regard. The level of rugby in Europe is exceptional and I admire the quality of rugby played at this level,” said Steyn.