Champions Cup rugby could well get its first taste of a proper good ol’ South African north-south derby as soon as the Round of 16 kicks off.
Heading into the final weekend of the first-round fixtures, the Stormers and the Bulls look set for a collision at the end of March.
But let’s start with this weekend before we get ahead of ourselves.
Coach John Dobson’s team is currently fourth in Pool B with one match to go.
In Pool B, @StadeToulousain, @staderochelais and @LeicesterTigers all qualified for the #HeinekenChampionsCup this weekend 💪
Plenty to play for next week, who do you think will join them? 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/TW4FArZiGL
Technically they could still lose to the eight-placed Clermont and still qualify as one of the top eight teams to make the Round of 16. Lose with fewer than seven points and score four tries to earn two bonus points would ensure their journey lives on.
But at home, the Stormers went through the hele 2022 unbeaten and should they beat Clermont, they should hang on to their fourth place, with unbeaten Toulouse, La Rochelle and Leicester all expected to win their final first-round matches.
Fourth place in Pool B guarantees a Round of 16 clash with the fifth-placed team in Pool A.
As it stands, that team is Scotland’s Edinburgh and while a number of things could still happy and a number of teams claiming fifth, it is highly likely that the Bulls - currently in sixth - will be that team.
The reason for that is that Edinburgh face England’s unbeaten Saracens in the weekend’s final match on Sunday night. Sarries are currently in third place and if Exeter beat winless bottom-club Castres, the Bulls only have to get the better of Lyon tomorrow night to finish fourth.
Of course they could finish higher up if other results don’t go to script, like the second-placed Sharks going down to Harlequins in England.
Siya Kolisi and his teammates, though, are unbeaten to date and could even finish fifth and then face the Stormers if they lose on Saturday.
If not, and they hold on to their second place, the Durbanites look set to face former Shark Cobus Reinach and his Montpellier teammates.
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za