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European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 1International

Saturday, 17 Jan 2026

20:00

ConnachtMontauban

20:00

OspreysMontpellier

News

Stormers aiming to sharpen up on attack against Leicester Tigers

The Stormers are gunning for a clinical performance when they take on Leicester Tigers in their must-win final Champions Cup pool clash at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday evening (kick-off 5:15pm). After a brilliant 10-game winning start to their season the Cape side suffered their first defeat of their 2025-26 campaign last weekend when their second-string team crashed to a heavy defeat against Harlequins in London. That saw them slip to third in their pool, and they know they have to win to secure their place in the last 16, and possibly earn a home playoff if other results go their way. But key for the Stormers heading into the match against Leicester will be an improved attacking performance, after they missed a slew of chances in their past two matches. The Stormers are well known for their thrilling, attacking brand of rugby and it has been on full show over the season so far, but in their recent United Rugby Championship match against the Bulls and last weekend against Harlequins, they only managed two tries in each game. They are thus aiming to produce a better attacking performance on Saturday, especially back in front of their home fans. Work on “It’s an area you are always going to work on. I think against the Bulls, we had two open trylines, and we missed those ones,” explained assistant coach Dawie Snyman earlier this week about their recent efforts on attack. “Against Harlequins, we had two nice momentum carries into the 22 before the ball was turned over, and we finished five metres from our own line. “It’s an area of the game we always pride ourselves on and want to do well, and it is what the faithful want to see when we play at home. We will try and sharpen it up.” Stormers hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, who was one of the first team players left in Cape Town to prepare for the Leicester match, admitted that the team was fired up to go out and get the job done and secure their place in the Champions Cup knockouts. “There’s always that pressure, but we want to go out and perform and secure our playoff for the round of 16. We have a really good culture, and we will try our best to reach our goals. It’s about putting our best foot forward and taking control of what we can control,” said Venter. “Playing at home makes a massive difference. The energy from the crowd gives you that extra push when it gets tough. If you go overseas, they always have that sense of home-ground advantage because they have smaller stadiums, so they mostly sell out. That has a huge impact on the game.”

2 hours ago

Lions bracing for physical Perpignan battle in Challenge Cup

The Lions are bracing for a physical two-game battle on their European tour, starting with their Challenge Cup clash against USA Perpignan in France on Saturday night (kick-off 7:30pm). It is an important game for the Lions as they chase qualification to the competitions last 16, and they follow it up with another big encounter in the United Rugby Championship (URC) with them taking on Ospreys next Friday. Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen admitted that the team would have to battle the elements, with freezing conditions expected for both matches, and that matching the opposition’s physicality would be vital for his team. Physical Perpignan “We are preparing for a massive and physical Perpignan side that thrives on momentum. And then another physically tough Ospreys side who are wanting to prove a point with the ups and downs in Wales (rugby) and an uncertain future (possible dropped team from the URC),” said Van Rooyen. “I know their (Ospreys) coach really well and they are going to be up and desperate for a good performance. We are excited (for these games), and it’s also an opportunity for us to get closer and keep on growing as a group.” The Lions are currently fourth in their Challenge Cup pool, level with Perpignan on six points, who are third, while Dragons sit fifth on four points and Lyon bottom on two. But with how tightly packed the bottom half of the log is, if the Lions were to lose to Perpignan, Dragons, who take on Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday, and Lyon, who take on Benetton on Sunday, could overhaul them should they upset the top two teams in the pool. So a win would secure their place in the knockouts, regardless of other results, and they want to keep qualification in their own hands. Stay alive “We have an opportunity this weekend to stay alive (in the Challenge Cup). A (positive) result is really important for us, you don’t want to leave (qualification) up to other teams and results (going our way), or points difference,” explained Van Rooyen. “So what would make this a successful first hurdle in the EPCR will be for us to get a win here and get into the round of 16.” It is then a short turnaround for the Lions as they head to Wales where they will face Ospreys in Swansea, and that will also be a big game to keep them in the top eight on the URC log. “Next week against Ospreys is another important game. We want to win that so that we can stay in the (top eight) hunt and see if we can close the gap to the other seven teams (ahead on the log),” said Van Rooyen. “We know this is going to be a tough two games. But the group has been training hard and we are confident that we can get the results we are wanting.”

8 hours ago