Bulls trump Stormers in learning value of bonus points
SA rugby is close to one-and-a-half seasons into its participation in the Investec Champions Cup, and the layers of the competition are still being unveiled for the local teams, their coaches and supporters.
One of the realities that may still not be understood fully but is starting to come home to South Africans is the jeopardy that there is in a pool phase where every bonus point is important, and where any points picked up away from home are like gold.
The Stormers are getting a lesson on the value of bonus points more than the Bulls, with both the bonus point they gave to the Sale Sharks and the one they missed out on late in their away game against Leicester at the start of the competition having potential to come back and bite them.
And a gift the Sale bonus point certainly was. Leolin Zas handing the ball to an opponent on his own line after he had done all the good work of gaining possession was rugby’s equivalent of soccer’s own goal.
The Stormers have turned around their season in their sequence of four home games over the holiday season, with the epic win over European champions La Rochelle followed by wins over the Bulls, the Sharks (Durban version) and Sale. In those last three though the Stormers were poised to put their opponents away and then let their opponents back in by being sloppy.
On all three occasions they showed good game management by forcing their opponents into their own half in the last five minutes, but in the Champions Cup game not so much, as allowing Sale to leave with a losing bonus point could have significant consequences.
With the two teams, La Rochelle and Sale, closest to competing with the Stormers for the top four position in their pool that will guarantee advance to the round of 16 set to play each other next week, the Stormers can consider their passage to the next round secure.
What is far from secure though, and this is what perhaps many South Africans have been missing, is home ground advantage in that first play-off game that is so coveted by all teams. People criticise the Champions Cup format on the grounds that it is too complicated, but it isn’t — the top four go through, the top two play at home against the bottom two of another pool.
It is in the quest for a top two spot where the bonus points could cost the Stormers — they are competing with Sale and Leicester for second spot behind Leinster. If Deon Fourie’s team win against Stade Francais in Paris next week they will finish ahead of Sale regardless of what Sale manage to do in their last pool game against La Rochelle.
But that bonus point will make the difference between second and third if the Stormers don’t beat Stade Francais and the other results conspire to put them within a point of second and Sale are the other team. Likewise Leicester, who were level with the Stormers on nine log points in second place ahead of their tough away game against La Rochelle on Sunday and who play Leinster next week in their final pool game.
Considering the battle within a battle to clinch home advantage in the round of 16, this phase of the competition becomes interesting. The Bulls, by picking up a losing bonus point on their previous away visit to Lyon and then winning away against Bristol Bears, are in a great position heading into the final round. But they will need to beat Bordeaux Bègles , who before Sunday afternoon’s clash with Bath, were one of the unbeaten teams in the competition, to clinch second, as well as rely on a few other results going their way.
Without playing the Stormers went second on points difference on Sunday ahead of Leicester who were thumped by La Rochelle 45-12.
Hopefully what the Bulls are playing for will draw a big crowd to Loftus, for there is still some carping from overseas critics about the level of interest being shown in the competition by the SA rugby public.
The 25,000 that turned out for the Sale game in Cape Town wasn’t quite at the level of the two festive season URC derbies, but it was a big step forward on the turnout for the La Rochelle game in December, which was frankly played at the wrong time of day — 3pm kickoff — for rugby at the height of the SA summer.
There was a fairly good crowd when the Bulls started out by beating Saracens, but it could have been better.
The Bulls were in imperious form against Bristol and made a statement on behalf of SA rugby. Their fans can make their own statement this weekend by letting it be known this country does want Championship Cup rugby.