Warriors, Repeats, And Call Offs - Champions/Challenge Cup Talking Points

The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup moved into the third and penultimate round of group matches with the pools taking shape as team jostled for the top two positions that will guarantee a home tie in the round of 16.

For some, they produced performances to remember, while for others, they are hanging on to a place in the knockout rounds by their fingernails. It all adds up to a thrilling final round.

It wasn’t all great, and there are still repercussions from the design of the tournament that impacted events over the weekend.

Here’s ATR’s take on what unfolded…

Glasgoooooooooooooo

Glasgow Warriors will have enjoyed putting a huge tick in the box that said return from Clermont Auvergne with a win and a four-try bonus point. It means that they are in pole position to finish top of Pool 1, which would guarantee a home quarterfinal it they make it that far. Job done.

Crucially they made a strong start. Sure, the Stade Marcel Michelin is still a fortress, but the team are far from their pomp and have injuries galore. As such, the crowd were silenced, low morale was dragged lower still, and the four-try bonus secured before halftime.

Even two yellow cards in the second half couldn’t derail the Warriors, and to put the cherry on the cake and a huge smile on Franco Smith and Gregor Townsend’s faces, Huw Jones scored a try in his first appearance since the third Lions test back in July 2025. He also carried 10 times and made two linebreaks. That’s any worries over the 13 shirt quietened for now.

South African Stumbles

Whatever the reasons, it really wasn’t a good weekend for the South African teams. Yes, we know about the travel. Yes, the changes in climate are hard to handle, and yes, we are aware that there will be squad rotations, but blimey there’s bad and then there’s the Bulls and the Stormers showings.

For the Stormers, in particular, to not score a point until the 66th minute is remarkable for a team that top United Rugby Championship (URC) and were being talked about as potential Champions Cup winners.

Like the Bulls, their defence was paper thin and their opponents – Bristol Bears against the Bulls and Harlequins against the Stormers – needed less than 30 minutes to secure a four-try bonus point. We knew about the Bulls problems and that showed in their 32 missed tackles, but the Stormers 39 is alarming.

The Sharks offered no respite with a loss to Sale Sharks, though the Lions won their Challenge Cup match against Lyon. The Stormers are at home to the Leicester so should progress, the Sharks face the injury hit Clermont Auvergne, which offers some hope, but for the Bulls, away to Pau, it looks like their race is already done.

Bears Ready To Pounce

While the Bulls were poor at Loftus Versfeld, Bristol Bears were excellent and they needed to be. Theirs is a tough group, with Bordeaux-Begles and Northampton Saints, and their win in Pretoria means they have a great chance of finishing in the top two places, they probably just need to beat the reigning champions to do so.

The match was a tour de force for Bristol’s backrow, with Santiago Grondona, Fitz Harding, and Bill Mata making 16 tackles apiece. Then there were the wingers, Noah Heward and Kalaveti Ravouvou, who between them scored five of the Bears’ nine tries.

Pat Lam’s side are in a rich vein of form, with leading players returning to ease what was an injury crisis. Last season, Northampton used an away victory over the Bulls as a springboard to a place in the final, might the Bears use there’s in the same way?

Amsterdam Initiative Hit By The Big Chill

If it was bad for three of South Africa’s four URC teams, spare a thought for the one who compete elsewhere. Quite why the Cheetahs have been given a spot is a mystery, when it could have gone to a Spanish, a Portuguese, or a Romanian side.

They have seriously underwhelmed this season with two defeats from two, hardly surprising for a team that won’t play regularly until the Currie Cup kicks off later in the South African winter.

However, they were full of optimism ahead of the weekend after moving the match to Amsterdam and filling the 5,000-capaticy NRCA Stadium. That was before freezing temperatures meant that venue was changed, but after the re-arranged, behind closed doors fixture was also hit by freezing temperatures, the match was cancelled and Ulster awarded a 28-0 victory.

It is hard to blame the club when it is weather related. Congratulate them on their initiative but point out that maybe somewhere nearer the Mediterranean might be a better option next time.

Black Lions Ready To Pounce

Black Lion are Georgia’s lone representatives in either competition, in fact they are only one of two that don’t compete in the Top 14, URC, or Gallagher PREM Rugby. In many ways they are a sop to those who demand that the tournaments help deepen the playing stocks outside of the Six Nations and South Africa.

As such, it was great to see them enjoy their first win of this season’s Challenge Cup, when they returned from Montauban with a 31-28 victory. Flyhalf Luka Tsirekidze enjoyed his day with a brace of tries, wing Akaki Tabutsadze finished deftly in the corner, their pack won a penalty try, and number eight Giorgi Sinauridze bludgeoned his way over from a lineout move.

Sure, they slowed in the final quarter, and while Montauban fought back, Black Lion’s defence was not going to yield at the death. It would have been quite the flight home one suspects. More importantly, they now have the chance to progress to the knockout rounds. Doing so will do much for Georgian rugby, but also those outside the traditional powers. Maybe then, there will be more than one place available.