Investec Champions Cup Predictions – Round 2

The Sharks and Stormers also face England clubs later in the day but are away from home. The Durbanites take on the Leicester Tigers at Welford Road while the Capetonians collide with Harlequins at Twickenham Stoop.

Sale Sharks vs Racing 92

When: Friday, 13 December – 22:00 SAST

After a tough first match in Glasgow last weekend, where they went down 38-19, the Sale Sharks are out to rebound in their homecoming.

Racing 92 kicked off their campaign with a 23-12 over Harlequins but if there’s one thing they struggle with, it’s traveling. They’ve lost nine straight matches on the road, so Sale should prevail.

Castres vs Munster

When: Friday, 13 December – 22:00 SAST

Having sent a weakened team to Northampton and eaten a 38-8 loss, Castres will be feeling the pressure to get a result at home. Sitting mid-table in the TOP 14, they’ve had mixed fortunes and are a tad too inconsistent for me to back them.

Munster have looked a different team since Graham Rowntree’s shock departure, making it two from two since then with last weekend’s 33-7 victory over Stade Francais. It’s a tough one, but Munster’s momentum should see them pip it.

Bulls vs Northampton Saints

When: Saturday, 14 December – 15:00 SAST

The Bulls’ 27-5 loss to Saracens last weekend was them paying their school fees for not using the gale-force wind at their backs in the first half to build a lead. Down 8-5 at the break, things were always going to be extremely tough in the second half and they were simply blown away. 

Back in the familiar surroundings of Pretoria, expect Jake White’s men to bounce back with a vengeance, especially considering this one is personal as it was the Saints who knocked them out of last season’s tournament with an emphatic 59-22 quarterfinal win.

Their 30-point thumping of Castres last weekend showed the Saints have a lot of attacking weapons and are organised on defence, so they’ll ask questions and try to take the fight to the Bulls. However, the Pretoria side should have too much passion, power and pace for them at home.

Ulster vs Bordeaux-Begles

When: Saturday, 14 December – 17:15 SAST

Ulster’s woes were compounded last weekend when they were cannon fodder for the defending champions.

Thrashed 61-21 by the mighty Toulouse, they face another in-form French club in Bordeaux-Begles, who are second in the TOP 14 and lashed the Leicester Tigers 42-28 last weekend.

Victorious on their last visit to Belfast back in 2017 when they won 26-22, Bordeaux-Begles should have the muscle power to propel them to another victory.

Leicester Tigers vs Sharks

When: Saturday, 14 December – 19:30 SAST

The Sharks did the business to claim the full five log points in their 39-21 win over the Exeter Chiefs last weekend, but they sure made things a lot harder for themselves than they needed to be.

After starting and finishing poorly, John Plumtree’s troops will be out to produce an 80-minute performance with an obvious focus on discipline after conceding three yellow cards in quick succession in the final quarter of their opening-round clash.

The Durbanites picked up three injuries, to James Venter, Vincent Tshituka and Eben Etzebeth, with the trio joining a growing casualty list. As a result, they’ll be forced to rely on some wider squad members in this first-ever encounter.

Leicester have lost four of their last five games in all competitions and are coming off a 14-point away defeat to Bordeaux-Begles, so they’re vulnerable. However, with double World Cup winner Handre Pollard pulling the strings, they should see off the visitors.

Leinster vs Clermont

When: Saturday, 14 December – 19:30 SAST

Leinster laid down a marker with their impressive 35-12 away win over Bristol last weekend and are the biggest favourites of the second round, despite Clermont having blanked Benetton 28-0 last weekend to stretch their winning streak in all competitions to four.

Unbeaten United Rugby Championship leaders Leinster are indeed a cut above and should cruise to victory.

La Rochelle vs Bristol Bears

When: Saturday, 14 December – 22:00 SAST

The poor Bears go from having to face Leinster, the runners-up of the last three seasons, to La Rochelle, back-to-back champions in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Knocked out in the quarterfinals last season, the French giants showed their hell-bent on reclaiming the crown with a 24-20 away win over an in-form Bath outfit. This will be one-way traffic.

Harlequins vs Stormers

When: Saturday, 14 December – 22:00 SAST

How much fight do the Stormers have left after their disappointing 24-14 home loss to Toulon last weekend? That’s the big question going into this clash.

The Capetonians did well to lead 14-10 at halftime after trailing by 10 early on but being shut out in the second half spoke to how they lost the physical exchanges against the French giants. Sting on attack and edge on defence are required if they want to turn things around.

Manie Libbok, Ben-Jason Dixon and Keke Morabe joined their lengthy injury list and I just can’t see the struggling and gutted Stormers troubling a Harlequins side who made it to the semi-finals last season, even if the English club are coming off a 23-12 away reverse to Racing 92.

Benetton vs Bath

When: Sunday, 15 December – 15:00 SAST

Things can’t get any worse for Benetton after their embarrassing 28-0 defeat at Clermont last weekend. The Italians have struggled in the URC and things are only going to get tougher in the Champions Cup.

Premiership winners Bath are on a mission after being pipped by four points at home by La Rochelle. Expect them to come out firing and claim a full house from their Treviso trip. 

Stade Francais vs Saracens

When: Sunday, 15 December – 15:00 SAST

All smiles after their 22-point win over the Bulls last weekend, Saracens seek to build on that dominant display.

They’re intense and intelligent, as they showed to marvellously manage the first half against the howling wind. Their line speed was outstanding as well and allowed them to knock the Bulls back time and time again.

Mauled 33-7 by Munster last weekend, Stade Francais didn’t show anything to suggest they’ll have something for Saracens, even at home.

Toulon vs Glasgow Warriors

When: Sunday, 15 December – 17:15 SAST

Toulon have their tails up after giving the Stormers a bloody nose last weekend. They weren’t clinical and finished the game with 13 players and yet, they came away with a valuable away win due to their passion, power and opportunism.

Reigning URC champions Glasgow carried their form into the Investec Champions Cup with a commanding 38-19 win over Sale, their eighth win in their last 10 games. Tellingly, the two losses were away from home and that trend will continue in this one.

Exeter Chiefs vs Toulouse

When: Sunday, 15 December – 19:30 SAST

The Chiefs will feel they missed a chance to, at the very least, have come away from Kings Park with a bonus point last weekend.

Their lack of confidence and self-belief stemming from a winless Premiership campaign was evident in the costly unforced errors they made and rendered them unable to score the bonus point try despite the Sharks being down to 12 men. They simply have to back themselves more.

They won’t break their drought this weekend, though, as defending champions Toulouse – fresh off their 40-point annihilation of Ulster – are levels above them.