Top dogs deliver on emotional weekend for SA rugby

OPINION: The leading South African teams made an encouraging start to the European tournaments on a weekend that was marked by the tragic death of Hyron Andrews.

The Bulls and Stormers put on a show in the first round of the Champions Cup, while a young Sharks side claimed an important Challenge Cup win in Lyon.

That said, it’s hard to look past the Lions’ spirited display in La Rochelle, and what it meant for the club and community.

Cash van Rooyen’s charges have taken giant strides over the past 12 months and have earned their seat at the top table.

But expectations were certainly tempered after they drew the two-time winners at the Stade Marcel Deflandre in the first round of the Champions Cup.

Then Friday morning happened.

The news about a tragic accident involving an unnamed Lions player made headlines around the world. Later in the afternoon, it was confirmed that Hyron Andrews had been found in a shower cubicle at the team hotel.

At that point, nobody would have blamed the Lions if they’d called for the fixture to be postponed.

But the Lions decided to play the match and dedicate their performance to Andrews.

The game provided all and sundry with the opportunity to acknowledge the devastating loss and to celebrate the big man’s life.

There was a moment of silence before kick-off and then a minute of applause by a warm and generous La Rochelle crowd.

The host broadcaster panned to Ruan Delport and Ettienne Oosthuizen – Andrews’ second-row teammates – who were openly crying.

At that stage, a part of me wondered if an emotional Lions side had made a mistake, and whether they might be on the verge of a heavy defeat.

Fortunately, the Lions managed to channel those emotions into a physical performance for the ages.

Henco van Wyk crossed the tryline in the third minute to show that the Lions were serious about capping their tribute to Andrews with a victory.

The forwards hammered into their La Rochelle counterparts as if the fixture was a World Cup final rather than the opening pool fixture of a club tournament.

La Rochelle dug deep for a response, and in the end, their bench seized the initiative and claimed the bonus point.

As Van Rooyen said afterwards, the climax may have been different if a late Lions try had stood.

As it was, the TMO correctly ruled that a pass in the build-up had travelled forward.

Van Rooyen was right to suggest, however, that the Lions had come agonisingly close to securing a monumental upset.

The loss of a friend and teammate will be keenly felt for some time yet.

The Lions may be hard-pressed to process their grief while maintaining a high standard week after week.

And yet, they would do well to remember the quality of the performance in the cauldron of La Rochelle, and how they pushed the two-time champions close.

They may lack the depth to produce such displays on a weekly basis, but don’t be surprised if the Lions finish the season with a few more big scalps – they beat Leinster last month.

The story continues below…

#ForHyron https://t.co/PpzP1ZRkZj

— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) October 18, 2026

The circumstances were very different, but South Africa’s other leading franchises laid down a marker in European fixtures staged over the weekend.

The Bulls and Stormers went into their home matches against Stade Francais and Bristol Bears as favourites.

Whether they had what it took to score three or more tries than their opponents – and claim a bonus point, as per the new tournament rules – was always going to be the big question.

On the day, the Bulls outscored Stade Francais by eight tries to two in a 56-20 victory, while the Stormers put seven past the attack-minded Bristol in a 49-12 win.

Neither match was as one-sided as the final scorelines might suggest, and both teams were made to fight to ensure that they finished with a valuable bonus point.

It was encouraging to note how dominant these teams were at the set-pieces, and how they struck a balance between kicking and running. The Stormers kicked from hand on 31 occasions.

Both coaches will admit that there is work to be done ahead of the second round of the Champions Cup in mid-December.

The Bulls will travel to Montpellier, while the Stormers will tackle reigning champions Bordeaux-Bégles in their own backyard.

The Sharks deserve a special mention for how they’ve managed their side in recent weeks.

While JP Pietersen opted to rest a number of Springboks for the first Challenge Cup match in Lyon, the team travelled to Lyon with the intent to win.

A young team complemented by older recruits like Ivan van Zyl, Stephan Lewies and Nemo Roelofse showed terrific determination to score in the final play and clinch a 40-33 victory.

The result will improve the Sharks’ chances of topping their Challenge Cup pool, with home matches against Scarlets and Castres to come.

They may also fancy their chances of winning the final European pool match in Benetton.

At the same time, the Sharks will need to produce more consistent performances in the United Rugby Championship and ensure that they qualify for the play-offs, having missed the cut last season.

The Durban-based side will face Cardiff and Munster on the road over the next two weeks, and should be targeting a minimum of six log points from those fixtures.

Meanwhile, the Bulls and Stormers will play their last two URC fixtures – before the break for the Nations Championship in November – at home.

It may be a tough ask for the Lions to maintain their effort when they play Edinburgh and Glasgow over the next fortnight.

But it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see at least three South African teams in the top eight by the end of October.