Challenge Cup, Round Two - Teams and predictions

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY PREVIEWS: After a disappointing start to their Challenge Cup campaigns, the Cheetahs and the Lions will be hoping to bounce back with strong showings in Round Two.

The Cheetahs reached the Round of 16 in their previous two campaigns and will be eager to improve on that and progress further in the tournament this time around.

The Bloemfontein-based side, one of two invitational sides in the Challenge Cup this season, were held to a 20-20 draw in their Round One clash against Perpignan at their ‘home’ ground in Amsterdam.

The Cheetahs are the only team in the competition who do not play at their home ground. Instead, their home games take place at the National Rugby Centre Amsterdam (NRCA) Stadium.

Cheetahs head coach Izak van der Westhuizen was quick to praise their adoptive home.

“We are very grateful to the people in Amsterdam. I mean, they’ve been very supportive. 

“For us, it’s a home game feeling, with the amount of people who root for us.”

However, he didn’t shy away from the fact that in an ideal world, they would be entertaining the Bloemfontein crowd.

“It’s difficult. People do want to play at home, but we accept it as it is.”

Last weekend, the Cheetahs looked to have done enough to secure the victory in Amsterdam, only to concede a late penalty, surrendering their three-point lead at the death.

Van der Westhuizen said the tries they conceded were just as much, if not more to blame for the draw.

“At the end of the day the game came down to three key moments. Three soft tries we let in from our side.”

Despite the weather forecast promising a dry afternoon, Van der Westhuizen said he expects the sort of tactical game that European rugby is famed for.

“We are expecting a bit more of a kicking game from their side, so we’ve been preparing for that this whole week.”

“We know that the games in Europe often come down to two or three points. 

“We pay a lot of attention to the small things, like offside lines and small decisions that referees make.

“But I don’t think that’s something we talk about. We focus more on the discipline side and trying to keep our side clean for those small margins.”

The Cheetahs boss remained adamant, though, that their success will depend on how well they play their game rather than what the opposition does.

“I think using the opportunities better is a big focus for us.”

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Meanwhile, the Lions will be looking to get their campaign back on track after suffering a 14-30 loss to Ospreys last weekend in Llanelli.

That will be a tall ask for the Johannesburg-based side, who will be without some of their star players this weekend when they host Pau in Johannesburg.

Head coach Ivan van Rooyen’s hand was forced by injuries, as centre Henco van Wyk and fullback Quan Horn were ruled out of the clash with training injuries.

Despite the absence of their stars, the Lions are relishing the prospect of playing a strong French pack at altitude, according to prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye.

“The French pride themselves on their set-piece and the physical stuff.

“We’re looking forward to the physical battle, and a bit of running rugby as well.”

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Saturday, December 14

Montpellier v Ospreys
(Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier – Kick-off: 14.00; 13.00 UK time & GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Montpellier by 11

Teams

Montpellier: 15. Josh Moorby, 14. Mael Moustin, 13. Thomas Darmon, 12. Arthur Vincent (captain), 11. Madosh Tambwe, 10. Stuart Hogg, 9. Leo Coly, 8. Sam Simmonds, 7. Lenni Nouchi, 6. Nicolas Martins, 5. Tyler DuGuid, 4. Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 3. Luka Japaridze, 2. Jordan Uelese, 1. Baptiste Erdocio
Replacements: 16. Lyam Akrab, 17. Enzo Forletta, 18. Wilfrid Hounkpatin, 19. Bastien Chalureau, 20. Billy Vunipola, 21. Ryan Louwrens, 22. Aurelien Barreau, 23. Auguste Cadot

Ospreys: 15. Jack Walsh, 14. Daniel Kasende, 13. Owen Watkin, 12. Owen Williams, 11. Keelan Giles, 10. Dan Edwards, 9. Kieran Hardy, 8. Morgan Morris, 7. Jac Morgan (captain), 6. Tristan Davies, 5. Lewis Jones, 4. Will Spencer, 3. Ben Warren, 2. Dewi Lake, 1. Gareth Thomas
Replacements:16. Sam Parry, 17. Steff Thomas, 18. Rhys Henry, 19. Will Griffiths, 20. Will Greatbanks, 21. Reuben Morgan-Williams, 22. Evradi Boshoff, 23. Iestyn Hopkins

Referee: Adam Leal
Assistant referees: Richard Gordon, Hamish Grant
TMO: David Rose

Zebre v Lyon Olympique
(Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma – Kick-off: 14.00 CET; 13.00 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Lyon by five

Teams

Zebre: 15. Alessandro Fusco, 14. Jacopo Trulla, 13. Luca Morisi, 12. Fetuli Paea, 11. Simone Gesi, 10. Geronimo Prisciantelli, 9. Gonzalo Garcia, 8. Giovanni Licata, 7. Bautista Stavile Bravin, 6. Giacomo Milano, 5. Andrea Zambonin, 4. Leonardo Krumov, 3. Matteo Nocera, 2. Tommaso di Bartolomeo, 1. Danilo Fischetti (captain)
Replacements: 16. Giampietro Ribaldi, 17. Luca Rizzoli, 18. Muhamed Hasa, 19. Rusiate Nasove, 20. Jacopo Bianchi, 21. Thomas Dominguez, 22. Giacomo da Re, 23. Scott Gregory

Lyon Olympique: 15. Alexandre Tchaptchet, 14. Ethan Dumortier, 13. Alfred Parisien (captain), 12. Semi Radradra, 11. Vincent Rattez, 10. Martin Meliande, 9. Esteban Gonzalez, 8. Maxime Gouzou, 7. Liam Allen, 6. Steeve Blanc-Mappaz, 5. Tomas Lavanini, 4. Theo William, 3. Jermaine Ainsley, 2. Sam Matavesi, 1. Jérôme Rey 
Replacements: 16. Yanis Charcosset, 17. Hamza Kaabeche, 18. Irakli Aptsiauri, 19. Killian Geraci, 20. Beka Saginadze, 21. Charlie Cassang, 22. Xavier Mignot, 23. Monty Ioane

Referee: Ben Breakspear
Assistant referees: Mathew Leon, Mike English
TMO: Tom Spurrier

Lions v Section Paloise
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg – Kick-off: 17.15; 16.15 CET; 15.15 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Lions by nine

Teams

Lions: 15. Tapiwa Mafura, 14. Rabz Maxwane, 13. Erich Cronje, 12. Marius Louw (captain), 11. Edwill van der Merwe, 10. Sam Francis, 9. Morne van den Berg, 8. Francke Horn, 7. WJ Steenkamp, 6. Jarod Cairns, 5. Reinhard Nothnagel, 4. Ruben Schoeman, 3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2. PJ Botha, 1. Juan Schoeman
Replacements: 16. Jaco Visagie, 17. SJ Kotze, 18. RF Schoeman, 19. Ruan Delport, 20. JC Pretorius, 21. Nico Steyn, 22. Kade Wolhuter, 23. Manuel Rass

Section Paloise: 15. Clément Mondinat, 14. Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, 13. Olivier Klemenczak, 12. Eliott Roudil (captain), 11. Gregoire Arfeuil, 10. Axel Desperes, 9. Thomas Souverbie, 8. Thibaut Hamonou, 7. Mehdi Tlili, 6. Lekima Tagitagivalu, 5. Jimi Maximin, 4. Remi Picquette, 3. Guram Papidze, 2. Dan Jooste, 1. Remi Seneca,
Replacements:16. Romain Ruffenach, 17. Daniel Bibi Biziwu, 18. Alexandre Etchebehere, 19. Joel Kpoku, 20. Victor Templier, 21. Josselin Bouhier, 22. Quentin Valentino, 23. Aymeric Luc

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson, John Meredith
TMO: Dean Richards

Vannes v Gloucester
(Stade de la Rabine, Vannes – Kick-off: 18.30 CET; 17:30 UK time & GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Gloucester by four

Teams

Vannes: 15. Paul Surano, 14. Enzo Benmegal, 13. Robin Taccola, 12. Tani Vili, 11. Romaric Camou, 10. Maxime Lafage, 9. Michael Ruru, 8. Sione Kalamafoni, 7. Francisco Gorrissen (captain), 6. Karl Chateau, 5. Timothe Mezou, 4. Anton Bresler, 3. Simon Bourgeois, 2. Theo Beziat, 1. Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16. Cyril Blanchard, 17. Charlesty Berguet, 18. Santiago Medrano, 19. Eric Marks, 20. Fabrice Metz, 21. Simon Augry, 22. Jules Lebail, 23. Inaki Ayarza

Gloucester: 15. Ioan Jones, 14. Jacob Morris, 13. Chris Harris (captain), 12. Seb Atkinson, 11. Jack Reeves, 10. George Barton, 9. Charlie Chapman, 8. Albert Tuisue, 7. Harry Taylor, 6. Danny Eite, 5. Cameron Jordan, 4. Freddie Clarke, 3. Kirill Gotovtsev, 2. Morgan Nelson, 1. Mayco Vivas
Replacements: 16. Gareth Blackmore, 17. Archie McArthur, 18. Alfie Petch, 19. Deian Gwynne, 20. Caio James, 21. Caolan Englefield, 22. Rory Taylor, 23. Jack Cotgreave

Referee: Saba Abulashvili
Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli, Shota Tevzadze
TMO: Brian MacNeice

Cardiff v Cheetahs
(Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff – Kick-off: 20.00; 22.00 SAST; 20.00 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Cheetahs by three

Teams

Cardiff: 15. Cam Winnett, 14. Josh Adams, 13. Rey Lee-Lo, 12. Ben Thomas, 11. Tom Bowen, 10. Callum Sheedy, 9. Aled Davies, 8. Taulupe Faletau, 7. Dan Thomas, 6. James Botham, 5. Teddy Williams, 4. Josh McNally, 3. Will Davies-King, 2. Liam Belcher (captain), 1. Corey Domachowski
Replacements: 16. Dafydd Hughes, 17. Danny Southworth, 18. Keiron Assiratti, 19. Seb Davies, 20. Alex Mann, 21. Alun Lawrence, 22. Johan Mulder, 23. Rory Jennings

Cheetahs: 15. Michael Annies, 14. Munier Hartzenberg, 13. CJ Coetzee, 12. Ali Mgijima, 11. Cohen Jasper, 10. Ethan Wentzel, 9. Ruben de Haas, 8. Jeandre Rudolph, 7. Oupa Mohoje, 6. Gideon van der Merwe, 5. Victor Sekekete (captain), 4. Carl Wegner, 3. Aranos Coetzee, 2. Louis van der Westhuizen, 1. Schalk Ferreira
Replacements: 16. Vernon Paulo, 17. Hencus van Wyk, 18. Rob Hunt, 19. Pierre-Raymond Uys, 20. Friedle Olivier, 21. Daniel Maartens, 22. Rewan Kruger, 23. George Lourens

Referee: Eoghan Cross
Assistant referees: Andrew Cole, Sam Holt
TMO: Leo Colgan

Sunday, December 15

Scarlets v Black Lion
(Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli – Kick-off: 13.00; 17.00 GET; 13.00 GMT )

Prediction

@rugby365com: Scarlets by 15

Teams

Scarlets: 15. Ioan Nicholas, 14. Tom Rogers, 13. Joe Roberts, 12. Johnny Williams, 11. Ellis Mee, 10. Sam Costelow, 9. Gareth Davies, 8. Vaea Fifita, 7. Josh Macleod (captain), 6. Taine Plumtree, 5. Sam Lousi, 4. Max Douglas, 3. Henry Thomas, 2. Marnus van der Merwe, 1. Kemsley Mathias
Replacements: 16. Shaun Evans, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Archer Holz, 19. Alex Craig, 20. Jarrod Taylor, 21. Archie Hughes, 22. Ioan Lloyd, 23. Eddie James

Black Lion: 15. Luka Tsirekidze, 14. Akaki Tabutsadze, 13. Demi Tapladze, 12. Tornike Kakhoidze, 11. Amiran Shvangiradze, 10. Luka Matkava (captain), 9. Tengiz Peranidze, 8. Luka Ivanishvili (captain), 7. Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 6. Sandro Mamamtavrishvili, 5. Mikheil Babunashvili, 4. Lado Chachanidze, 3. Giorgi Chkhartishvili, 2. Irakli Kvatadze, 1. Vasil Kakovin
Replacements: 16. Tengiz Zamtaradze, 17. Dato Abdushelishvili, 18. Bachuki Tchumbadze, 19. Demuri Epremidze, 20. Giorgi Sinauridze, 21. Davit Khuroshvili, 22. Ioane Metreveli, 23. Sandro Todua

Referee: Kevin Bralley
Assistant referees: Jonathan Gasnier, Flavien Hourquet
TMO: Cedric Marchat

Perpignan v Connacht
(Stade Aime Giral, Perpignan – Kick-off: 14.00; 13:00 UK time & GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Perpignan by six

Teams

Perpignan: 15. Ali Crossdale, 14. Jefferson Joseph, 13. Riko Buliruarua, 12. Apisai Naqalevu, 11. Maxim Granell, 10. Antoine Aucagne, 9. James Hall, 8. Andro Dvali, 7. Max Hicks, 6. Noe Della Schiava, 5. Adrien Warion, 4. Alessandro Ortombina, 3. Nemo Roelofse, 2. Seilala Lam (captain), 1. Lorencio Boyer-Gallardo
Replacements: 16. Victor Montgaillard, 17. Johan Barcenilla D’Onghia, 18. Kieran Brookes, 19. Bastien Chinarro, 20. So’otala Fa’aso’o, 21. Gela Aprasidze, 22. Tommaso Allan, 23. Freddy Duguivalu

Connacht: 15. Santiago Cordero, 14. Chay Mullins, 13. Byron Ralston, 12. Cathal Forde, 11. Andrew Smith, 10. Jack Carty, 9. Matthew Devine, 8. Sean O’Brien, 7. Shamus Hurley-Langton, 6. Cian Prendergast (captain), 5. Joe Joyce, 4. Darragh Murray, 3. Sam Illo, 2. Eoin de Buitlear, 1. Denis Buckley
Replacements: 16. Adam McBurney, 17. Jordan Duggan, 18. Jack Aungier, 19. Oisin Dowling, 20. Paul Boyle, 21. Ben Murphy, 22. David Hawkshaw, 23. Conor Oliver

Referee: Sara Cox
Assistant referees: Harry Walbaum, Gareth Holsgrove
TMO: Dan Jones

Newcastle Falcons v Dragons
(Kingston Park, Newcastle – Kick-off: 15.15 UK time & GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Newcastle by five

Teams

Newcastle Falcons: 15. Ben Redshaw, 14. Adam Radwan, 13. Alex Hearle, 12. Connor Doherty, 11. Ben Stevenson, 10. Kieran Wilkinson, 9. Sam Stuart, 8. Callum Chick (captain), 7. Tom Gordon, 6. Freddie Lockwood, 5. Kiran McDonald Seran, 4. Sebastian de Chaves, 3. Richard Palframan, 2. Ollie Fletcher, 1. Murray McCallum
Replacements: 16. Bryan Byrne, 17. Mike Rewcastle, 18. Callum Hancock, 19. Finn Baker, 20. Ollie Leatherbarrow, 21. Hugh O’Sullivan, 22. Brett Connon, 23. Oli Spencer

Dragons: 15. Huw Anderson, 14. Ewan Rosser, 13. Joe Westwood, 12. Aneurin Owen, 11. Oli Andrew, 10. Angus O’Brien (captain), 9. Che Hope, 8. Aaron Wainwright, 7. Dan Lydiate, 6. Ryan Woodman, 5. George Nott, 4. Steve Cummins, 3. Chris Coleman, 2. Brodie Coghlan, 1. Rodrigo Martinez Manzano
Replacements: 16. Ollie Burrows, 17. Josh Reynolds, 18. Paula Latu, 19. Nick Thomas, 20. Evan Minto, 21. Rhodri Williams, 22. Cai Evans, 23. Harry Wilson

Referee: Federico Vedovelli
Assistant referees: Alberto Favaro, Riccardo Angelucci
TMO: Stefano Penne