Champions Cup, Round Two - teams and predictions
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY PREVIEW: It’s a mixed bag for the South African teams heading into the Champions Cup Round Two clashes this weekend.
The Stormers will have their sights set on extending their formidable form this season when they face Stade Rochelais in Round Two of the Champions Cup this weekend, while the Sharks and Bulls will be desperate to rebound from disappointing opening-round defeats to keep their play-off hopes alive.
The Stormers host Stade Rochelais in Gqeberha on Saturday, followed by the Sharks’ clash with Saracens in Durban. On Sunday, the Bulls conclude the South African action when they take on Northampton Saints in England.
With the Champions Cup featuring only four round-robin fixtures before the knockouts begin with the Round of 16, every match carries significant weight for teams chasing qualification.
The Stormers will be wary of their French visitors at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium after La Rochelle’s convincing 39–20 win over Leicester Tigers last week, a result that placed the two-time Champions Cup winners at the top of their pool.
Nevertheless, the Capetonians enter the contest in red-hot form. They have won all six of their United Rugby Championship matches and remain the only unbeaten team in the competition. Their impressive 26–17 away victory over Bayonne last week will further bolster their confidence.
In contrast, Stade Rochelais have struggled domestically, winning only five of their 11 Top 14 encounters this season.
However, that does not mean the Stormers won’t have their work cut out for them.
Captain Salmaan Moerat revealed that although they head into the contest as clear favourites, there is still room for improvement – especially when it comes to discipline.
They have been on the receiving end of several yellow cards and a red, and playing with 14 men will put them under huge pressure against La Rochelle.
“Our discipline was a massive talking point this week. I think we’ve played about 50 minutes with 14 players in the past couple of games. That is unacceptable at this level.
“It really challenges you defensively, so I think the controllable penalties are what we need to work on. We can’t get into the stupid off-the-ball things. However, despite all of that, this team has shown a lot of fight when we’re down.”
Moerat also commented on the significance of taking the Champions Cup to Gqeberha.
“We’re very thrilled. It’s going to be a fantastic game in front of those people, and I’m pretty sure they’re ready for some rugby.”
The Sharks, meanwhile, will need to be at their very best when they welcome the Saracens to Kings Park. The English giants are brimming with confidence after a commanding 47-10 victory over Clermont Auvergne, scoring seven tries in the process.
Saracens also sit second on the Premiership table following a dominant win over Newcastle, meaning the Durban side will need a complete, top-drawer performance to turn their season around. The Sharks have won just one and drawn one of their six URC matches and were humbled 19-56 by Toulouse in their Champions Cup opener.
The franchise is entering a new era, with JP Pietersen taking over the reins as interim head coach.
The Sharks veteran has also made a bold move in selecting André Esterhuizen – who will earn his 100th cap for the Durban-based side – as captain.
Esterhuizen is one of several Springboks returning to the starting XV, the others being Bongi Mbonambi, Siya Kolisi, Grant Williams, and utility back Ethan Hooker.
Aphelele Fassi, back from the ankle injury he picked up against the All Blacks in September, slots straight in at fullback.
When asked about his team selection – and specifically choosing Esterhuizen over Kolisi as captain – Pietersen said: “He is an old Sharks man, knows the Sharks in and out, a natural leader.
“The way he plays, he asks a lot from the players to go with him, so it was an easy decision for me to pick André.
“Obviously, Siya has a lot of responsibility with the Springboks, and it’s not because Siya is not fit enough — it’s just that André was a natural and easy decision for me.”
He added: “We need to get behind André and the boys to give us a complete performance.
“At the end of the day, I can only coach them during the week, but it’s up to the boys to perform.”
The Bulls’ meeting with Northampton Saints is shaping up to be a thriller. Despite the Pretoria outfit suffering defeat last weekend – and Northampton scraping a narrow seven-point win over Pau – both sides will be eager to find consistency after struggling to establish momentum in recent weeks.
The Saints will take heart from their strong home record, having won three of their last four matches in Northampton, and they will also enjoy the advantage of familiar conditions and a vocal home crowd.
However, they can expect fierce resistance from the Bulls, who were unlucky not to topple defending Champions Cup holders Bordeaux Bègles in Pretoria last week. Leading 33-22 at halftime, the Bulls’ momentum was derailed by two second-half yellow cards, ultimately costing them the match.
Having coached in England at Gloucester – and with experience playing abroad – Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann knows exactly what awaits his young charges.
“Northampton have a rich history in Europe,” Ackermann said.
“They’re always competitive. They’ve beaten the Bulls at Loftus, and they’ve also beaten the Bulls in England at their home ground. So they are a quality side.
“They’ve got a very passionate supporters’ base that will sing and create a great atmosphere.
“So it’s a tough place to come to.
“But we prepared well during the week and put in a lot of work to try and recover from the travelling and the disappointment we had last week. Hopefully, a lot of these players will use this opportunity to put up their hands for future selection.”
#TeamAnnouncement: Bulls banking on new combos and fresh faces https://t.co/MiKduXUk1n
— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) December 12, 2025
Saturday, December 13
Stormers v La Rochelle
(Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha – Kick-off: 15.00; 13.00 GMT; 14.00 French time)
Prediction
Rugby365: Stormers by 15 points
Teams:
Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Imad Khan, 23 Wandisile Simelane
La Rochelle: 15 Nathan Bollengier, 14 Suliasi Vunivalu, 13 Adrien Seguret, 12 Simeli Daunivucu, 11 Hoani Bosmorin, 10 Diego Jurd, 9 Nolhann Couillaud, 8 Lucas Andjisseramatchi (captain), 7 Kirill Fraindt, 6 Charles Kante Samba, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Ultan Dillane, 3 Karl Sorin, 2 Quentin Lespiaucq, 1 Reda Wardi
Replacements: 16 Nikoloz Sutidze, 17 Christian Luaki, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Simon Huchet, 20 Aleksandre Kuntelia, 21 Edouard Richer, 22 Thomas Berjon, 23 Dillyn Leyds.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England), Joe James (England)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
Sharks v Saracens
(Kings Park, Duban Kick-off: 17.15; 15.15 GMT; 15.15 UK time)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Saracens by seven points
Teams:
Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Ethan Hooker, 12 Andre Esterhuizen (captain), 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Hanro Jacobs, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Phatu Ganyane
Replacements: 16 Eduan Swart, 17 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 18 Mawande Mdanda, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Matt Romao, 21 Nick Hatton, 22 Jaden Hendrikse, 23 Jordan Hendrikse
Saracens: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Rotimi Segun, 13 Sam Spink, 12 Olly Hartley, 11 Angus Hall, 10 Fergus Burke, 9 Charlie Bracken, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Andy Onyeama-Christie (captain), 6 Theo McFarland, 5 Harry Wilson, 4 Nick Isiekwe, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Theo Dan, 1 Eroni Mawi
Replacements: 16 James Hadfield, 17 Alex O Driscoll, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Hugh Tizard, 20 Nathan Michelow, 21 Ben Earl, 22 Gareth Simpson, 23 Alex Lozowski
Referee: Luc Ramos (France)
Assistant Referees: Kevin Bralley (France), Flavien Hourquet (France)
TMO: Julien Casteignede (France)
Clermont Auvergne v Sale Sharks
(Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand – 16.15; 15.15 GMT; 15.15 UK Time)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Clermont by 10 points
Teams:
Clermont: 15 Axel Guillaud, 14 Yerim Fall, 13 Timeo Frier, 12 George Moala, 11 Alivereti Raka, 10 Irae Simone, 9 Sebastien Bezy, 8 Selevasio Tolofua, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Killian Tixeront (captain), 5 Thomas Ceyte, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Cristian Ojovan, 2 Etienne Fourcade, 1 Sacha Lotrian
Replacements: 16 Seilala Lam, 17 Giorgi Akhaladze, 18 Giga Tutisani, 19 Tevita Ratuva, 20 Pio Muarua, 21 Lucas Zamora, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Alex Newsome
Sale Sharks: 15 Arron Reed, 14 Tom O’Flaherty, 13 Joe Bedlow, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Alex Wills, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Raffi Quirke, 8 Ben Curry, 7 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Ben Bamber, 4 Tom Burrow, 3 Willgriff John, 2 Nathan Jibulu, 1 Si McIntyre
Replacements: 16 Ethan Caine, 17 Tumy Onasanya, 18 James Harper, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Tristan Woodman, 21 Gus Warr, 22 Ollie Davies, 23 Gurshwin Wehr
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Franco Rosella (Italy), Manuel Bottino (Italy)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (Italy)
Munster v Gloucester
(Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork – Kick-off: 17.30; 17.30 GMT)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Munster by seven points
Teams:
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Shane Daly, 13 Dan Kelly, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Ben O’Connor, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 Jack O’Donoghue, 6 Tom Ahern, 5 Tadhg Beirne (captain), 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Michael Ala’alatoa, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Michael Milne
Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 Conor Bartley, 19 Edwin Edogbo, 20 Ruadhán Quinn, 21 Paddy Patterson, 22 JJ Hanrahan, 23 Tom Farrell
Gloucester: 15 George Barton, 14 Josh Hathaway, 13 Will Knight, 12 Max Knight, 11.Rob Russell, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Mike Austin, 8 Jack Clement, 7 Harry Taylor, 6 Josh Basham, 5 Arthur Clark (captain), 4 Cam Jordan, 3 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 2 Jack Innard, 1 Dian Bleuler
Replacements: 16 Kealan Freeman Price, 17 Ciaran Knight, 18 Afolabi Fasogbon, 19 Danny Eite, 20 Hugh Bokenham, 21 Caio James, 22 Rhys Price, 23 Jack Cotgreave
Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (Wales)
Bordeaux-Bègles v Scarlets
(Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux – Kick-off: 16.15; 15.15 GMT; 15.15 UK time)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Bordeaux by 35 points
Teams:
Bordeaux-Bègles: 15 Xan Mousques, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Pablo Uberti, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Martin Page-Relo, 8 Temo Matiu, 7 Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, 6 Tiaan Jacobs, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Boris Palu, 3 Sipili Falatea, 2 Gaetan Barlot, 1 Jefferson Poirot (captain)
Replacements: 16 Christian Everitt, 17 Matis Perchaud, 18 Ben Tameifuna, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Romain Gardrat, 21 Arthur Retiere, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg
Scarlets: 15 Jac Davies, 14 Tomi Lewis, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Eddie James, 11 Ellis Mee, 10 Joe Hawkins, 9 Dane Blacker, 8 Fletcher Anderson, 7 Dan Davis, 6 Josh Macleod (captain), 5 Jake Ball, 4 Max Douglas, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Alec Hepburn
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Sam Lousi, 20 Jarrod Taylor, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Macs Page
Referee: Morne Ferreira (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Griffin Colby (South Africa), Christopher Allison (South Africa)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Glasgow Warriors v Toulouse
(Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – Kick-off: 20.00; 20.00GMT; 21.00 French time)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Toulouse by seven points
Teams:
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Kyle Steyn (captain), 13 Stafford McDowall, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Ollie Smith, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Jamie Dobie, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Max Williamson, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Gregor Hiddleston, 1 Nathan McBeth
Replacements: 16 Seb Stephen, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Alex Craig, 20 Gregor Brown, 21 Ally Miller, 22 George Horne, 23 Dan Lancaster
Toulouse: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Ange Capuozzo, 13 Paul Costes, 12 Kalvin Gourgues, 11 Blair Kinghorn, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Antoine Dupont, 8 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Leo Banos, 6 Jack Willis, 5 Thibaud Flament, 4 Joshua Brennan, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 2 Julien Marchand (captain), 1 David Ainu’u
Replacements: 16 Thomas Lacombre, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Joel Merkler, 19 Emmanuel Meafou, 20 Mathis Castro-Ferreira, 21 Alexandre Roumat, 22 Paul Graou, 23 Teddy Thomas
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Hamish Smales (England), John Meredith (England)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (England)
Sunday, December 14
Harlequins v Bayonne
(Twickenham Stoop, Twickenham – Kick-off: 13.00; 13.00 GMT; 14.00 French time)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Harlequins by 20 points
Teams:
Harlequins: 15 Nick David, 14 Cassius Cleaves, 13 Oscar Beard, 12 Luke Northmore, 11 Cadan Murley (captain), 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Will Porter, 8 Zach Carr, 7 Will Evans, 6 Jack Kenningham, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Guido Petti Pagadizábal, 3 Pedro Delgado, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Fin Baxter
Replacements: 16 Sam Riley, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Will Hobson, 19 Kieran Treadwell, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Lucas Friday, 22 Jamie Benson, 23 Ben Waghorn
Bayonne: 15 Yohan Orabe, 14 Jonah Thompson, 13 Sireli Maqala, 12 Federico Mori, 11 Victor Hannoun, 10 Tom Spring, 9 Baptiste Tilloles, 8 Manex Ariceta, 7 Esteban Capilla, 6 Alexandre Fischer (captain), 5 Lucas Paulos, 4 Alvaro Garcia Iandolino, 3 Emerick Setiano, 2 Lucas Martin, 1 Ignacio Calles
Replacements: 16 Vincent Giudicelli, 17 Swan Cormenier, 18 Marco Fepulea’i, 19 Baptiste Heguy, 20 Raphael Marchesin, 21 Noa Traversier, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Pyrénées Boyle-Tiatia
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Cole (Ireland), Jonathan Erskin (Ireland)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Castres v Edinburgh
(Stade Pierre-Fabre, Castres – Kick-off: 14.00; 13.00 GMT; 13.00 UK time)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Castres by seven points
Teams:
Castres: 15 Geoffrey Palis, 14 Christian Ambadiang, 13 Vilimoni Botitu, 12 Jack Goodhue, 11 Adam Vargas, 10 Pierre Popelin, 9 Jeremy Fernandez, 8 Abraham Papalii, 7 Tyler Ardron, 6 Baptiste Delaporte (captain), 5 Tom Staniforth, 4 Gauthier Maravat, 3 Aurelien Azar, 2 Loris Zarantonello, 1 Quentin Walcker
Replacements: 16 Teddy Durand-Pradere, 17 Lois Guerois-Galisson, 18 Nicolas Corato, 19 Leone Nakarawa, 20 Baptiste Cope, 21 Gauthier Doubrere, 22 Enzo Herve, 23 Vuate Karawalevu
Edinburgh: 15 Jack Brown, 14 Ross McCann, 13 Matt Currie, 12 Piers O’Conor, 11 Lewis Wells, 10 Cammy Scott, 9 Ben Vellacott, 8 Tom Dodd, 7 Freddy Douglas, 6 Liam McConnell, 5 Glen Young, 4 Callum Hunter-Hill, 3 Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, 2 Harri Morris, 1 Boan Venter
Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Mikey Jones, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Connor Boyle, 20 Hamish Watson, 21 Charlie Shiel, 22 James Lang, 23 Wes Goosen
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Clara Munarini (Italy), Alberto Favaro (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
Toulon v Bath
(Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon – Kick-off: 16.15; 15.15 GMT; 15.15 UK Time)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Toulon by five points
Toulon: 15 Mathis Ferte, 14 Gaël Drean, 13 Nacho Brex, 12 Jérémy Sinzelle, 11 Setariki Tuicuvu, 10 Matéo Garcia, 9 Baptiste Serin, 8 Zach Mercer, 7 Charles Ollivon (captain), 6 Lewis Ludlam, 5 Brian Alainu’uese, 4 Swan Rebbadj, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros
Replacements: 16 Teddy Baubigny, 17 Leo Ametlla, 18 Dany Priso, 19 Corentin Mezou, 20 Esteban Abadie, 21 Ben White, 22 Mathieu Smaili, 23 Joe Quere Karaba
Bath: 15 Santi Carreras, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Max Ojomoh, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tom Carr-Smith, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Ted Hill, 5 Ross Molony, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Billy Sela, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Beno Obano
Replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Miles Reid, 21 Neil le Roux, 22 Louie Hennessey, 23 Arthur Green
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant Referees: Saba Abulashvili (Georgia), Saba Makharadze (Georgia)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Northampton Saints v Bulls
(Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton – 15.15; 15.15 GMT; 17.15 SA time )
Prediction:
Rugby365: Northampton by 20 points
Northampton: 15 George Furbank (captain), 14 Ollie Sleightholme, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 George Hendy, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Tom Pearson, 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 JJ van der Mescht, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Trevor Davison, 2 Craig Wright, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Robbie Smith, 17 Emmanuel Iyogun, 18 Cleopas Kundiona, 19 Chunya Munga, 20 Ed Prowse, 21 Sam Graham, 22 Tom James, 23 Toby Thame
Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Alulutho Tshakweni
Replacements: 16 Juann Else, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Mpilo Gumede, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Keagan Johannes, 23 Phillip-Albert van Niekerk
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Rob McDowell (Scotland), David Sutherland (Scotland)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Bristol Bears v Pau
(Ashton Gate, Bristol – Kick-off: 17.30; 17.30 GMT; 18.30 French time)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Bristol by 12 points
Teams:
Bristol Bears: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 James Williams, 11 Aidan Boshoff, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 Fitz Harding (captain), 7 Benjamin Grondona, 6 Joe Owen, 5 Joe Batley, 4 Pedro Rubiolo, 3 Lovejoy Chawatama, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Santiago Grondona, 20 Luka Ivanishvili, 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Sam Worsley, 23 Josh Carrington
Pau: 15 Aymeric Luc, 14 Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, 13 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 12 Quentin Valentino, 11 Clement Laporte, 10 Clément Mondinat, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Carwyn Tuipulotu, 7 Clément Paul, 6 Joel Kpoku, 5 Mickael Capelli, 4 Thomas Jolmes, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Lucas Rey (captain), 1 Daniel Bibi Biziwu
Replacements: 16 Youri Delhommel, 17 Hugo Parrou, 18 Jon Zabala Arrieta, 19 Remi Picquette, 20 Loic Credoz, 21 Thomas Souverbie, 22 Nathan Decron, 23 Thomas Carol
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland), Padraic Reidy (Ireland)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
*Additional source: SA Rugby
