The Sharks are still in contention for a Champions Cup knockout spot, while the Bulls' hopes have faded following their third consecutive loss. The Stormers are also in the mix in Pool 4.
The Sharks hold the reins of their playoff aspirations heading into the final week of pool matches in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. John Plumtree's squad, alongside the Stormer s, are still vying for a berth in the Champions Cup last 16, but the Vodacom Bulls ' hopes of reaching the knockout stages were extinguished as they suffered their third consecutive defeat in the competition.
The Cheetahs secured a victory against Zebre Parma in Amsterdam, but it was a disappointing round for the Lions, who fell short of their targets. The Sharks are in fourth place in Pool 1 with five log points, while the Bulls languish at the bottom of Pool 3 with no points after three rounds. This outcome saw the Stormers ascend to fourth place in Pool 4 with five points, tied with Harlequins and Sale. The Cheetahs' victory propelled them to fifth place, tied with fourth-placed Perpignan on six points, while the Lions also occupy fifth place in their group, level on five points with fourth-placed Dragons. The Sharks cannot catch any of the top three teams in their pool – leaders Bordeaux, Toulouse, or Leicester Tigers. They have a five-point advantage over Ulster and Exeter, the teams directly below them, who clash this week. Even if Ulster or Exeter manage to win, it may not be enough to displace the Sharks. In the worst-case scenario, the Sharks would drop to fifth in their pool, which would relegate them to the Challenge Cup playoffs as defending champions. Harlequins, the Stormers, and Sale are all tied on five log points in Pool 4, but Harlequins have a superior points difference (+14), while the Stormers (-7) and Sale (-37) fall short on the tie-breaker. Sale's chances of overcoming this deficit are hampered by their upcoming match against powerhouse Top 14 team Toulon, while Quins face Glasgow. The Stormers, on the other hand, travel to Paris to take on Racing 92, who are currently ninth in the Top 14 and have lost their last five matches. A Stormers defeat could see them eliminated from all EPCR playoff contention. However, if Quins, Sale, and Racing all lose, the Stormers could finish third in the pool with a victory in Paris.
SHARKS BULLS STORMER CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE
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