Though they failed in their objective of advancing deeper into the Investec Champions Cup, the Stormers and Bulls debunked theories that SA rugby teams don’t place a high premium on success in the tournament.
No SA team has reached the Champions Cup semifinals, and the Stormers and Bulls came agonisingly close to ending that hoodoo when they slumped to narrow defeats in last-16 clashes.
Critics say some South Africans seem less motivated to play for their clubs in the Champions Cup than for the Springboks.
There have also been rumblings of discontent among European clubs that SA teams don’t add value to the tournament and often field second-string lineups.
Those detractors will have to take back their words after the Stormers and Bulls fought valiantly away from home in testing conditions.
The scores from both matches tell their story.
With a hostile French crowd baying for their blood at the Stade Mayol, the Stormers were edged 28-27 by Toulon in a high-octane clash.
The outcome was in the melting pot until the dying moments before the Stormers endured the heartbreak of being denied a try in debatable circumstances.
It was a similar story in Scotland when the Bulls were pipped 25-21 by the Glasgow Warriors and were left to rue costly missed opportunities.
At the end of the day, both defeats were difficult to swallow, and there can be no denying the Bulls and Stormers left everything out on the field.
Ahead of the Toulon clash, Stormers coach John Dobson said his team had finally built enough depth to be able to have a proper crack at the Champions Cup.
Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee said it had been the team’s goal to target success in both the URC and Champions Cup from the start of the season.
He said the Bulls had been determined to challenge in both competitions and would not lean towards one or the other.
On the evidence of what transpired at the Stade Mayol and Scotstoun Stadium, SA teams clearly care about Champions Cup success.
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