After a successful group stage, Stade Toulousain finished second in Pool B and will face the Pretoria Bulls, seventh in Pool A, in the round of 16. A team which has certain individualities and which could shake up the Toulouse juggernaut.
It is a new poster which will take place on Sunday on the lawn of the Stadium of Toulouse. On the one hand, the Toulouse Stadium and its five European trophies, on the other one of the novices of the competition, the Bulls of Pretoria. But who is and what is this South African formation really worth?
The most successful franchise in history
The Bulls, currently managed by former Springbok coach Jake White, are among the successful teams in South African rugby. When playing in the southern hemisphere championship (now known as Super Rugby), the Pretoria franchise won three editions (2007, 2009, 2010), the best ratio of teams in Africa from South. On national soil, the team from the capital has distinguished itself many times. Since 1946, she has won the Currie Cup (the main rugby union competition in South Africa) 24 times. Last season, like the other South African franchises, it joined the United Rugby Championship, a competition bringing together Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Italian and South African teams. New championship, new opponents and new final…against the Stormers, franchise from Cape Town. Unfortunately, it is the latter who wins the first trophy in the history of the URC. Currently, they are in 7th place in the URC.
Kurt-Lee Arendse threat number 1
The versatile three-quarter could well be poison for the Haut-Garonne defense this Sunday. A real wisp, the native of Paarl has already made eleven tries in all competitions since the start of the season. Capable of mystifying any defender thanks to his speed and support qualities, Kurt-Lee Arendse (26) will be closely watched by Ugo Mola’s men. The Blues Bulls also have many experienced players who, over the course of their careers, have played for major European clubs and played in the competition. Like Morné Steyn, Bismarck du Plessis and Jacques du Plessis, all winners of the Challenge Cup and who bring all their experience to this team.
Kurt-Lee Arendse scoring a try on the lawn of Gerland against LOU
Fearsome attacking stats
In this competition, the Pretoria Bulls franchise is the most effective formation when it enters the opposing 22, with a ratio of 41% of tries scored once in this area of the field. In four games, the South Africans scored a total of fifteen tries, a total of 3.8 average per game. Very effective in the exercise of turnover, they scored five tries after a recovery ball. They also have the highest ratio with a total of seven tries scored after two or three phases of play. Toulouse will also have to be wary of this blue scrum which has dominated all its group opponents in this exercise and recovered no less than five penalties after the showdown.
A first irregular European campaign
The group stage was not easy for the Bulls. After four games played, the South Africans finished seventh in pool A. Victorious in their two home games in their lair of the Loftus Versfeld Stadium against Lyon and Exeter, the meetings on European soil were not so pleasing. Beaten twice, Jake White’s team qualified in extremis for the knockout matches. Despite these mixed results, they nevertheless outclass all the French clubs in Pool A at the end of the first phase of the Champions Cup. But this Sunday for their first round of 16, it is an opponent of a completely different caliber who stands in front of the Bulls. A Stade Toulouse crowned with five championship titles and which wants at all costs to continue its road to a sixth European star.