Investec Champions Cup running red hot in Round 2

The Stormers and La Rochelle will be the weekend’s headline act in South Africa in Round 2 of the Investec Champions Cup.

English giants Saracens travel to Durban to play the Sharks and the Bulls are away to last season’s beaten finalists, Northampton Saints.

Home wins are non-negotiable for potential title winners and while the Stormers won’t exactly be playing at home in Cape Town, they will be in South Africa for their showdown with French club La Rochelle.

The Stormers won’t play in Cape Town because the stadium is unavailable this weekend, but they will play Leicester’s Tigers at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town in their final Pool match mid-January, 2026.

Stormers vs La Rochelle

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Fresh from an impressive away win over Bayonne, the Stormers return to home soil to face a powerful Rochelle outfit. Flyhalf Clinton Swart led all point-scorers in Round 1 with 16, and the Cape side were excellent at the breakdown, winning more turnovers than any other team (10). Swart also leads the tournament in kick metres with 415.

La Rochelle were equally dominant in their opener, scoring six tries and controlling the maul. Hooker Tolu Latu hit 13/13 lineouts, while Oscar Jegou crossed twice. This is a clash of breakdown steel versus French physicality .

Expect plenty of changes to the match 23s that featured in last weekend’s opening round, where the Stormers and La Rochelle both won.

ROUND 1’s BIG GUNS FIRED BIG SHOTS

Sharks vs Saracens

Hollywoodbets Kings Park

The Sharks will be desperate to respond after leaking eight tries to Toulouse. Despite the loss, they topped the round for offloads (18) and dominant carry contacts (32), with Batho Hlekani and Le-Roux Malan both physical threats. They’ll need to tighten up defensively against a clinical Saracens side who beat Clermont 47–10.

Teenage wing sensation Noah Caluori was sharp in Round 1 with 116 metres gained and seven defenders beaten, while Nick Tompkins delivered five offloads in a typically slick Saracens performance .

Bulls vs Northampton Saints

Franklin’s Gardens

The Bulls showed attacking promise in a five-try effort against Bordeaux but ultimately fell short at home. Defence will be key against a Saints team that won their opener and brings a sharp mix of pace and structure. The Bulls will need more discipline and accuracy to make an impact in Pool 4.

Ernst van Rhyn (Sale Sharks) vs Clermont

Ernst van Rhyn delivered a defensive masterclass in Round 1, making a tournament-high 31 tackles for Sale in their narrow loss to Glasgow. He’ll be key again as the English club faces a Clermont side reeling from a heavy defeat to Saracens .

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Also in Round 2

• Leicester vs Leicester – Jordan Larmour (171m, 7 defenders beaten) leads a Leinster side that looked sharp in attack.

• Toulouse vs Glasgow – The French giants ran in eight tries last week. Ange Capuozzo scored a hat-trick.

• Munster vs Gloucester – Both sides are chasing consistency after mixed Round 1 showings.

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