The local team participation in the Investec Champions Cup ended when the DHLStormers and Vodacom Bulls lost their round of 16 fixtures last weekend but on an individual level this country could still have a big say on who wins the elite European competition.
Two South Africans in the form of Bath’s Thomas du Toit and Toulon’s David Ribbans produced stellar performances that earned them man of the match awards to help their teams advance to this weekend’s quarterfinals, but it is the coaches who probably hold the key to their team’s chances.
Johann van Graan at Bath, Franco Smith at Glasgow Warriors and to a slightly lesser extent, but only because he is not head coach at Leinster but only a highly influential senior assistant, Jacques Nienaber, will all be in the spotlight as the battle to establish the best team in Europe goes up a notch with four compelling quarterfinals.
PICK OF THE WEEKEND
The headline act is undeniably the one where no South African coaches will be involved.
Most would agree that there is patently something wrong with the fact that reigning champions Bordeaux-Begles and the team that has won the most European titles, Toulouse, are clashing so early.
The two French heavyweights should really be meeting in at least a semifinal if not the decider in Bilboa itself, but thanks to Toulouse’s poor start to the competition this year, with the multiple champions sweating to make the playoffs after an indifferent pool phase, the seedings set them on a collision path.
The game is the last one of the weekend, on Sunday, and if you have limited yourself for whatever reason to just one game to watch in the quarterfinal round, make it this one.
There’s plenty of enmity and no love lost between the two teams and regions, with the rivalry fuelled by a historical dispute about wine from centuries ago, plus both teams are loaded with international players.
Bordeaux are the champions and also sailed through the pool phases, which was a stark contrast to Toulouse, but it is Toulouse who currently have momentum in the Top 14 in France.
Toulouse are top of the French league, with 71 points from 12 games, while Bordeaux are just fourth, 12 points adrift of the leaders.
Is that enough to suggest Toulouse should be favourites? The bookies don’t think so, with it being called pretty much even, although in France home ground advantage always surely counts for something.
That is in Bordeaux’s favour this time, but playing at home won’t be as significant for them as it would be in a Top 14 game, where often the visiting teams go understrength and effectively throw in the towel and just make up the numbers on the day.
GLASGOW THE FAVOURITES
The next most interesting game is the battle between the first and second placed teams on the English Premiership log, Bath and Northampton, that kicks off the weekend’s action on Friday.
Bath are the English champions and Van Graan’s team are making a strong challenge again. However, it is the previous season’s champions, the Saints, who are currently leading the race in England, albeit by just one point.
Again, if you have to bet on the game, it is probably the home team you should back, but it should be a tight game, with Bath having to rely on a late game Thomas du Toit inspired gear shift to get them through against underdogs Saracens last weekend.
The other two games are easier to call - the Glasgow Warriors under the coaching of Smith were exposed to some extent by the Bulls last week, and there were some worrying moments, but Toulon looked out on their feet at the end of their home tie against the Stormers.
They are going to have to be much better than they were at the Stade Mayol to get across the line against a Glasgow team that cooked in the pool stages.
Leinster may not be the force they used to be but they should have too much for Sale Sharks, albeit that the Sale team are far from the Sale Guppies that the Sharks owner tagged them as earlier on in the season.
Indeed, the Premiership teams have made a good fist of it and now that they have got this far the Sharks might well go all in in a way they didn’t in the earlier stages of the competition.
WEEKEND INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP QUARTERFINALS
Bath v Northampton Saints (Bath, Friday 9pm)
Prediction: Bath to win by 7
Glasgow Warriors v Toulon (Glasgow, Saturday 4pm)
Prediction: Glasgow to win by 12
Leinster v Sale Sharks (Dublin, Saturday 6:30pm)
Prediction: Leinster to win by 15
Bordeaux Begles v Toulouse (Bordeaux, Sunday 4pm)
Prediction: Bordeaux to scrape home in a thriller