Bryan Habana Previews Blockbuster Champions Cup Round 3: Sharks, Stormers, and Bulls in Action

As the United Rugby Championship [URC] takes a brief pause, the Investec Champions Cup roars back with a thrilling lineup of fixtures. South Africa’s HollywoodBets Sharks, Stormers, and Bulls take center stage in pivotal matches against top European opposition. Legendary Springbok Bryan Habana provided an in-depth preview of the weekend's action, sharing insights on the fixtures and the newly introduced trial laws.

HollywoodBets Sharks vs. Toulouse

Durban hosts a blockbuster clash between the reigning Challenge Cup winners and Champions Cup holders, Toulouse. Antoine Dupont, the world-renowned scrum-half, returns to South African soil for the first time since 2017.

"You don't get any better than the HollywoodBets Sharks against Toulouse...World Cup winners and best players in the world. As clashes come, this is without a doubt the most exciting game to look forward to in any calendar year I have been involved in. We have the best French players who have not travelled to the Southern Hemisphere over the last 5-10 years. Especially Toulouse, who are the current holders of the Champions Cup, see this particular game against the Sharks as important."

"They are bringing their biggest to South Africa, which shows not only the respect they have for the Sharks team but also the players they will be coming up against. It's going to be as tasty as we get to see."

"Having Antoine Dupont, one of the best players the game has ever seen, came to the South African shores for the first time since 2017 when he was here with France as a youngster. At the time he didn't have any accolades, now a World Player of the Year, Olympic Gold Medalist...it's great!"

"The likes of Thomas Ramos and Cyril Baille, who are some of the best French players are coming. We are in for a very exciting game at the Shark tank."

The Sharks are Challenge Cup winners and Toulouse are Champions Cup winners, which creates that extra element of the best vs the best in Durban this weekend.

"The Sharks in their own right have admittedly said that winning the Challenge Cup was an important stepping process for them, given their poor form in the URC the previous season. Now they are elevated to the Champions Cup against the reigning Champions. Hopefully the Sharks can show their worth and take on Toulouse in their own backyard."

Stormers vs. Sale Sharks

The Stormers face the Sale Sharks in Cape Town, a game that promises intriguing subplots with former Stormers players Rob du Preez Jr. and Ernst van Rhyn returning home.

"There has been a lot of talk this week with Sale Sharks' familiar faces there who have represented the Stormers as well in du Preez and Ernst. I heard Norman Laker [Stormers Defence Coach] this morning on radio saying that there might be more Afrikaans spoken in the Sale Sharks changing room than what you'd expect in the HollywoodBets Sharks changing room."

"I think the Stormers are trying to get back to winning ways, in their own right they have had a very disappointing Champions Cup up until now. Also unfortunately been marred by a number of injuries over the course of the season. Evan Roos is coming back and hopefully he plays his part not only to find form but pushing on the expectation there is on this phenomenal young player."

"It's been tough for the Stormers but the last couple of weeks have produced victories. John Dobson and the Stormers will be eager to produce another showing in front of the DHL Stormers faithful [supporters]."

Castre vs. Bulls

The Bulls head to Castres, a notoriously tough venue for visiting teams. Having lost three consecutive matches, the Bulls face a daunting challenge.

"I remember in my career at Toulon, traveling to Castre is one of the most difficult places to try and win at. The Bulls have had a few weeks now not playing any rugby, it will be a challenge the side will have to overcome. Jake White has been vocal on the fact he is not able to get his players aligned with the type of rugby they want to play at the Bulls."

"The fact they haven't traveled and played rugby for a couple of weeks, the losing streak is something they are considering. They are going to have to dig extremely deep if they want to be in any way competitive in an extremely vile and enemy territory-laden environment that is Castre."

Trial Laws for Rounds 3 and 4

This weekend marks the implementation of four new global law trials aimed at enhancing the pace and flow of the game:

1. 60-second conversion limit to align with penalties, managed by a shot clock.
2. 30-second setup for lineouts to reduce downtime.
3. Play-on rule for uncontested lineouts when the throw is not straight.
4. Scrum-half protection during scrums, rucks, and mauls.

"The trial law amendments from World Rugby to make sure that we are moving the game forward, making the game more exciting as possible. Some of the current laws are questionable and the jury is still not really sold on that. But the trials will take the game to the next level so that fans and supporters can understand what is happening which is important."

"The EPCR are very vocal in making sure the current amendments that are put into place are going to be explained and hopefully the commentators and pundits also highlight this. I think the biggest talking point is if there is clarity for the full 80 minutes, especially with red card and yellow card elements which is one of the highlighted things we need to consider."

"Hopefully all this improves the level of rugby but seeing Antoine Dupont's 50/22 in last year's final at Tottenham Stadium...hopefully the law amendments are being done for the right reasons."

Rugby Action Awaits

With high-stakes fixtures and trial laws debuting, Round 3 of the Investec Champions Cup promises an unforgettable weekend. Fans can look forward to exhilarating rugby as South Africa’s finest take on Europe’s elite.