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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Stormers’ purple patch, which began with two significant United Rugby Championship (URC) wins over the festive season, continued with a resounding 40-0 Investec Champions Cup win over Sale Sharks this weekend.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2544108\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2332185.jpg\" alt=\"stormers sale sharks\" width=\"1247\" height=\"1585\" /> <em>Josh Beaumont of Sale Sharks takes a lineout ball in the Investec Champions Cup match against the Stormers at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While no one is popping the bubbly just yet, it does feel like the Stormers have exited their early season slump as more and more star players return from injury.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dismantling one of England’s top clubs so comprehensively after a slow start in which Sale had the better of the game, is good news for the Cape club.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Stormers scored six tries in their Group 4 clash at the DHL Stadium to secure their first win of the Champions Cup competition and put themselves in a playoff position. To stay there they will need to continue the form when they travel to Paris this week to take on Racing 92.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fortunately, Racing’s La Defense Arena is indoors so weather won’t be a factor.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Racing, who played on Friday, losing to URC champions Glasgow, will at least have an extra day to prepare while the Stormers have a short week because of travel.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The returns of Evan Roos, Ben Loader and Deon Fourie, who made his long-awaited comeback just before the URC resurgence, are key factors in the Stormers’ uptick in form.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2543982\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2197205.jpg\" alt=\"stormers dobson\" width=\"1651\" height=\"1209\" /> <em>Stormers director of rugby John Dobson. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“What we really got right today was our transitions and denting up the middle before going wide, rather than trying to be too lateral, and that’s what we always try to do and what we were after,” said Stormers director of rugby John Dobson.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s also not hard to work out that we got some big personnel who’ve come back … There’s definitely room for improvement and we’ve got another gear, but it’s a special win.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I’m very happy and can’t complain. I knew once the personnel came back it would be good for us, but we must keep perspective on where we are with the competitions.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We’re one from three in the Champions Cup and we’ve got to think what next week can split up, and the next week, because our day job is very much the URC.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I don’t want to think of euphoria and this is our season’s crowning, it’s a different tournament and we have to be careful about getting excited.”</span>\r\n<h4><b>Straddling two commitments</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite trying to temper growing expectations as their form spikes upwards, Dobson admitted that his side had little choice but to “go for it” in Paris next week.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dobson underlined the commitments South African teams have to straddle in their relatively new Northern Hemisphere existence.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They want to reach the Champions Cup playoffs, but they also have to take care of their bread-and-butter campaign in the URC.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, the scheduling gods have made it difficult considering the Stormers face Irish giants Leinster in Dublin directly following two weeks of Champions Cup action.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dobson will have to juggle his squad for both games.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We’ll go for it next week – we have to – there’s not one game we won’t,” Dobson said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But we might have a look at a few guys because the following week it’s Leinster in Dublin, and maybe look at some players who’ve gone through the whole Summer Series with high workloads.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But there’s no doubt when we’re on the field next week at La Defense we’ll be going for it, no question. Either playing for a place in the Challenge Cup or a place in the last 16.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We pride ourselves that in every competition we’ve been in as a group, we’ve made the playoffs and we’ll be absolutely determined.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there are still long-term injuries to key players such as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse and Steven Kitshoff, players such as Ruhan Nel and Leonlin Zas will return for the tour to Paris and Dublin.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Bulls and Sharks</b></h4>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2543985\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2332499.jpg\" alt=\"champions cup ox nche\" width=\"1311\" height=\"1502\" /> <em>Sharks prop Ox Nche tackles Thibaud Flament of Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup match against Stade Toulousain at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bulls’ adventures in this year’s Champions Cup are over after a third straight loss when they were picked apart 49-10 by Castres in France.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was far from a full-strength Bulls and despite trailing only 10-7 at the break, they fell apart after halftime.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given coach Jake White’s selections for the match, it was a strong indicator that they had already pinned their season on URC success after losing at home to Northampton Saints in the second round of the Champions Cup.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cutthroat nature of four qualifying matches means that home losses are almost always fatal.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But losing momentum is never a good thing and the Bulls have now lost four matches in succession in all competitions, which started with a URC defeat against the Stormers in December.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bulls face Stade Francais in a wooden spoon clash in Group 3 at Loftus next week where little more than pride will be at stake.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sharks suffered a 20-8 home loss to European giants Toulouse at the weekend but remain in a Champions Cup playoff position, albeit by a thread.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2543981\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2332536.jpg\" alt=\"champions cup hendrickse kinghorn\" width=\"1980\" height=\"990\" /> <em>Jordan Hendrikse of the Sharks tackles Blair Kinghorn of Toulouse during the Investec Champions Cup match at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To secure qualification for the last 16 they will need at least one bonus point against Group 1 leader Bordeaux Begles, in Bordeaux next weekend, to guarantee qualification. They might still make it without the point though as both Exeter and Ulster are pointless in the competition.</span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.epcrugby.com/champions-cup/matches/pool-tables\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Champions Cup tables</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there was no shame in defeat to six-time European champions Toulouse, the Sharks didn’t help themselves in difficult, hot and humid conditions.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We just couldn’t hold on to the ball for long enough in the first half to apply the pressure that we needed to,” Sharks coach John Plumtree said after the match.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We were a bit loose with some of our stuff, which was a bit disappointing for me.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But we were playing against a great side tonight. You could just see they’re a classy outfit. Just the way they applied pressure – not just through their defence and their set piece – their continuity and attack was outstanding, their offloading and ability to keep the ball alive.”</span><b> DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Stormers’ purple patch, which began with two significant United Rugby Championship (URC) wins over the festive season, continued with a resounding 40-0 Investec Champions Cup win over Sale Sharks this weekend.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2544108\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1247\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2544108\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2332185.jpg\" alt=\"stormers sale sharks\" width=\"1247\" height=\"1585\" /> <em>Josh Beaumont of Sale Sharks takes a lineout ball in the Investec Champions Cup match against the Stormers at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While no one is popping the bubbly just yet, it does feel like the Stormers have exited their early season slump as more and more star players return from injury.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dismantling one of England’s top clubs so comprehensively after a slow start in which Sale had the better of the game, is good news for the Cape club.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Stormers scored six tries in their Group 4 clash at the DHL Stadium to secure their first win of the Champions Cup competition and put themselves in a playoff position. To stay there they will need to continue the form when they travel to Paris this week to take on Racing 92.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fortunately, Racing’s La Defense Arena is indoors so weather won’t be a factor.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Racing, who played on Friday, losing to URC champions Glasgow, will at least have an extra day to prepare while the Stormers have a short week because of travel.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The returns of Evan Roos, Ben Loader and Deon Fourie, who made his long-awaited comeback just before the URC resurgence, are key factors in the Stormers’ uptick in form.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2543982\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1651\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2543982\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2197205.jpg\" alt=\"stormers dobson\" width=\"1651\" height=\"1209\" /> <em>Stormers director of rugby John Dobson. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“What we really got right today was our transitions and denting up the middle before going wide, rather than trying to be too lateral, and that’s what we always try to do and what we were after,” said Stormers director of rugby John Dobson.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s also not hard to work out that we got some big personnel who’ve come back … There’s definitely room for improvement and we’ve got another gear, but it’s a special win.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I’m very happy and can’t complain. I knew once the personnel came back it would be good for us, but we must keep perspective on where we are with the competitions.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We’re one from three in the Champions Cup and we’ve got to think what next week can split up, and the next week, because our day job is very much the URC.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I don’t want to think of euphoria and this is our season’s crowning, it’s a different tournament and we have to be careful about getting excited.”</span>\r\n<h4><b>Straddling two commitments</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite trying to temper growing expectations as their form spikes upwards, Dobson admitted that his side had little choice but to “go for it” in Paris next week.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dobson underlined the commitments South African teams have to straddle in their relatively new Northern Hemisphere existence.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They want to reach the Champions Cup playoffs, but they also have to take care of their bread-and-butter campaign in the URC.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, the scheduling gods have made it difficult considering the Stormers face Irish giants Leinster in Dublin directly following two weeks of Champions Cup action.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dobson will have to juggle his squad for both games.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We’ll go for it next week – we have to – there’s not one game we won’t,” Dobson said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But we might have a look at a few guys because the following week it’s Leinster in Dublin, and maybe look at some players who’ve gone through the whole Summer Series with high workloads.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But there’s no doubt when we’re on the field next week at La Defense we’ll be going for it, no question. Either playing for a place in the Challenge Cup or a place in the last 16.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We pride ourselves that in every competition we’ve been in as a group, we’ve made the playoffs and we’ll be absolutely determined.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there are still long-term injuries to key players such as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse and Steven Kitshoff, players such as Ruhan Nel and Leonlin Zas will return for the tour to Paris and Dublin.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Bulls and Sharks</b></h4>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2543985\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1311\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2543985\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2332499.jpg\" alt=\"champions cup ox nche\" width=\"1311\" height=\"1502\" /> <em>Sharks prop Ox Nche tackles Thibaud Flament of Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup match against Stade Toulousain at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bulls’ adventures in this year’s Champions Cup are over after a third straight loss when they were picked apart 49-10 by Castres in France.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was far from a full-strength Bulls and despite trailing only 10-7 at the break, they fell apart after halftime.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given coach Jake White’s selections for the match, it was a strong indicator that they had already pinned their season on URC success after losing at home to Northampton Saints in the second round of the Champions Cup.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cutthroat nature of four qualifying matches means that home losses are almost always fatal.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But losing momentum is never a good thing and the Bulls have now lost four matches in succession in all competitions, which started with a URC defeat against the Stormers in December.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bulls face Stade Francais in a wooden spoon clash in Group 3 at Loftus next week where little more than pride will be at stake.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sharks suffered a 20-8 home loss to European giants Toulouse at the weekend but remain in a Champions Cup playoff position, albeit by a thread.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2543981\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1980\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2543981\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2332536.jpg\" alt=\"champions cup hendrickse kinghorn\" width=\"1980\" height=\"990\" /> <em>Jordan Hendrikse of the Sharks tackles Blair Kinghorn of Toulouse during the Investec Champions Cup match at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To secure qualification for the last 16 they will need at least one bonus point against Group 1 leader Bordeaux Begles, in Bordeaux next weekend, to guarantee qualification. They might still make it without the point though as both Exeter and Ulster are pointless in the competition.</span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.epcrugby.com/champions-cup/matches/pool-tables\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Champions Cup tables</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there was no shame in defeat to six-time European champions Toulouse, the Sharks didn’t help themselves in difficult, hot and humid conditions.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We just couldn’t hold on to the ball for long enough in the first half to apply the pressure that we needed to,” Sharks coach John Plumtree said after the match.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We were a bit loose with some of our stuff, which was a bit disappointing for me.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But we were playing against a great side tonight. You could just see they’re a classy outfit. Just the way they applied pressure – not just through their defence and their set piece – their continuity and attack was outstanding, their offloading and ability to keep the ball alive.”</span><b> DM</b>",
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Josh Beaumont of Sale Sharks takes a lineout ball in the Investec Champions Cup match against the Stormers at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images)
Sharks prop Ox Nche tackles Thibaud Flament of Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup match against Stade Toulousain at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)
Jordan Hendrikse of the Sharks tackles Blair Kinghorn of Toulouse during the Investec Champions Cup match at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on 11 January 2025. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)