It’s semi-finals weekend in the Champions and Challenge Cup competitions.
And while no South African teams will be involved in the action, there will be plenty of interest in how the teams of two top-notch local coaches perform.
Jacques Nienaber, who coached the Springboks to World Cup glory in 2023 and was also assistant to Rassie Erasmus in 2018 and 2019, has been involved with Ireland’s Leinster since the beginning of the 2023/24 season.
Leinster take on French side Toulon at 4pm on Saturday in the first of the two semi-finals in the top-tier Champions Cup.
RG Snyman is part of the Leinster set-up, but is currently injured, while no South Africans are employed by Toulon.
On Sunday it will be the turn of Johann van Graan, also a former Springbok assistant coach, alongside Heyneke Meyer between 2012 and 2015, to lead his Bath team in the second semi-final against Bordeaux Begles in France (4pm).
Bordeaux-Begles have on their books a few players with SA connections, among them Jean-Luc du Preez, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Tiaan Jacobs, Carlu Sadie and Madosh Tambwe, while Quinn Roux, Thomas du Toit, Bernard van der Linde and Francois van Wyk are registered under Bath for the Champions Cup.
The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the Champions Cup final in Bilbao on May 23.
The semi-finals of the second tier Challenge Cup competition also take place this weekend.
Ulster welcome Exeter at 6.30pm on Saturday and on Sunday it will be Montpellier who host the Dragons at 1.30pm.
The final of the Challenge Cup will also be held at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, on Friday May 22.
