Champions Cup 2025/26 · Round of 16
RC Toulon
Stormers
Stade Félix Mayol, Toulon
Championship Standings
Toulon finished 2nd in Pool 2 with 14 points (3 wins, 1 loss), while the Stormers qualified 3rd from Pool 3 on the same points tally. Both sides earned their knockout spots with strong home records but contrasting European pedigrees.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bordeaux-Bègles | 4 | 4 | 0 | +76 | 20 |
| 2 |  Glasgow Warriors | 4 | 4 | 0 | +49 | 20 |
| 3 |  Leinster | 4 | 4 | 0 | +35 | 18 |
| 4 |  Bath | 4 | 3 | 1 | +91 | 16 |
| 5 |  Northampton Saints | 4 | 3 | 1 | +46 | 16 |
| 6 |  Harlequins | 4 | 3 | 1 | +98 | 15 |
| 7 |  Bristol Bears | 4 | 3 | 1 | +50 | 14 |
| 8 |  RC Toulon | 4 | 3 | 1 | +17 | 14 |
| 9 | Stormers | 4 | 3 | 1 | −8 | 14 |
| 10 |  Toulouse | 4 | 2 | 2 | +94 | 12 |
| 11 |  Sale Sharks | 4 | 2 | 2 | −38 | 11 |
| 12 |  Saracens | 4 | 2 | 2 | +13 | 10 |
| 13 |  Castres Olympique | 4 | 2 | 2 | −8 | 10 |
| 14 |  Sharks | 4 | 2 | 2 | −10 | 10 |
| 15 |  Edinburgh | 4 | 2 | 2 | −71 | 10 |
| 16 |  Munster | 4 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 8 |
| 17 |  Bulls | 4 | 1 | 3 | −68 | 7 |
| 18 |  Leicester Tigers | 4 | 1 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 19 |  La Rochelle | 4 | 1 | 3 | −13 | 6 |
| 20 |  Gloucester | 4 | 1 | 3 | −27 | 6 |
| 21 |  Section Paloise | 4 | 1 | 3 | −50 | 6 |
| 22 |  Scarlets | 4 | 0 | 4 | −54 | 3 |
| 23 |  Clermont | 4 | 0 | 4 | −108 | 0 |
| 24 |  Bayonne | 4 | 0 | 4 | −115 | 0 |
RC Toulon
W3, L1Toulon stumbled in Edinburgh on opening day — a 33–20 defeat that exposed defensive fragility on the road — but have since won three straight, including two at the Mayol. The 45–34 shootout with Bath was pure entertainment, while the 27–25 squeaker against Munster showed they can grind out results under pressure. The 31–14 demolition of Gloucester away confirmed their credentials. They score freely (123 points in four games) but concede plenty too — 106 against is far from watertight.
Stormers
W3, L1The Stormers' European campaign has been a tale of extremes. They dismantled La Rochelle 42–21 at home and comfortably saw off Leicester 39–26, but the 61–10 annihilation at the Twickenham Stoop was the worst result by a South African side in Champions Cup history. That Harlequins debacle skews their defensive numbers badly — 125 points conceded in four games, including 61 in a single match. Away from home in Europe, they are 1W 1L with a massive variance in performance.
Head-to-Head Record
1 – 0 – 0
RC Toulon wins · Draws · Stormers wins (1 meeting)
RC Toulon (1)These sides have met just once — in the Champions Cup pool stage in December 2024. Toulon travelled to Cape Town and won 24–14, a composed away performance that shut down the Stormers' home advantage. That result is significant context: Toulon have already beaten this Stormers side, and they did it at the Stormers' own ground. Now they have the Mayol fortress on their side.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | Champions Cup | Stormers 14–24 RC Toulon |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: RC Toulon 24 – Stormers 14. Toulon won the only previous meeting by 10 points — away from home in Cape Town.
Extended Form
RC Toulon11W, 9L, 1D (last 12 months)
Champions Cup: W3 L1 (20–33 Edinburgh A, 45–34 Bath H, 27–25 Munster H, 31–14 Gloucester A). Last season: beat Harlequins (33–21 H), Glasgow (30–29 H), Saracens (72–42 H), lost to Toulouse (18–21 H) in QF. Top 14: dominant at home — 54–28 Montauban, 54–21 Lyon, 45–21 Racing 92, 39–14 La Rochelle, 30–27 Montpellier. But horrendous away — 66–0 at La Rochelle, 46–7 at Bordeaux, 51–24 at Stade Francais, 36–20 at Perpignan, 34–14 at Clermont.
Toulon are Jekyll and Hyde. At the Stade Félix Mayol they are devastating — the 72–42 demolition of Saracens last season and the narrow win over Glasgow show they can beat anyone at home. But on the road they are dire, conceding 40+ points with alarming regularity in the Top 14. Their recent domestic form is poor — 1 win in the last 6 Top 14 matches — but European nights at the Mayol are a different animal entirely.
Stormers17W, 11L (last 12 months)
Champions Cup: W3 L1 this season. URC: outstanding — 35–0 Leinster (H), 34–27 Lions (H), 13–8 Bulls (H), 33–14 Edinburgh (H), 29–21 Dragons (H), 32–19 Bulls (A), 39–26 Leicester (H), 42–21 La Rochelle (H), 26–17 Bayonne (A). URC losses to Lions (24–10 A), Sharks (36–24 A, 30–19 H), Harlequins (61–10 A in ECC). Won 10 of their last 12 URC matches.
The Stormers have been superb in the URC — a 35–0 thrashing of Leinster at home was the performance of the season, and they've won 10 of their last 12 league matches including an away win at Loftus over the Bulls. Their South African derby record is strong barring the Sharks results. But European away trips have been problematic: the 61–10 Harlequins disaster and losses to Edinburgh and Racing last season expose their vulnerability when travelling north. The long-haul factor looms large for this fixture.
RC Toulon XV
Lineups have not yet been announced for this fixture. Toulon are expected to lean on their international contingent — Garbisi at fly-half, Ollivon in the backrow, Sinckler at tighthead, and the lethal back three of Villière, Jaminet, and potentially Tuicuvu. Head coach Pierre Mignoni may look to shore up the pack with Gros and Lucchesi. Update when the team is confirmed.
Stormers XV
Lineups have not yet been announced. The Stormers will likely build around their Springbok-laden squad — Feinberg-Mngomezulu or Willemse at 10/15, Moerat captaining the pack, Malherbe and Mchunu in the front row, and Evan Roos at No. 8. The key question is whether Hartzenberg, Gelant, and Simelane are all fit for the back three. Update when the team is confirmed.
Key Matchups
This is a genuinely competitive matchup across the park. The Stormers' Springbok-laden front row — Mchunu, de Villiers, Malherbe — should have the edge at scrum time, and Moerat's lineout captaincy is world-class. But Toulon's backrow trio of Ollivon, Mercer, and Ludlam brings enormous physicality and breakdown nous. The half-back battle is fascinating — Garbisi vs Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a duel between two of the most talented young playmakers in rugby. In the back three, both sides have electric finishers. The decisive factor may be the Toulon midfield — Frisch and Brex offer a more experienced, physical centre pairing than the Stormers' options.
Match Forecast
This is one of the tightest Round of 16 ties on paper — both sides finished on 14 points with 3 wins from 4, and the quality gap between them is minimal. What separates them is venue. The Stade Félix Mayol is one of rugby's most intimidating grounds, and Toulon's home European record is excellent — they beat Glasgow 30–29 and thrashed Saracens 72–42 at home last season. The Stormers face the familiar South African problem of jet lag, cold European conditions, and a hostile away crowd. Toulon already proved they can beat this Stormers side when they won 24–14 in Cape Town in December 2024 — now they have home advantage on top.
The Stormers are not without hope. Their URC form has been outstanding — a 35–0 demolition of Leinster and 10 wins in 12 is serious momentum — and their Springbok contingent gives them world-class set-piece quality that could nullify Toulon's forward threat. But their European away record is the concern: the 61–10 humiliation at Harlequins showed how badly things can go when they travel north. If Feinberg-Mngomezulu fires and the Stormers pack dominates the scrum, they can win this. But the Mayol factor — the noise, the intensity, the crowd — tips the scales just enough toward Toulon in what should be a thrilling, tight contest.
Toulon to edge a tight, physical contest at the Mayol — but the Stormers will make them fight for every point.