The Investec Champions Cup witnessed an extraordinary 16-try, 110-point showdown between the Bulls and Bristol Bears in Pretoria. The Bears dominated early, racing to a 21-0 lead within seven minutes and securing the bonus point in the opening 15 minutes. The game's free-flowing nature continued, with Bristol's Noah Heward scoring a hat-trick in the first half, and Stravino Jacobs contributing two tries for the Bulls, resulting in a 47-28 halftime score. The second half saw Bristol extend their lead to 61-35, but the Bulls mounted a late comeback with scores from Sebastian de Klerk and Willie le Roux. Despite the high-scoring affair, the match fell short of the record for most points in a Champions Cup game, which remains at 124, set in 1998-99 between Toulouse and Ebbw Vale. The Bulls and Bears shared the day's 16 tries, with Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Max Lahiff scoring early, and Heward intercepting a Bulls pass for a long-range try. The Bulls' Jeandre Rudolph and Jacobs also contributed tries, but Bristol's momentum remained strong, leading to a try bonus point after 15 minutes. Heward's second try and Kieran Marmion's score further extended Bristol's lead. Jacobs narrowly missed a hat-trick before the break due to a controversial full-back Rich Lane yellow card for knocking the ball out of play, resulting in a penalty try for the Bulls. Heward completed his hat-trick in the first half, and David Kriel reduced the deficit early in the second half to 12 points. Bristol's Pedro Rubiolo and Ravouvou added tries, but the Bulls' late push fell just short. The match's high-scoring nature and the teams' equal share of tries set a new pool stage record for tries in a single match. Bristol now faces a challenging home fixture against the holders, Bordeaux Begles, while the Bulls, still in contention, travel to Pau. The match officials included Pierre Brousset as the referee, with Jeremy Rozier and Benjamin Hernandez as assistant referees, and Denis Grenouillet as the TMO.
