Manie Libbok fluffs lines as La Rochelle squeeze past Stormers

Defending champions La Rochelle scraped through to the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals after Manie Libbok missed a last-gasp conversion for Stormers in the 22-21 away victory.

Libbok kicked 11 points and had the chance to dump out the holders after Suleiman Hartzenberg’s 79th-minute try, but dragged his conversion just wide.

The South Africa international fly-half put Stormers ahead with two penalties and they took advantage of Will Skelton’s yellow card as Herschel Jantjies scored their first try, Libbok adding the extras.

Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson previews the European Cup face-off with Stade Rochelais

Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson previews the European Cup face-off with Stade Rochelais

He then extended their lead with another penalty 10 minutes into the second half for a 15-0 advantage.

La Rochelle raced back into the game through a Louis Penverne try, with Antoine Hastoy converting, before the fly-half added a penalty.

The French side took the lead through Gregory Alldritt’s converted try before Joel Sclavi added another touchdown before the late drama saw La Rochelle squeeze through.

A dominant Bulls scored nine tries to secure their spot in the last eight after thrashing Lyon 59-19.

Tries from Sebastian de Klerk, Embrose Papier and Marcell Coetzee gave Bulls the early advantage, with Johan Goosen adding the extras for all three.

Martin Page-Relo put Lyon on the board at the half-hour mark as Paddy Jackson converted but Ruan Vermaak extended Bulls’ advantage three minutes later with a converted try as they led 28-7 at the break.

An energetic start to the second half saw Lyon hit back through a penalty try, which saw Bulls centre Canan Moodie sin-binned as a result but the hosts quickly added two more tries through Willie le Roux and Papier, with Goosen only able to convert the latter before Thaakir Abrahams crossed for Lyon.

Bulls ran away with the game as David Kriel and Chris Smith crossed within four minutes of each other and Smith kicked the extras before de Klerk added his second of the afternoon with three minutes to go.