Top 10 SA tries of the 2025-26 EPCR Challenge Cup

Mzanzi’s representatives weren’t at the races in Europe’s second-tier tournament this season. The Lions and Cheetahs both experienced a failure to launch and consequently couldn’t get out of the pool phase. The Pride were particularly disappointing considering they’re currently enjoying their best United Rugby Championship campaign.

The Sharks, who became the first South African side to lift the Challenge Cup in 2024, failed to make an impact as well. The Durbanites dipped in and out, entering the fray in the Round of 16 after having finished fifth in their pool in the Investec Champions Cup and immediately being knocked out by Connacht in Galway last Friday.

It’s little consolation, but the local teams at least scored some quality tries. It remains to be seen what the eight remaining sides serve up, but for my money, the Cheetahs are shoo-ins for conjuring up the Try of the Season. Check out that spectacular effort and the rest of my top 10 South African touchdowns of the tournament:

10: Red Bull Gives You Wings

Angelo Davids read the Red Bulls like a book to snatch an intercept and canter home to get the Lions off to a perfect start in Newcastle.

9: Maartens in the Middle

Cheetahs flank Daniel Maartens showed Angelo Davids that anything you can do, I can do better with this perfectly timed intercept try in Paris.

8: Early Christmas Gift

Kelly Mpeku received an early Christmas gift from Quan Horn, whose grubber sat up perfectly for the Lions winger to grab the ball and score in their tournament opener against Benetton.

7: Quite Francke, a beautiful ball

Lions captain Francke Horn displayed his underappreciated ball skills when he floated a perfect pass over the top for Richard Kriel to walk over in the corner against Lyon.

6: You Make Your Own Luck

Sometimes, you make your own luck as the Lions showed against Lyon. Yes, Morne van den Berg’s chip bounced perfectly for Angelo Davids to score, but it took vision from the scrumhalf to spot the space and hustle from the winger to get around the cover defender.

5: The Future Has Arrived

Lyon had a tough time grabbing hold of Morne van den Berg, whose elusiveness and sublime offload to Richard Kriel saw the wing pop the ball inside, where Junior Springbok prodigy Batho Hlekani picked it up and scored in his debut for the Lions.

First of many!

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4: Munier Shows He’s A Meneer

There was no stopping a determined Munier Hartzenberg as the Cheetahs centre beat three Stade Francais defenders to score.

3: Lions Make Lyon Pay

The Lions taught Esteban Gonzalez that you don’t chip inside your 22, as Morne van den Berg collected and Richard Kriel sliced through and found Quan Horn on the switch for a five-pointer.

2: Beginning With A Bang

The Cheetahs’ first try of the tournament was a cracker as Jaco van der Walt broke the Exeter Chiefs’ line, after which classy offloads by De-an Ackermann and Prince Nkabinde saw Michael Annies dot down in style.

1: Cheetahs Go Coast To Coast

After having scored earlier, Munier Hartzenberg turned into playmaker mode to spark this screamer for the Free Staters against Stade Francais. Hartzenberg chipped from inside his in-goal area, re-gathered and flicked a fantastic offload to Prince Nkabinde, who bolted into the visitors’ 22 and found Jandre Nel, who stepped a defender and went over in the corner.