It is five years since an English team won the Champions Cup. During that period the trophy has been exclusively French property. La Rochelle, Toulouse and Bordeaux have turned Europe’s premier competition into a Top 14 plaything wrapped in a Tricolour.
If that trend is to change this season then the most probable candidates to break the monopoly have to be Bath, the English champions.
Top of the Prem and turbo-boosted towards this weekend’s opening fixture against head coach Johann van Graan’s former side Munster by a precious win at Saracens on Sunday, they look strong.
Yet Bath know more than anyone how fiendishly difficult it can be for an English club to scale European club rugby’s highest peak.
Last season, despite sweeping all before them domestically, they crashed out of the Champions Cup at the group stage.
In week one they lost at home to La Rochelle and then went down in Treviso the following weekend to Benetton. In the end they lost three out of their four group games and rolled in fifth
That dropped them into the Challenge Cup which they promptly won.
It was a fine achievement and one which made the point that fighting on two fronts is possible but with all due respect the Challenge Cup is a best-of-the-rest afterthought.
The real prestige, the real path to greatness lies in the Champions Cup and lifting that trophy involves another degree of difficulty altogether.
Bath, as the first English winners in its original guise of the Heineken Cup, have tasted the exquisite pleasure of doing so before but that was a long time ago in 1998.
They last reached a semi-final 20 years ago and a quarter-final 11 years ago.
“Whenever Europe comes around Johann always comes back to a quote from Tom Dunn,” explained Bath captain Ben Spencer.
“When Johann came in he explained what Europe meant to him and Dunny just sat there and said to him: ‘Johann, if we could just win one game in Europe I’ll be a happy man.’”
It’s an unbelievably difficult competition to win. It is the best teams, the best players in the world and we know we can’t afford to have a week off in the competition but the belief I have in the squad, the belief Johann has in the squad I think we can do something special this year.
Ben Spencer
That, of course, is no longer the prevailing mindset. Bath have the forward power, smart half-backs in Spencer and Finn Russell and the bench which has such an important part to play – maybe too important – in top-level rugby. They are steeled for a serious tilt at the tournament this season.
“It’s an unbelievably difficult competition to win. It is the best teams, the best players in the world and we know we can’t afford to have a week off in the competition but the belief I have in the squad, the belief Johann has in the squad I think we can do something special this year,” said Spencer.
It is the logical next step for Bath.
“I think it has to be,” said Lawrence Dallaglio, a past European champion with Wasps.
“Winning the domestic competition tends to come first generally and then you go for Europe.
“I think they would have learned some lessons from what happened last year and they certainly appear to have that strength in depth in their squad that can enable them to challenge – especially in the tight five which is a big thing.”
Dallaglio’s Premier Sports punditry partner Chris Robshaw feels this has to be their season.
“I think it’s a case of if not this year for Bath then when?” said the former England captain.
“They’re losing some big characters and big personalities like (Thomas) du Toit from that squad so they need to do it this year.
It would be a major surprise if Bath could not manage to finish in the top four of a group containing Munster, Toulon, Edinburgh, Castres and Gloucester in order to reach the Round of 16. From there, who knows.
“It’s tough with the Top 14 and their budgets, the size of their squads and the pull they have to attract worldwide players.
“But I think if you look at their pool as well it’s probably slightly easier in honesty than it was last year.
“Win a couple of games early on, all of a sudden they get on a roll and then it’s a question of whether their players are fit post-Six Nations. You’ve got to have a fit squad coming into the knockout stages to be able to compete.”
It would be a major surprise if Bath could not manage to finish in the top four of a group containing Munster, Toulon, Edinburgh, Castres and Gloucester in order to reach the Round of 16. From there, who knows, but they would certainly not look out of place amongst the elite that will remain.
If not Bath then you are scratching around to think of another English club capable of challenging the French superclubs at the sharp end. Saracens are possibilities perhaps with an in-form England cohort led by Maro Itoje – as well as Owen Farrell back on board. Jamie George was around when they were winning Champions Cups before the current period of French domination.
“I certainly think the English teams can challenge the French teams and keep them on their toes,” said the Saracens hooker.
“French rugby is in a brilliant spot at the minute but I also think English rugby is in a really, really good spot. I think you look at the England team and the autumn and how many games on the bounce it is now there’s a real excitement about going back to the club and trying to achieve something there too.
“The game is always about momentum. Obviously that is a different team and international rugby is different, but I think also the confidence that we have gained and also the experiences that we’ve had will certainly help the English club teams as well.”
It’s certainly harder for us – there’s no doubt about that. Some of the French clubs have so much depth in their squads and it’s something that Premiership clubs can’t really compete with.
Fitz Harding, Bristol captain
It shouldn’t be forgotten that Northampton made it all the way to the final last season before being being beaten by Bordeaux. Whether they can repeat that up is open to question but the Saints have to be the template for the rest of the Prem clubs that are involved.
“I think you saw last year what is possible. The run Saints went on was incredible,” said Bristol captain Fitz Harding.
“It’s certainly harder for us – there’s no doubt about that. Some of the French clubs have so much depth in their squads and it’s something that Premiership clubs can’t really compete with. But if you look at Saints last year and they didn’t have a massive squad, they just kept thei players fit, played some really great rugby and that almost got them there. It’s certainly not impossible.”
Enquire aross the Channel though and the French cannot see past the French.
Manu Tuilagi, who will be involved in the tournament with Bayonne, feels the Top 14 clubs hold all the aces.
“The teams that have won it lately all have massive squads,” said Tuilagi. “If you want to compete in the Top 14 and the Champions Cup you have to have that.
“Bordeaux, Toulouse, La Rochelle and the two Paris teams are the big five. They have the depth and the quality. The budgets in France are a lot bigger than the other countries.”
The Top 14 TV deal which is the main driver in creating the imbalance, dwarfs that of the Prem and the URC. The salary cap in England prevents the club owners who might be tempted to try to match the French from doing so.
It would be beneficial for the big picture if the English clubs as a whole can land a few punches this season and even better if one of them can lift the trophy in Bilbao in May.
The wealth gap is considerable. The spend of the top French clubs is 30 per cent more than their English counterparts.
Must it all come down to money? Invariably in top-level sport it does. For the good of the competition though it needs uncertainty of outcome. If the Champions Cup remains solely a French preserve it is diminished.
It would be beneficial for the big picture if the English clubs as a whole can land a few punches this season and even better if one of them can lift the trophy in Bilbao in May.
Over to you, Bath.
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How english centric rugbypass is becoming. As a scot I'm not expecting glasgow but how can you look beyond Leinster rather than Bath as the main threat and for the rest of the “other nations” I would hope for a winner outwith England or france and it has to be said the Top 14 is class
Unfortunately for English teams, their best asset in international competition (Nigel Owens) retired many years ago after giving Exeter the least deserved title in an atrocious final vs Racing92.
Even though Andrew Brace and Hollie Davidson are doing their best (the latter gave Bath the Challenge Cup last year by “forgiving” a red card against Underhill), I’m not sure it will be enough.
😂😂😂
As long ad Leinster don’t win, I'm fine.
They should focus on getting out of the group stage first.
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It’s a good question but BATH were clear they prioritised the Premiership last season, hence why they sent the weakened squad to Benetton (which cost them) followed by the full strength side being played at Newcastle the following week.
As they got more comfortable in that Top 2 spot, you saw them focus on Europe a little more.
I think it all depends on that 1st game. If you get a result against Munster, you will see them prioritise the Investec and give it a crack this season. This is potentially the peak year for this current squad (with Du Toit leaving), so they will give it a crack and hopefully can enjoy a similar run like Northampton.
Ultimately, with the smaller salary cap the English clubs have smaller squads, so you need a bit of luck with injuries to keep your best players available and not carrying too many injuries during this key Dec-Feb period, where it’s pretty much non-stop games.
Fingers crossed the rugby gods are kind this year. 🤞
First up match of the Euro campaign, at home and JvG’s former team. If they aren’t up for that BIG time then they never will be! Munster are tough opponents for sure but if anyone knows how to take them on, it’s JvG.
Who is spell checking your articles these days ‘they just kept thei players fit,’