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Clermont Are White Hot as the Champions Cup Returns
As European Champions Cup rugby returns to give fans an early Christmas present, James Harrington reveals the tournament’s on-fire teams – and the ones that need a fire lit under them.
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The Champions Cup returns to give the northern hemisphere’s rugby calendar a distinctly European flavour for the next fortnight, with all 20 teams preparing for a home-and-away double header against one opponent from their pool.
As the competition enters its key pre-Christmas third and fourth rounds, the question is which sides are in the box seat for a place in the knockout phase of the competition – and are there any surprising teams at risk of an early exit?
Who’s Hot
Clermont: Ten points after two rounds says it all. A blip against Pau in the Top 14 last weekend, when they lost by five points and the odd touchdown in a nine-try, 75-point thriller, gives other teams a hint of a hope, but just a hint. They face Ulster twice in the next two weeks, starting in Belfast, a city they have visited only once previously (and lost), and will be looking for a minimum of six points over the next two matches to put at least one foot in the knockout phase. The French side have already beaten Exeter Chiefs and Bordeaux-Begles in Pool Five and have won their last five European outings against Irish sides – four against Munster and one against Leinster.
Saracens: The defending champions took Toulon apart at Stade Mayol in the opening round of the tournament, following up with a bonus-point home win over Scarlets. The Premiership leaders are at home in the first leg of their double-header against 10th-placed Sale. Like Clermont, they will be looking to pick up at least of six points from the next two games. Eight, nine or 10 would seem even more likely, given current form and confidence at both sides.
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Who’s Just Warming Up
Toulon: The Toulon that will take to the Stade Mayol pitch against Scarlets this weekend is a very different animal to the one that hobbled through the first two rounds of the tournament in October. In the backroom, Diego Dominguez has been relieved of his duties and replaced by Mike Ford. The change has been almost instantaneous. The nervy and uncertain Toulon that started the season has been replaced by a more adventurous, more confident side. They still do not have the swagger of a couple of seasons ago, but they’re on the way back. Scarlets, their opponents over the next two matches, beware.
Munster: The untimely death of Munster legend Anthony Foley shortly before they were due to open their Champions Cup account against Racing 92 in France means that two-time champions from southwest Ireland are a match behind pool one rivals Glasgow and Leicester in the tournament. Yet they are sitting at the top of the table, following a bonus-point victory over Glasgow in the second round of matches. They are at home again for the third round, when they welcome Leicester to Thomond Park, and with the spirit of Foley apparently watching over his beloved province, it will be hard to bet against them.
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Who’s Out Of It
Northampton: The Saints 100th European Cup match could not come at a much more difficult time. They are ninth in the league, have just lost the Midlands’ derby against Leicester, and their last European outing was a far from impressive 47-7 hammering at Castres Olympique. They may be only the 10th side to join the elite European 100 club – after Toulouse (152), Munster (151), Leinster (144), Leicester (140), Scarlets (131), Ulster (131), Cardiff Blues (114), Treviso (108) and Glasgow Warriors (105) – but they need a rapid turnaround in fortunes to escape from the foot of Pool Four. And it won’t be easy for Jim Mallinder’s side. Not only double-header opponents Leinster in better form right now, so are the other two Pool Four rivals, Montpellier and Castres who’ll be bashing lumps out of each other in France.
Zebre: Two matches. Two defeats. Three tries scored and 20 conceded. A points difference of -113 … and a rejuvenated Toulouse at home and away in the next week or so. Enough said.
Comments on RugbyPass
I knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
103 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
103 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
103 Go to commentsHo hum.
103 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
103 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
103 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
103 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
103 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
103 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
103 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
103 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
103 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
103 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to comments