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Everything at stake, pool by pool, in this weekend's Heineken Champions Cup
As the Heineken Champions Cup takes centre stage again this weekend, we look at what’s at stake in each pool.
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Leinster, Exeter Chiefs, Ulster Rugby and Toulouse all have four wins to date. Racing 92, who top a highly-competitive Pool 4, are unbeaten with three wins and a draw.
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POOL 1
Leinster Rugby made Heineken Champions Cup history by qualifying for the knockout stage with two rounds of pool matches remaining, and the four-time champions are now on track to secure a home quarter-final.
Northampton Saints on nine points still have a chance to join them despite having just two wins from four in Pool 1.
Northampton Saints’ Dan Biggar, this season’s top scorer with 57 points, has a 95% place kicking success rate with 20 kicks on target (12 penalties, 8 conversions) from 21 attempts.
Josh van der Flier of Leinster is the top tackler to date with 73 from his four matches, and only one missed attempt. Leinster’s Garry Ringrose is the leading try scorer with 6 following his hat-trick against Northampton Saints in Round 4, to add to his treble against Benetton Rugby in Round 1.
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Here's a reminder of how it stands in #HeinekenChampionsCup Pool 1??@leinsterrugby have already made history by qualifying with two rounds to go ?
But can @SaintsRugby finish in style and join them in the knockouts? ? pic.twitter.com/AxmzQSv4JK
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) January 6, 2020
POOL 2
Exeter are one of four clubs with a 100% win rate in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, along with Leinster, Ulster and Toulouse. The Chiefs’ current four-game winning run is their best in Europe’s top flight.
If Exeter manage to continue that run, they will be guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals for the second time in their history. The Chiefs have won their last two away games and are aiming to win three in a row on the road for the first time in European competition.
This will be the sixth meeting between Glasgow and Exeter Chiefs in the Heineken Champions Cup. The Warriors have won three of the previous five clashes, including both home games.
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Glasgow have won nine of their last 11 home games against Gallagher Premiership opposition, with only Saracens and Northampton Saints managing to win at Scotstoun in that spell.
Pool 2?? is being dominated by @ExeterChiefs after four rounds ??
But will @GlasgowWarriors start chasing them down, or could @SaleSharksRugby make a late move? ??#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/QUVADZkcvk
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) January 7, 2020
POOL 3
Both Ulster and ASM Clermont Auvergne remain in contention to qualify as winners of Pool 3, on 17 points and 16 points respectively, although neither can officially do it this weekend.
Clermont and Ulster have met five times previously in the Heineken Champions Cup, with each game won by the home side on the day (Clermont W2, Ulster W3).
Clermont have won 30 of their last 31 home pool games in the Heineken Champions Cup (L1 v Bordeaux-Bègles). Meanwhile the Ulstermen have won four of their last five away games in the tournament, more than they’d won in their previous 13 games on the road (W3, L10).
The French side are the top points scorers (152) this season, with the joint most tries (20, level with Leinster).
Ulster are the only side yet to concede a try in the opening 20 minutes this season, however, no one has scored more than Clermont in the opening quarter of their fixtures (6, level with Leinster).
Clermont and Ulster are two of just four clubs yet to be shown a card of any colour to date, along with Lyon and Toulouse.
It’s tight at the top of Pool 3! ??@ASMOfficiel and @UlsterRugby are leading the way and meet in what promises to be a Round 5 cracker ?
Both sides have played some thrilling rugby but who are you backing to come out on top this weekend?? ?#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/DcKtFEmFt5
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) January 8, 2020
POOL 4
Racing 92 who host Munster Rugby are guaranteed to join Leinster Rugby in the quarter-finals if they win their match in Round 5.
Munster lie in second with 11, with Saracens just one point behind them in third.
The Racing 92 pair of Teddy Thomas and Juan Imhoff lead the clean breaks category with 12 and 11 respectively.
Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth will make his 90th tournament appearance if selected for Saturday’s match against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium. The three-time Heineken Champions Cup winner has made 65 appearances for Saracens and 24 for Sale Sharks.
POOL 5
Toulouse who travel to Connacht Rugby, are guaranteed to join Leinster Rugby in the quarter-finals if they win their Round 5 match against the men from the west.
Remarkably Gloucester Rugby, who are still in the hunt for qualification from Pool 5 despite registering just one win, have the most bonus points to date with 5.
Gloucester are in second in the pool on 9 points, with Connacht third on 8.
Ellis Genge spoke to the Rugby Pod over the festive period in a brilliantly candid call. He spoke to Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode about his contract negotiations at Leicester Tigers, and the way that he deals with scrutiny on Twitter.
Comments on RugbyPass
Well where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
2 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
2 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
3 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to comments