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It's put up or shut up time for Premiership clubs in Champions Cup

By Alex Shaw
Captains of six Premiership clubs line up alongside the trophy after Saracens boycotted the Champions Cup media day (Photo by Huw Fairclough/Getty Images)

After the Gallagher Premiership clubs excelled in the Heineken Champions Cup during the 2015/16 season, many predicted it foreshadowed an era of English dominance in the top tier European competition.

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Although Saracens have done their best to confirm those assertions, winning three of the four titles in the period since then, the successes of the other entrants from the Premiership have been few and far between, with the majority even struggling to make it out of their pools.

In the 2015/16 season, English clubs accounted for five of the eight quarter-finalists, with Saracens, Wasps, Exeter Chiefs, Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers all emerging from their pools. Leicester and Wasps both made it to the semi-final stage before Saracens went all the way to the final and beat Racing 92. The complete absence of Guinness PRO14 teams from the knockout stage was a concern.

However, the tables have turned since, with the Celtic provinces, regions and clubs bouncing back extremely well after their struggles in a post-World Cup season. The following campaign, only Saracens and Wasps made it to the quarter-final stage, with three PRO14 and three French clubs making up the rest of the field. For the last two seasons, only Saracens have made it out of their pool from the Premiership.

Given the resources at their disposal, it’s been an embarrassing run of below-par displays from the other Premiership clubs and if they cannot up their games this season, making the most of the larger core of internationals that will have their workloads managed post-RWC at teams such as Leinster, Munster and Glasgow Warriors, their European stock is only going to fall further.

(Continue reading below…)

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The reigning champions, Saracens, have already stated that they will not be focusing on European competition, as they seek to battle back from the potential 35-point Premiership deduction that they will face should their review of salary cap sanctions not be successful. We will get our first indication of how committed they are to that plan when they announce on Friday their team to play Racing 92 in the opening round.

Assuming they stick to their word, that would leave Bath, Exeter, Gloucester, Harlequins, Northampton and Sale Sharks to carry the torch for the Premiership. Saracens’ rotated squad is no easy win, either, although even their enviable depth is unlikely to see them out of a pool also boasting Racing, Munster and the Ospreys.

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The obvious candidate to throw their hat into the mix for the title would be Exeter. They have been incredibly consistent and competitive at the very top of the Premiership in recent seasons, as well as firing some shots in Europe, although they have yet to make the leap from domestic powerhouse to European contender.

They have the talent in their starting XV and the depth in the squad to survive injuries. In tighter games, when the December and January weather proves influential, they have the set-piece and control to win games, while the likes of Sam Simmonds, Henry Slade and Stuart Hogg can excel on firmer grounds and clear days. They don’t have a track record of qualifying in Europe, although a pool of La Rochelle, Glasgow and Sale is winnable, if not straightforward.

Sale bolstered prodigiously over the summer, Harlequins further stamped Paul Gustard’s influence on their squad and Bath added quality and depth to their front row. They are all capable of upsetting teams on their day, although their starts to the season have been far from electrifying. You certainly wouldn’t write any of them off from potentially sneaking out of their pools, though none of the trio look like genuine contenders at this point in time.

That leaves Gloucester and Northampton as torchbearers alongside Exeter. The Kingsholm-based outfit sit in Pool 5 alongside Toulouse, Montpellier and Connacht, while Saints face off with Leinster, Lyon and Benetton in Pool 1. Even with a plethora of World Cup call-ups, Toulouse and Leinster will be favourites to top those pools and probably secure home quarter-finals. Their spots aren’t unassailable, however, not to mention the three best runners-up spots that are also available across the five pools.

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For the Cherry and Whites, their campaign could hinge on the opening round. They take on Toulouse at Kingsholm on Friday night and qualification so often revolves around being able to hold serve at home and then pick up what points on the road that you can. If Gloucester can knock off the French champions in the opening game of the tournament, their path to the quarter-finals suddenly looks a lot more realistic.

They have been improving under Johan Ackermann’s tutelage and given the fact they have limited international call-ups compared to some of the other big teams in the Premiership and Europe, they are a candidate to compete on two fronts this season. They put a lot on that midfield of Danny Cipriani, Mark Atkinson and Billy Twelvetrees and the trio will be key to their chances of success.

As for Northampton, they seemingly look more and more like the Hurricanes with each passing week, as Chris Boyd develops the team in the image of his former side. For the Franklin’s Gardens faithful and neutrals alike, that is exciting, and they are one of the most enjoyable sides to watch in Europe currently. Stylistically, it matches up quite nicely with their pool opponents, in what could prove to be compelling affairs.

If they can avoid being bullied upfront, particularly by Leinster and Lyon, Saints have a shot of qualification. There are understandable concerns over how they will manage in deeper winter, but if they can beat Lyon in Northampton on Sunday, their chances of qualification begin to look much better, even if only as a best runner-up. At the worst, this will be a valuable learning experience for Saints’ cadre of young talents in and on the cusp of the starting XV, as they are arguably a year behind Gloucester in their development as a club, and a further two or three behind Exeter.

Slow starts to the Champions Cup have dogged English clubs in recent years and often left them with holes too deep to dig their way out of, despite some encouraging December and January performances. If the Premiership is to rebuild its European reputation, Gloucester and Northampton will need to start fast, while Exeter have to become comfortable with the tag of favourites and European heavyweights.

It really does have the feeling of a make-or-break season for Exeter in Europe. Their nemesis is facing a points deduction so severe as to likely rule them out of the Premiership playoffs, potentially allowing the Devon-based side to really attack Europe with gusto this season and still be in a healthy position in the Premiership title race. Another year of not even qualifying for the knockout rounds will prompt significant criticism and with increased experience of the competition among their squad, the excuses are running out.

Returning to briefly to that nemesis and everything related to Saracens at the moment seems to carry an asterisk. Although there is no salary cap in European competition, the top seeding they secured themselves going into those European campaigns was, per the independent body that investigated it, done so illegally in domestic competition.

Their players’ performances, the coaching and the development of talent remains undiminished in those seasons, though English rugby, for integrity’s sake, is in dire need of an additional flagbearer. To put it frankly, the 2019/20 season is a case of put up or shut up for the Premiership clubs in the Champions Cup.

WATCH: Former Saracens player Jim Hamilton discusses the salary cap scandal surrounding his old club

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Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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