Looking at which 8 teams can still qualify for the Champions Cup knockouts
Eight clubs have already qualified and eight are to join them as this weekend’s final round of the prestigious Investec Champions’ Cup will determine which 16 clubs go through and what challenges await them as the tournament starts to move to knock-out mode.
With four pools of six teams, four qualify from each pool while the fifth side drops to the EPCR Challenge Cup, and the side finishing sixth is ousted. So with one round to go there is still everything to play for.
We take a look at who has qualified from each group and the prospects for each team still hoping to qualify below:
Pool 1 – Qualified: Bordeaux-Begles and Lyon (Both France)
Bordeaux-Begles: 15 points (3 wins)
Bordeaux have set some amazing records in the tournament so far, winning all three games and scoring more than 40 points on each occasion. They bashed Connacht in Galway, beat Bristol Bears at home and then handed Saracens their biggest defeat ever in a European competition.
With Mathieu Jalibert and Damian Penaud on fire, the team are odds-on favourites to challenge the likes of Toulouse and La Rochelle for dominance.
Lyon: 12 points (2 wins)
Lyon started their campaign with a narrow loss at Bristol Bears in Round one, but they grabbed two bonus points in the loss. Their narrow win against the Bulls and their big win over Connacht have made them the first team from the pool to qualify.
What about the Bulls?
The Vodacom Bulls have 10 points from two wins – at home against Saracens and away to Bristol Bears and need just one more point to qualify when they take on Bordeaux-Begles this weekend at Loftus Versfeld.
The big question is: Which Bordeaux team will pitch up? French teams have been known to send second string teams for away games or will they want the points for a top finish at the end of the pool stages? Either way it should be a cracker and the Bulls haven’t been beaten at home by European opposition yet.
Bristol and Saracens have tough games against Connacht (away) and Lyon (home) and one will qualify, but it is tough to see both English teams qualify.
Pool 2 – Qualified: Stade Toulousain, Bath Rugby and Harlequins
Stade Toulousain: Points 15 (3 wins)
The giants of EPCR rugby, they scored a massive amount of points in wins over Cardiff, Harlequins and Ulster, with the last game in Belfast looking like men against boys. It’s going to be hard to stop the juggernaut of Toulouse, and it is no wonder they are favourites for the entire tournament.
Bath Rugby: Points 15 (3 wins)
Johann van Graan’s time with Bath Rugby has been sensational as they are in the top 4 in the English Premiership and now have qualified for the Top16 of the Champions’ Cup as well. The team are a nuggety blend of players who never give up and Van Graan has marshalled an excellent coaching team around him. Their final pool game this weekend will show if they can compete with the likes of Toulouse.
Harlequins: Points 10 (2 wins)
Even though Toulouse outclassed them, Harlequins bounced back and qualified with some sensational play. Andre Esterhuizen, Stephan Lewies and Tyrone Green continue to excel and they will hope to go further than the four quarterfinal stages they have achieved in their history in the tournament.
Who else can qualify?
Ulster were smashed at home by Toulouse and have five points, while Racing 92 have three and Cardiff two points on the log. Therefore all three can still qualify but with Ulster facing Harlequins away this weekend and Racing and Cariff facing each other, it will be a fascinating race to watch.
Pool 3 – Teams qualified – Northampton Saints, Exeter Rugby
Northampton Saints: Points 14 (3 wins)
They secured their spot by smashing Bayonne 61-14 in round three and beat both Glasgow Warriors and Toulon in their other matches to be one of the form teams in Europe. Their three wins ensures they get home ground advantage in the next round.
Exeter: Points 13 (3 wins)
Three comeback wins from three, and a dramatic win at Sandy Park against Glasgow, a result that is still being debated across the competition, have seen Exeter qualify with a round left with wins over Toulon, Munster and Glasgow.
Who else can qualify?
All four remaining teams have a chance to qualify, but Munster and Glasgow look the most likely to pull through with eight and five points respectively. Bayonne has three and Toulon two, and while they are outsiders at best, mathematically it is still possible. An intriguing battle awaits with Glasgow hosting Toulon on Friday, Munster hosting Northampton on Saturday and Bayonne hosting Exeter on Sunday.
Pool 4 – Teams qualified: Leinster
Leinster – Points 15 (Wins 3)
The Dublin powerhouse had no trouble qualifying and want to go one better than last season’s losing finalists. Their opening win at Stade Rochelais (La Rochelle) was one of their all time great victories, followed by top wins over Sale Sharks and Stade Francais (albeit a weakened Stade) puts them firmly in the next round.
What are the DHL Stormers chances of qualification?
This is truly the pool of death and by no means near knowing which four sides will go through. While Leinster have booked their spot, the Stormers and Leicester Tigers are second on nine points. La Rochelle were incredible in their win over Leicester this past weekend and are on seven with Sale Sharks on five. Only Stade Francais are out of contention with one point.
Given the Parisians are out, that may be good news for the Stormers, who haven’t won away from home for some time now in any competition.
Leicester host Leinster in an intriguing battle at Welford Road on Saturday followed by the Stormers quest against Stade Francais in Paris. On Sunday Sale Sharks have a mammoth task against La Rochelle, with the winner there set to qualify and the loser set to drop down to EPCR Challenge Cup.
Fixtures
Friday
Glasgow Warriors vs Toulon (Pool 3, 22.00)
Connacht vs Bristol Bears (Pool 1, 22.00)
Saturday
Harlequins vs Ulster (Pool 2, 15.00)
Vodacom Bulls vs Bordeaux-Begles (Pool 1, 15.00)
Leicester Tigers vs Leinster (Pool 4, 17.15)
Racing 92 vs Cardiff (Pool 2, 17.15)
Munster vs Northampton Saints (Pool 3, 19.30)
Stade Francais vs DHL Stormers (Pool 4, 19.30)
Saracens vs Lyon (Pool 1, 22.00)
Sunday
Sale Sharks vs La Rochelle (Pool 3, 15.00)
Toulouse vs Bath (Pool 2, 17.15)
Bayonne vs Exeter Chiefs (Pool 3, 19.30)
Comments on RugbyPass
Who listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
40 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
40 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
39 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
40 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to comments