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Rob Baxter tackles hype that this is the year of the French in the Champions Cup
Rob Baxter isn’t buying into the chatter that Exeter will be relinquishing their Heineken Champions Cup title into the hands of the French after the Top 14 provided five of the eight qualifiers for this weekend’s quarter-finals after last weekend’s unprecedented round of 16 straight knockout matches.
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Quarter-final teams in previous seasons would have had to play six pool matches to reach the knockout stages, but the pandemic forced tournament organisers EPCR in a format revamp which resulted in the use of a round of 16 to restart the Champions Cup after the pool stages were decimated by cancellations.
The rejig led to French clubs winning five of last weekend games, giving them the upper hand in terms of the country by country representation in a last-eight line-up completed by two teams from England and one from Ireland.
A club from France has not lifted the trophy since Toulon secured their title hat-trick in 2015, but Baxter isn’t swayed by the suggestion that last weekend’s results marked a sea-change for the tournament.
Instead, Baxter – whose Exeter team knocked out Lyon at Sandy Park – argued that a couple of scores falling differently in the round of 16 matches in Coventry and Limerick would have seen Clermont and Toulouse beaten and the Champions Cup last-eight line-up looking far more evenly balanced.
The financial picture in England for club rugby can't be good when the usually profitable Rob Baxter-coached Exeter report a whopping loss#EXEvLEIhttps://t.co/U5A4RIyxrS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 7, 2021
Speaking ahead of a weekend that will see Exeter host Leinster and La Rochelle take on Sale outside of a pair of all-French quarter-finals, Champions Cup-winning coach Baxter said: “You only have to watch the games. Wasps were within not giving away one penalty in the opposition 22 to beat Clermont and that is Clermont gone and Wasps through and what it is? Four-three.
“Munster was pretty much an even game until very, very late against a very good Toulouse side and then what would it become? It would become three English, two Irish, three French. On the basis of two scores across two games it would look so different in the quarter-finals.
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“If you say that that’s how close the margins are, is it that they [the French] have got something hugely better or is it just a season where they were two games where they produced just enough to get them over the line?
“That is why some of these discussions, although valid, in one or two slightly different circumstances they can look so different. Sitting here now with five French clubs through the picture says to us they have got something really right this year but if you went back to the weekend, did Clermont outclass Wasps? No. Did Toulouse completely blow away Munster? No. Could either of those games have gone the other way? Potentially, yes, particularly the Wasps game.
“You could very easily have had a relatively even split in these quarter-finals. I know that myself, I know how hard it is for us [Exeter] to get to quarter-finals and also how many times we have lost a game by one score that would have got us out of the pool. That is how close some of the margins are and the margins didn’t feel that wide to me last weekend.
“I know there was a couple of bigger results but they almost came out of the blue a bit. Scarlets crumbling like they did, Edinburgh losing like they did. It’s a little more complex than saying the French have just got it right this year. It doesn’t feel like the gap has grown that big that quickly.
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“When you get to the last-eight of Europe, how many Premiership clubs should be there? We have got two, we have got a quarter of the clubs. It’s not a bad showing in a bad year. It doesn’t feel that strange to me.”
10-YEAR QUARTER-FINAL LIST BY COUNTRY
2020/21: France 5, England 2, Ireland 1
2019/20: France 3, England 3, Ireland 2
2018/19: France 2, England 1, Ireland 3, Scotland 2
2017/18: France 4, England 1, Ireland 2, Wales 1
2016/17: France 3, England 2, Ireland 2, Scotland 1
2015/16: France 3, England 5
2014/15: France 3, England 4, Ireland 1
2013/14: France 3, England 2, Ireland 3
2012/13: France 3, England 3, Ireland 2
2011/12: France 2, England 1, Ireland 3, Scotland 1, Wales 1
Being told he wouldn't make it as a scrumhalf was one of a number of incidents that motivated @ExeterChiefs Jack Maunder's career, but they've opened up a world beyond rugby and have resulted in a best selling book
– writes @heagneyl ???https://t.co/o65wxHHqFP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 4, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Not sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
24 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
1 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
24 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
24 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
11 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
3 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to comments