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The State of the Pools as the European Champions Cup Returns
The northern hemisphere’s major domestic competitions take a two-week break as the European competitions returns. James Harrington takes a look at the state of the pools going into the penultimate round of the Champions Cup.
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POOL 1
Munster (16pts) | Glasgow Warriors (13) | Leicester Tigers (8) | Racing 92 (0)
What has happened to Racing 92? A squad like that should ease into the knockout phase of the Champions Cup, even in a tough pool like this. And yet, here at the business end of the pool phase, the Top 14 champions and last season’s losing Champions Cup finalists are bottom of the pool one pile, have no points and not even pride left to play for. Their lack of interest in the tournament was clear from the moment their side to play last weekend’s rearranged game against Munster was announced. The battle for top spot is between Munster, who continue to pay the perfect tribute to former coach Anthony Foley, and Glasgow Warriors. The top two meet at Scotstoun this weekend in what looks a lot like a must-watch encounter – and do not be too surprised to see both sides in the last eight; while Racing have one last chance to avoid total ignominy as they welcome Leicester to Stade Yves du Manoir before they head to southwest Ireland for the final round.
POOL 2
Wasps (13pts) | Toulouse (13) | Connacht (13) | Zebre (0)
This is the pool for those who love nothing more than lengthy arguments over permutations. Three sides are level on points – and two of them have to play Zebre. Connacht entertain the whipping boys from Italy this week; while Wasps face them Parma next weekend. Given the likelihood of five points for the Irish and English side in those games, the outcome of this pool rests on the results of their remaining games – both against the other side on 13 points in pool two: four-time European champions Toulouse. Wasps, arguably, have the easiest route to a quarter-final berth. This weekend, they entertain the Top 14 side in what should be the Ricoh Arena’s second blood-and-thunder encounter in a week, while Connacht have what could well be an all-to-play-for trip to Stade Ernest Wallon for the final round of the pool phase. It’s likely that two teams from this pool will qualify for the knockout phase – by the narrowest of margins
POOL 3
Saracens (18pts) | Toulon (10) | Scarlets (8) | Sale Sharks (0)
Reports circulating in the French rugby media suggest the future of at least some of Toulon’s current coaching staff rests on whether the three-time champions reach the last eight – which may go some way to explaining the appointment of ex-Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill as consultant forwards coach until the end of the season. If Cockerill saw how easily Clermont demolished his new charges in Sunday’s Top 14 clash, he will be painfully aware of the work ahead. He was due to start his new job this week, which means he will have only one match – this weekend’s visit of Scarlets – before Toulon head to the UK to face pool-toppers and defending champions Saracens – the side that ended his tenure at Leicester. Realistically, the French side need two big wins – including at least one attacking bonus point – to be certain of a place in the last eight. That is the toughest of asks, as even an injury-ravaged Saracens – hot favourites for a home match in the quarters – are almost impossible to beat at home.
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POOL 4
Leinster (16pts) | Montpellier (11) | Castres Olympique (9) | Northampton Saints (4)
Leinster have this pool in the bag – and will have a place in the knockout phase sewn up if they beat Montpellier at the RDS this weekend. A win over Castres the following weekend would ensure a home quarter-final. The immediate problem for the Irish side is that beating Montpellier is easier said than done. The direct, relentless Héraultais don’t stop coming forward – and trying to front up to them is generally not recommended. The trick to beating Jake White’s side is to think wide and kick tactically. Fijian wing monsters Nemani Nadolo and Timoci Nagusa are close to unstoppable with the ball in hand, but they turn like tankers that have been holed below the water line. Mathematically, third-place Castres could overtake the top two, but realistically, that is not going to happen. They would need bonus-point wins against Northampton and Leinster, Montpellier to win in Dublin and for Saints to pick up four points on the south coast of France on the final weekend. It’s rather more likely that Montpellier will qualify for the last eight.
POOL 5
Clermont Auvergne (17pts) | Bordeaux Begles (9) | Ulster (9) | Exeter Chiefs (6)
Pool five is Clermont’s for the taking – they are eight points ahead of Bordeaux and Ulster with two games to play. But nightmare memories of last season’s competition, when they threw away a gilt-edged invitation to the quarter-finals by missing out on a losing bonus point in their final game of the pool phase will weigh heavy. They have a tough trip to Bordeaux (architects of their nightmare scenario last season) to navigate this week, followed by the visit of Premiership high-fliers Exeter, whose Champions Cup hopes were killed off during an early season struggle for form. Still, it would take something approaching a miracle for the Top 14 leaders not to reach the knockout phase, given how strong they have been at home all season. Meanwhile, if Ulster win at Sandy Park this weekend, they could be in a shot of reaching the last eight, as they then face poor-travellers Bordeaux at the Kingspan in the final round.
Comments on RugbyPass
It will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
1 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell 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..
6 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.
6 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?
3 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 comments