Undercooked or overworked? Who's primed for Champions Cup success - Andy Goode
Will Saracens be overworked? Will Leinster be undercooked? The contrasting approaches of clubs in the all too short period between the Six Nations and Champions Cup quarter-finals have been intriguing and we’ll find out who got it right this weekend.
Mako Vunipola was the only available member of England’s starting XV against Ireland who didn’t start for his club at the weekend. Owen Farrell, George Kruis, Dylan Hartley and Anthony Watson were all injured.
In contrast, Jacob Stockdale and Iain Henderson were the only Ireland starters to be in the starting XV for their club and that’s because Ulster don’t have a game this coming weekend.
The argument around how much rugby the England players, in particular, have been playing has been well documented but it’ll be interesting to see whether the freshness of a week off or the cohesion of a week playing together will bear fruit.
| Number of minutes played at the weekend by starters in Six Nations Round 5 |
Leinster | 0 |
Munster | 0 |
Clermont | 0 |
La Rochelle | 46 |
Scarlets | 66 |
Toulon | 80 |
Racing 92 | 80 |
Saracens | 328 |
In my view, EPCR should delay the quarter-finals by a week in future seasons but for now coaches have a difficult decision to make.
Some coaches want their first-choice side to have played together so they’re ready for a big game and others want to make sure their internationals are well rested so will give them a week off. We’ll see after this weekend which approach is best but a three-week gap between the end of the Six Nations and the European quarter-finals would take that dilemma out of the equation.
Leinster sent a weakened side to Ospreys and could afford to do so because they’re in a very healthy position in their league. Saracens didn’t have that luxury because they had a big game at London Stadium and the battle for a top two place in the Premiership is so fierce.
Sarries won and will take that confidence and momentum into the weekend’s game at the Aviva Stadium. Leinster lost and, although they’ll have their stars back and fresh, they’re relying on them clicking straight back into the systems used at club level.
Number of starters in Six Nations Round 5 that started for their clubs at the weekend | |
Ireland | 2 |
Scotland | 3 |
Italy | 3 |
Wales | 9 |
France | 9 |
England | 10 |
The last time Leinster’s first choice side all played together was in January and two months is a long time in rugby.
I saw a photo of Rob Kearney, Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony and Keith Earls keeping out of the sun in a nice fish restaurant I know well at the Westin Hotel in Dubai. Ultimately, the results will dictate whether that break was the right idea from the clubs’ point of view or not. If Leinster beat Saracens and Munster see off Toulon, then it’s a good move but they might get a bit of criticism if they don’t.
As a player, I would’ve liked to have a game under my belt the week before a big game in order to be battle-hardened but the game has changed in terms of the impact on the body and it’s all about the individual management of players nowadays.
There’s no perfect answer. If you win, you’re right. If you lose, you’re wrong.
Whether Farrell, Kruis and Billy Vunipola are fit will have a huge bearing on Saracens’ chances on Sunday. You only know whether they really are touch and go or if they’re being held back and are ready to be unleashed if you’re in camp with them but people will be waiting to see their names on the team sheet before picking the winner of that one.
Sarries fans and neutrals will be desperate to see Farrell, in particular, back and he’ll be itching to have another crack at Johnny Sexton in their personal duel after defeat at Twickenham a couple of weeks ago.
Leinster won every game in what many people said was the toughest pool on paper ahead of the start of the tournament and looked head and shoulders above the rest but that is irrelevant now. Knockout rugby is a different beast.
In 21 seasons of European Cup quarter-finals there have only been 19 away victories, which shows just how hard it is to win on the road in a big European tie, but Saracens have produced the last two of those at Racing and Ulster and I just feel they can do it again.
Not many people will be picking Toulon to win at Thomond Park but they’ve been building nicely, are in form and have a lot of power, the x-factor of Semi Radradra and Chris Ashton scoring tries for fun, so I can see them pulling off an upset.
Clermont lost 49-0 to Toulon at the weekend and confidence at that club must be incredibly low. They might be prioritising the Champions Cup given that they’re ninth in the Top 14 but Racing will fancy their chances at the Stade Marcel Michelin.
Scarlets v La Rochelle is the most exciting game and the hardest to pick for me. I might have gone for La Rochelle a couple of months ago but their form has dipped since January and they don’t have the experience at this level, so I expect the Scarlets to make it through.
It’s as tough to call as I can remember any set of quarter-finals being but I’m going for Saracens and Toulon to win away in Ireland with Scarlets and Clermont coming out on top at home.
Comments on RugbyPass
The World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
1 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
19 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments