Why it's going to be England versus Ireland as bitter Anglo-Irish rivalry brews in Europe
There is nothing quite like the excitement of the opening weekend of European club rugby. The Heineken Champions Cup is back for the 2018/19 season.
It’s the renewal of the deeply-ingrained Six Nations rivalries that have lain dormant since March and the end of seven months of relative civility in the north-west corner of Europe.
Tactically, it’s the intrigue of different playing styles from differently adjudicated competitions coming together and trying to put down an early marker, as much for pride as for positioning in pool tables.
Then there is the upcoming international window and opportunity to impress at the highest club level that also factors into the excitement, with every run, pass and tackle seeming to carry even more importance than they usually do. International coaches will have a strong idea of the squad they want to pick prior to European competition, but that doesn’t stop the rest of us from enjoying it like that’s not the case.
Coming into the tournament, only two teams remain unbeaten from the first block of domestic fixtures across the three constituent leagues and they are Saracens and Exeter Chiefs.
Are they truly that dominant or is it an indictment of the quality of teams below them? Have the Guinness PRO14 and Top 14 surpassed the Gallagher Premiership in terms of overall competitiveness?
Something worth musing on in the build-up to the opening round of fixtures this weekend, but far too complex of an issue to dig deeply into here.
Wherever you stand on that question, the form of those two sides is impossible to ignore. They are well coached, have first XVs which are capable of beating anyone in the competition and both boast excellent depth, that can see them survive all but the worst of injury crises. Don’t forget they are averaging just under five tries per game, too.
They are far from the only challengers, however, with Leinster in fine fettle as they begin the defence of the title they won in Bilbao back in May. Their only loss on the young season came away at Parc y Scarlets, which there is no shame in, particularly with the likes of Johnny Sexton, Sean O’Brien and James Ryan absent that day.
A bizarre and aberrant display against the Southern Kings aside, Glasgow Warriors have also started the campaign in strong form, as have the only side to best Leinster so far this season, the Scarlets.
From across the Channel, Montpellier and Racing 92 would seem to offer the most pertinent threats, with the two most impressive French sides, Clermont and Stade Français, actually having to make do with places in the Challenge Cup this season.
You can’t rule out teams when the quality of the three leagues is condensed into just 20 sides and there will no doubt be dark horses eager to make statements of their own.
There is Muster’s ability to find an extra gear in European competition, Wasps’ free-flowing style that can run teams ragged when they are in the mood and the new challenge posed by an underrated Lyon side. Heck, there’s even the resiliency of a declining Toulon to contend with, although results in this season’s Top 14 suggest that the quarter-finals might finally be beyond the side from the Côte d’Azur.
Let’s breakdown the pools.
Here are your 2018/19 @Heineken Champions Cup pools!#ChampionsCupDraw pic.twitter.com/ZfPtl07OxE
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) June 20, 2018
In Pool 1, Leinster face a challenge that is bigger in prestige and historical achievement than it is currently on the pitch. Bath, Toulouse and Wasps account for seven titles in the competition, although not a single one since 2010 and though in an individual match you could make a case for any one of them springing a surprise on the Dubliners, over the course of a six-game slate, Leinster are heavy favourites.
Continue reading below…
Watch: Johnny Sexton discusses the upcoming Champions Cup, as well as Conor Murray and a ‘World League’.
Realistically, any one of the other three could be in position to bag a best runners-up spot. They’re good enough that you would expect them to hold serve at home, whilst being competitive enough to be in the mix for losing bonus points on the road, the matches against Leinster aside, obviously.
Moving on to Pool 2 and the story could centre around whether or not Exeter are finally able to make that leap from English powerhouse to European force. It hasn’t happened yet, due in part to some very testing draws in the past few years, and for all the form and ability they bring, the long-term injuries to Sam Simmonds and Jonny Hill are not going to help them make that next step.
Their biggest threat should come from Munster, despite the province’s sharply contrasting form so far this season, with Castres and Gloucester having offered relatively little at this level in recent seasons. As Top 14 champions and a side that comfortably knocked off Wasps at the Ricoh this past weekend respectively, neither side can be written off, but Exeter have the depth and resiliency to survive their personnel losses and Munster have an intangible love affair with this competition that, annoying clichés acknowledged, does seem to make them play above themselves, especially at Thomond Park.
The poor Cardiff Blues. Back in the competition and they draw Saracens, Glasgow and Lyon in Pool 3.
Saracens would seem to be strong favourites, although a trip to Scotstoun in the opening round to take on Glasgow is exactly the kind of fixture that could see the Londoners battling uphill for the rest of pool. Lyon are a side littered with stars, too, not to mention the fact that they are also a cohesive group and arguably play beyond the sum of their parts, something which is not true of all French sides.
If Saracens top the group, Glasgow would be a prime contender for a best runners-up spot. With the strength of Lyon rounding out Pool 3, it’s tough to see Cardiff Blues making too many waves this season.
Pool 4 up next and it could be a direct showdown between Racing 92 and the Scarlets. Ulster have started the season in patchy form, to say the least, and although Leicester Tigers seem to be beginning a new upward trajectory, there is a substantial gap between them and the top two in this pool at the moment.
Even the intimidating home advantages that Ravenhill and Welford Road used to pose seem lessened of late, making this pool another prime candidate to offer up two quarter-finalists.
The fact Scarlets host Racing in the opening round of fixtures could be key in their bid to top the pool. If they can see off the Parisian side on Saturday, not only do the take the reins in the pool, they also test the resolve of Racing in the competition, with the Top 14 regularly something which can become a distraction for French sides, especially if they suffer an early loss or two.
The final group, Pool 5, will be contended by Edinburgh, Montpellier, Newcastle Falcons and Toulon.
Newcastle and Toulon have had tough schedules to start the season, but their form has been poor and there’s no other way to describe it. Edinburgh have been solid, certainly, but this is a pool you wouldn’t be surprised to see Montpellier record a clean sweep of wins in.
Give Montpellier that kind of momentum and they could run all the way to St James’ Park.
The brilliance of the competition is that it can spring upsets at any point. Teams can be transformed from middling form in their domestic league to everything clicking in Europe, whilst powerhouses can come unstuck, as they are stymied by refereeing that differs from what they are used to it.
To borrow from football, it’s the magic of the cup.
All of that said, Leinster and Saracens have to be strong favourites. They have won the competition for the last three seasons, have challenging but winnable pools and have both looked sharp domestically. Wasps and Glasgow fans may beg to disagree, but you can probably slot the two capital sides in right now as home quarter-finalists.
Montpellier are perhaps the strongest contender to join them, given the state of play in Pool 5, leaving Exeter, Munster, Scarlets and Racing to duel it out for the fourth home quarter-final, something which only adds to the excitement of the opening weekend, given that those four sides all face off against each other on Saturday afternoon.
As potent as the challenges from France, Scotland and Wales are this season in the competition, not to mention the ability of Exeter and Munster to throw their hats into the mix, it’s impossible to turn away from the magic of a potential Leinster vs Saracens final in Newcastle later this season.
Seeding could well ruin the chances of that and pit the two sides against one another in an earlier round, but as a spectacle and a contest, it’s hard to imagine a more salivating prospect than the best of Ireland going up against the best of England in May.
The Anglo-Irish rivalry may not have the same intensity east of the Irish Sea that it does west, largely due to an unquenchable desire to beat ‘neighbours’ France, Scotland and Wales, but it is seemingly stoked up more vigorously with each passing season.
From dramatic Six Nations contests to starkly different approaches to how rugby should be run and administered, and from having one each of the two recent European powerhouses to the boasts from fans of domestic strength in order to win respect from an opponent considered an equal, it’s a rivalry which has only improved of late.
Saracens and England were on top in 2016, they battled and hung on to those mantles in 2017 in the face of an Irish resurgence, before finally giving over to Leinster and Ireland in 2018.
Can Leinster and Ireland defend their positions in 2019 or will it be the year of Saracens’ and England’s riposte?
It all begins this weekend.
In others news: Connacht’s Sportsground set for a €30m redvelopment.
Comments on RugbyPass
I think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
5 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
5 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
5 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
32 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to commentsThis 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”?
35 Go to commentsWow, didn’t realise there was such apathy to URC in SA, or by Champions Cup teams. Just read Nick’s article on Crusaders, are Sharks a similar circumstance? I think SA rugby has been far more balanced than NZs, no?
2 Go to commentsBut 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.
32 Go to commentsIt could be coincidental or prescient that the All Blacks most dominant period under Steve Hansen was when the Crusaders had their least successful period under Todd Blackadder and then the positions reversed when Razor took over the Crusaders.
32 Go to commentsDefinitely sound read everybodyexpects immediate results these days, I don't think any team would travel well at all having lost three of the most important game changers in the game,compiled with the massive injury list they are now carrying, good to see a different more in depth perspective of a coaches history.
3 Go to commentsSinckler is a really big loss for English rugby.
2 Go to commentsThanks 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
32 Go to commentsNo way. If you are trying to picture New Zealand rugby with an All Blacks mindset, there have been two factors instrumental to the decline of NZ rugby to date. Those are the horror that the Blues have become and, probably more so, the fixture that the Crusaders became. I don’t think it was healthy to have one team so dominant for so long, both for lack of proper representation of players from outside that environment and on the over reliance on players from within it. If you are another international side, like Ireland for example, sure. You can copy paste something succinct from one level to the next and experience a huge increase in standards, but ultimately you will not be maximizing it, which is what you need to perform to the level the ABs do. Added to that is the apathy that develops in the whole game as a result of one sides dominance. NZ, Super, and Championship rugby should all experience a boom as a result of things balancing out. That said, there is a lot of bad news happening in NZ rugby recently, and I’m not sure the game can be handled well enough here to postpone the always-there feeling of inevitable decline of rugby.
32 Go to commentsNo SA supporter miss Super Rugby - a product that is experiencing significant head wind in ANZ - the competition from rival codes are intense, match attendance figures are at a historical low and the negativity of commentators such as Kirwan and Wilson have accelerated the downward spiral in NZ. After the next RWC in 2027 sponsors will follow Qantas and start leaving in droves.
2 Go to commentsLike others, I am not seeing the connection between this edition of the Crusaders and the All Blacks future prospects under Razor. I think the analysis of the Crusaders attack recently is helpful because Razor and his coaching team used to be able to slot new guys in to their systems and see them succeed. Several of Razor’s coaches are still there so it would be surprising if the current attack and set piece has been overhauled to a great extent - but based on that analysis, it may have been. Whether it is too many new guys due to injuries or retirement or a failure of current Crusaders systems is the main question to be answered imo. It doesn’t seem relevant for the ABs.
32 Go to commentsharry potter is set in stone. he creates stability and finishes well. exactly what schmidt likes. he’s the ben smith of australian rugby. i think it could quite easily be potter toole and kellaway for the foreseeable future.
5 Go to commentsThis is short sighted from Clayton if you ask me, smacks of too much preseason planning and no adaptability. What if DMac is out for a must win match, are they still only going to bring their best first five and playmaker on late in the game? Trusting the game to someone who wasn’t even part of planning (they would have had Trask pinned in as Jacomb preseason). Perhaps if the Crusaders were better they would not have done this, but either way imo you take this opportunity to play a guy you might need starting in a final rather than having their 12th game getting comfortable coming off the bench.
1 Go to comments