Monday 18 January 2016 12:45, UK
It has not been the greatest domestic season to date.
The World Cup inspired us through that wonderful Indian summer but whether it was the cost of tickets, the seemingly unmatchable drama or sheer rugby exhaustion, the crowds have not been flocking through the proverbial turnstiles and the teams, for the most, have not been playing at a pitch of quality.
1. The exceptions are Saracens in England and Racing 92 in France. In the latter's case the Scarlets' injury list means it is difficult to rate Sunday's powerful Champions Cup performance but with a home quarter-final secured, a potent pack and Dan Carter ready to play his way through the 52-minute barrier when necessary, they look one of the likeliest winners.
2. I tipped Racing to win the title pre-tournament but, between you and I, had a small wager on the Saracens at 5-1. Suffice to say, so far so good for the bet. An away game at Toulouse in round six has been rendered irrelevant due to the state of the pool.
Can Sarries obtain planning permission to reach the required 15,000 capacity at Allianz Park? They looked irresistible at home, yet again, against Ulster with that traditional second-half onslaught.
3. Congratulations to Leicester, Saracens and Racing for qualifying, to Bordeaux-Begles and Exeter for turning on the style and showing the excellent approach of both clubs to the way the game should be played. To Munster for playing with pride and turning the tables on the French champions, Stade Francais, after an abysmal effort in Paris the previous week and to Wayne Barnes for the continued high quality of his officiating.
4. Commiserations go to all the contenders who don't have the good fortune to have Treviso in their pool. Stade Francais have a great opportunity to qualify with Leicester already through and a hefty points difference in their favour courtesy of the Italian soft touch.
5. A special congratulations to the Ospreys for their victory against Clermont Auvergne on Friday night. The match was no thing of beauty but for guts it was a pretty glorious evening.
Alun Wyn Jones - as ever - grew as the game entered its key phase, so too some of the youth brigade. It seems as if there is more than hyperbole surrounding teenage flanker, Sam Underhill.
In a contrasting back row he bit deep into Clermont with the bite and ferocity of his tackling while Justin Tipuric was outstanding at contact and in the wide spaces.
Dan Biggar had an off day but Sam Davies - as he did against the Blues at the Liberty stadium earlier this season - came off the bench and won the game with his kicking, poise and vision. He really should be starting games sooner than later.
6. And special commiserations to Wasps, who came so close in Toulon. Guts and glory all the way until Ma'a Nonu and Drew Mitchell combined to save the day for the champions, who would have been all but eliminated had they lost.
Toulon are top of the pool but not my idea of likely four-time champions. It may be Bath on the rebound this weekend or one of the remaining quarter-finalists but Toulon are waiting to have the crown knocked off their collective head.
7. I see a win for Wasps will be enough to send them through as one of the best runners-up. Their 15 points and superb points difference means any sort of win against Leinster will send them into the quarter-finals, probably as sixth seed (if not winners given Toulon's troubles and Bath's need to show something in front of the Recreation Ground crowd).
Ah, if only it was that simple. The Irish are out but far from down. Leinster were easy conquerors of Bath, even with a great deal of inexperience in their front five. A pay rise for the people working on the academy side of things is in order.
8. Looking forward, let's play 'anything but'... a five-point win for Ulster is highly likely to be inadequate. Even more so for the Saints, whose points difference of -11 leaves their fate in the hands of other sides; seeing Racing 92 run in try after try will have boosted their confidence. What better place for a George North hat-trick than his old hunting ground?
9. It's about time we reached the final pair of pool games and found a Welsh team with a chance of qualification. The Ospreys have toughed their way this far and while Exeter will be a formidable test, who would bet against them finding something special?
10. All these ifs and buts, time for 'who'... on the evidence of the first five rounds it can only be Saracens or Racing 92. And that's not my diminutive bet talking.
