European Champions Cup: Clermont seek Saracens revenge; champions Toulon host Scarlets
Saturday 18 October 2014 11:23, UK
After a summer of reconstruction and rebranding the European rugby season is set for the dawning of a new era as the first round of the European Rugby Champions Cup gets underway.
The Heineken Cup saw its 19-year lifespan ended in May and the new premier European rugby competition was formed, along with a second tier – the European Rugby Challenge Cup, which replaces the European Challenge Cup.
What’s the difference you cry? Four teams have been axed from the competition, with now only 20 teams split across five pools of four. In the Heineken Cup, pool winners were joined by the two highest-scoring second-placed teams in the quarter-finals, but the new competition offers three second-place sides a place in the last eight.
The other major difference to the structure sees a change in qualification, although teams will not be concerning themselves with next year’s competition quite yet.
Instead, all eyes are on a scintillating batch of first round fixtures as domestic rugby steps aside for two weeks as the biggest teams from across the continent and some of the world’s elite take centre stage for a feast of rugby.
It will all begin with Friday night lights at The Stoop, with Aviva Premiership side Harlequins starting their European bid against Castres from the Top 14. Quins have never beaten Castres in four attempts – drawing once and losing the three others – and while Castres only have two teams below them in this year's French top-flight - losing six of their opening nine league games – the Londoners will take nothing for granted.
Saturday will see a feast of action with five matches in total and one of the most intriguing pits reigning English champions Northampton Saints against French heavyweights Racing Metro at the Stade-Yves-du-Manoir. Much of the success Saints enjoyed in Europe last season came from their line-out, winning more (14.8) than any other side, while no man stole more ball (seven) than Courtney Lawes. The England lock will play a key role again for Northampton as they take on Racing, who have only won two of their eight games against Premiership sides.
In a repeat of last year’s semi-final, Saracens host Clermont Auvergne at Allianz Park and the Top 14 side will be desperate to avenge their 46-6 reverse in London last time around. Despite their resounding reverse at the penultimate hurdle, Clermont still averaged almost 20 minutes in possession, more than any side, and both sides will be wary of the threat posed by their star-studded group, with Irish province Munster and Premiership rivals Sale completing Pool 1.
After ending their two-year exile from European competition, Sale Sharks return to elite continental action against formidable Irish province Munster at the AJ Bell Stadium. Munster, who have won four of their opening six Guinness PRO12 clashes, head into the Champions Cup on the back of successive victories, while Sale have won just two of their six Premiership outings to date.
Glasgow Warriors host Bath at Scotstoun on Saturday in one of the most eagerly-anticipated first-round fixtures, with both sides entering the Champions Cup with renewed hope. Both sides are flying high in the PRO12 and Premiership respectively, though, Bath hold the upper hand on their hosts having won five of the six previous European meetings between the sides, although five of those matches have been settled by a margin fewer than seven points.
After putting a sequence of three successive Premiership defeats behind them, Leicester Tigers will hope to get their season well and truly back on track when they host Ulster at Welford Road. The Tigers have won as many as they have lost in their opening six Premiership matches and sit eighth in the ladder, while Ulster are currently riding high in the Guinness PRO12 with just one defeat leaving them third.
Reigning kings of Europe Toulon have to wait until Sunday to get their title defence underway, with Welsh region Scarlets the visitors at the Stade Felix Mayol. Mighty Toulon are currently second in the French Top 14 but head into the game still reeling from a 21-10 defeat at Toulouse on Sunday evening. However, they are yet to be beaten at their home fortress on the Cote d'Azur in the top tier of European rugby, which poses a considerable task for Scarlets, who have been a model of inconsistency in the Pro12 this season.
Also on Sunday, high-flying Ospreys host Benetton Treviso as they look to continue their perfect start to the season having won all six of their PRO12 matches to date. Now in their first European game, the Ospreys entertain Treviso at the Liberty Stadium looking to get off to a good start in their Pool 5 campaign as they bid to improve on a best-ever Heineken Cup quarter-final finish achieved in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Casting their controversial stadium switch aside for now, Wasps make their comeback to Europe’s premier competition by facing three-time champions Leinster in front of a partisan RDS Arena. The Leinstermen boast a proud home record in Europe having lost just three of their last 29 matches in the tournament and will be expecting to get their European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 2 campaign underway with a win.
In an all-French affair, Toulouse lock horns with Top 14 rivals Montpellier at the Stade Ernest Wallon. Toulouse were the most successful team in the history of the Heineken Cup, winning the title four times, but after a run of five straight defeats earlier in the season very few would have been backing them to add to a fifth European trophy to their haul this time around.
Watch the European Champions Cup LIVE on Sky Sports:
Sale Sharks v Munster - Sky Sports 2HD from 12:30pm
Racing Metro v Northampton Saints - Sky Sports 2HD from 5pm
Ospreys v Benetton Treviso - Sky Sports 2HD from 12:30pm
Toulouse v Montpellier - Sky Sports 2 Red Button from 1pm
Toulon v Scarlets - Sky Sports 2HD from 3pm
Watch the European Rugby Champions Cup without a Sky Sports contract on NOW TV, click here for details
