It’s do-or-die time for the Irish provinces in European action as the final two rounds of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup take place over the coming fortnight.
With this season’s competition providing five group winners and three runners up, as opposed to the usual 6:2 scenario of recent years, it means there’s a lot to play for in the final two weeks of the pool stages.
There’s plenty of work to be done before an Irish team can be sure of having a European encounter to look forward to after the Six Nations, with the reduced size of the new format making qualification from the pools harder than ever. Here’s the lay of the land for each team:
POOL 1:
Clermont Auvergne 14
Saracens 13
Munster 10
Sale Sharks 2
Munster have it all to do if they are to avoid missing the quarter-finals for just the second time in 16 years. With Clermont aiming to all but sew up a quarter-final place against Sale this weekend, it’s a straight fight between Munster and Saracens for a potential second qualifier from Pool 1. The equation is simple for Anthony Foley’s men – they must win in London this weekend, a victory which would clinch the head-to-head against Sarries and mean a five-pointer at home to Sale on Sunday week would likely be enough to claim a runners-up spot in the last eight.
POOL 2:
Harlequins 13
Leinster 13
Wasps 12
Castres 1
Leinster are best placed of the Irish provinces, but could just as easily finish third as top of Pool 2. Struggling Castres have their minds on Top 14 matters and should offer little resistance at the RDS on Saturday, but a bonus-point win would really put the pressure on English rivals Harlequins and Wasps, who play later that evening. On one hand, even though Leinster will finish behind Harlequins should the sides end the pool level on points, a Quins victory would knock Wasps out of contention and make Leinster’s trip to Coventry a much easier proposition. A Wasps success would throw the pool wide open, with Leinster needing to avoid defeat to reach the last eight.
POOL 3:
Toulon 13
Scarlets 8
Leicester 8
Ulster 6
Poor Ulster travel to Toulon this weekend knowing they are as good as out after the back-breaking defeat in Llanelli last time out. They are mathematically still alive but even with a pair of nearly impossible to imagine bonus-point victories over the reigning champions and Leicester, Ulster would require miracles in the other pools to sneak into the quarter-finals. Toulon, meanwhile, need to keep pushing on to earn a home quarter-final, while the winner of Friday night’s Scarlets-Leicester dust-up will at least be in with a shout of a runners-up berth.
POOL 4:
Toulouse 16
Glasgow 10
Bath 10
Montpellier 2
Toulouse are the only team with a 100 per cent record through four games and are in pole position for a home tie in the knockout stages. Bath visit the pool leaders this weekend, leaving the door open for Glasgow to steal a march when they host bottom team Montpellier. Victory there and Gregor Townsend’s side go to the Rec the following week with a place in the quarters on the line.
POOL 5:
Northampton 15
Racing Metro 14
Ospreys 8
Treviso 0
Pool 5 looks set to provide two quarter-finalists in the shape of Northampton and Racing Metro. The Parisians are without Ireland out-half Jonathan Sexton as he continues his enforced absence following a head injury, but the French side, unbeaten through four games, should be able to rack up a bonus-point win when they host a Treviso outfit that has conceded an average of 43 points a game thus far. Northampton face a trickier trip to Swansea, before they host Racing in a final-round showdown to decide the group.
CHALLENGE CUP POOL 2:
Exeter Chiefs 16
Connacht 14
Bayonne 5
La Rochelle 4
Exeter visit the Sportsground on Sunday for the clash which should decide the outcome of the pool. Connacht lost their unbeaten home record last week against Edinburgh last week and are prioritising their assault on the Pro12, but head coach Pat Lam should name a strong line-up in the hopes that victory will allow him to rest players for the following week’s trip to La Rochelle.
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