European Pro Club Rugby Champions Cup – Round 4 Pre End the of the upcoming weekend of action, two-thirds of clubs in the tournament will have earned places in the initial knockout round of European Professional Club Rugby Champions Cup; the remaining eight XVs will need to find another way to spend the first weekend of April. AS thing stand right now, Top 14 XVs will be the least-represented in the knockouts yet that is more than likely to change after the fun and frolic of the last battles of open play. Round 4 Pre
Pool 1 Clubs (league pos.) Bordeaux (2) Lyon (13) Bulls (6) Saracens (6) Bristol (8) Connacht (9)
w 3 2 2 1 1 0
l 0 1 1 2 2 2
d 0 0 0 0 0 0
+/105 13 24 -42 -31 -69
table points 15 12 10 5 5 1
Bordeaux Bègles, though frontrunning now, can lose topspot, yet are unlikely to forsake a home tie as a point will do it for the Frenchmen, and any case, their points-differential is too great to be surpassed.
Friday, January 19: Connacht (1) v (5) Bristol at Galway Sportsground, 1pm MST: the Irish are out already and will look to take Bears on vacation with them in April; Saturday, January 20: Bulls (10) v (15) Bordeaux at Loftus Versfeld, 6am MST: maybe not for all the marbles, but certainly for a heap; win for Bulls can mean a home game first knockout if Sarries take Lyon later this day; Saracens (5) v (12) Lyon at StoneX, 1pm MST: win and in for homeboys, while the French, underperforming in the league just now, can claim a home fixture first round of playoffs with a win; Pool 2 Clubs (league pos.) Toulouse (5) Bath (2) Harlequins (3) Ulster (4) Racing 92 (1) Cardiff (12)
w 3 3 2 1 0 0
l 0 0 1 2 3 3
d 0 0 0 0 0 0
+/97 34 14 -31 -23 -91
table points 15 15 10 5 3 2
Racing 92, tops in the French 14 right now, will drop out of the Champions Cup with a loss, while the derby between the two leaders may not mean sfa.
Saturday, January 20: Harlequins (10) v (5) Ulster at the Stoop, 6am: potential for a home knockout for Quins, but they’ll have to throttle an Irish XV who’ve won their last two league meets by a point apiece; Racing 92 (3) v (2) Cardiff at La Defense Arena, 8am: hosts can still earn extra time, but it’ll take a mighty effort; Sunday, January 21: Toulouse (15) v (15) Bath at Ernest Wallon, 8am MST: both are in the knockouts and both need a single table point to ensure a home fixture first round of k-os;
“Together we are better; united we are strong”
European Pro Club Rugby Champions Cup – Round 4 Pre Pool 3 Clubs (league pos.) Northampton (1) Exeter Chiefs (4) Munster (10) Glasgow (3) Bayonne (10) Toulon (4)
w 3 3 1 1 0 0
l 0 0 1 2 2 3
d 0 0 1 0 1 0
+/59 11 3 -14 -48 -15
table points 14 13 8 5 3 2
Saints will host a knockout fixture while Chiefs have to win in France to serve a first round punch-up. Wins by URC clubs will mean vaycay for T14-ers.
Friday, January 19: Glasgow (5) v (2) Toulon at Scotstoun, 1pm MST: winners extra time probable, though a Bayonne victory could mess that up; Saturday, January 20: Munster (8) v (14) Northampton at Thomond Park, 10:30am MST: big win for home side could result in a home tie for the Irish, while not yet inconceivable that they might be off during knockouts, however unlikely; Sunday, January 21: Bayonne (3) v (13) Exeter Chiefs at Jean Dauger 10:30am MST: home XV must win for a hope and a prayer, and Chiefs can ensure playoff home fixture with a single match point; Pool 4 Clubs (league pos.) Leinster (1) Stormers (7) Leicester (7) La Rochelle (8) Sale Sharks (5) Stade Français (3)
w 3 2 2 1 1 0
l 0 1 1 2 2 3
d 0 0 0 0 0 0
+/53 -1 -21 25 6 -62
table points 14 9 9 7 5 1
In the Pool of Death, all save for one are yet in playoff position, while them what aren’t, can drag their opponents to perdition with an upset;
Saturday, January 20: Leicester (9) v (14) Leinster at Welford Road, 8am MST: travelers more than likely looking at a home game already, while a win for homeys could ensure one as well; Stade de Français (1) v (9) Stormers at Stade Jean Bouin: host have potential for ruining their guest’s run; those interlopers could make for a home knockout with the win; Sunday, January 21: Sale Sharks (5) v (7) La Rochelle at Salford City, 6am: winners innit still, while loser not; travelers and reigning champs must win to remain in the hunt. “Together we are better; united we are strong”