This weekend sees the start of the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup, which replaces the now-defunct Heineken Cup.
In Pool 1 Munster face Sale Sharks, while Saracens square off against Clermont.
Munster have improved after a slow start to the Pro12, while Sale are struggling and are 10th in the Aviva Premiership table. Munster should prove to be too much for the Sharks.
Saracens and Clermont are evenly matched, with both being top contenders in the ‘pool of death’. Saracens currently place second in the Aviva Premiership, while Clermont are first in the Top 14 table.
This is probably the game of the opening weekend, with whoever wins likely to top the pool.
Pool 2 sees Harlequins face Castres, while Leinster take on Wasps.
Castres are having a difficult season, placing 12th in the Top 14, quite a fall for last year’s champions. Harlequins are currently seventh in the Premiership. On current form, Harlequins should win.
Leinster are having a difficult time in the Pro12, currently placing sixth. Their form has been mixed, with some poor performances. Wasps are pretty much in the same boat, having also lost three of their six games so far. Leinster have been hit with injury problems but should win a very close game.
Pool 3 has Leicester take on Ulster while Toulon face Scarlets.
In another ‘pool of death’, Leicester and Ulster should be very evenly matched. Leicester are having a difficult season, currently placing eighth on the Premiership table. Ulster sit at third in the Pro12 and their form has been more consistent. Ulster should scrape through.
Last year’s champions, Toulon face the Scarlets, currently placing seventh in the Pro12 table. Toulon are one of the favourites to win the tournament and should prove too much for the Welsh side.
In Pool 4, Glasgow face Bath, while Toulouse face fellow French side, Montpellier.
Glasgow have had a very good season in the Pro12, placing second having won five of their six games. Bath are currently fourth in the Premiership. Glasgow should overcome their setback against Ulster and scrape through.
Toulouse are not the force they once were, currently placing eighth in the Top 14, Montpellier are at fourth place. Toulouse can never be counted out but Montpellier are currently the stronger of the two and should overcome their French rivals.
In Pool 5, Racing Metro face Northampton while Treviso face Ospreys.
Racing place seventh in the Top14 while Northampton are currently top of the table. Northampton won the Premiership last year and have continued their winning form. Jonny Sexton will want to do well with his last season at the French club but Northampton should prove too strong for the side.
Treviso are the lone Italian side in the Cup and are doing poorly in the Pro12, struggling at last place.
Ospreys currently top the Pro12 table and are have yet to be defeated, the only team with a 100 per cent record. The two teams already faced each other this season, with Ospreys winning 44-13. Ospreys have a good chance to top the pool, while Treviso are currently unlikely to be competing in next year’s ERCC tournament.
Bakkies
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Setanta soon to be BeIn Sports
In Brief
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Thanks
Lion Down Under
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That's because it's the top competition (of three) of the European Cup and only played by 20 teams (down from 24 in the old Heineken Cup).. The second tier competition (European Challenge Cup) includes two qualifiers from the third tier competition which is played earlier by teams from the Italian domestic league (i.e. not Treviso & Zebre which play in the Pro12), Romania, Georgia, Russia, Spain and Portugal. This year's qualifiers for the European Challenge Cup are Bucharest Wolves (Romania) and Rovigo (Italy). Rovigo are quite a famous old club; Wilie Ofenhegaue and Peter Fitzsimon have played for them from Australia and Naas Botha and Nick Mallett from South Africa. In the distant past they were coached by the famous Welsh coach Carwyn James. The qualification for the new European competitions is far more meritocratic than the old. The only tweak I'd make is that two spots in the top tier European Cup should be reserved for the winners of the European Cup and European Challenge Cup. This competition does give the emerging European Nations the opportunity to play European rugby at an appropriate level with the ability to win competitions to play at a higher level. And I'm sure more tweaking can be done.
rugby rules ok
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anybody know are the games being shown on fox/setanta
hog
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Italy look to be on shaky grounds two, but who else could warrant inclusion, Georgia, Russia, Spain, none of these countries would have clubs that would be even remotely competitive. I remember everyone talking up Romania nearly 30 years ago.
In Brief
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Despite the 'european' tag this looks to be the same old countries again - Great Britain and Ireland, France and Italy.