Welcome along to the final round of the group stages of the
brand spanking new European Competition and what a round it is expected to be
as only one side has already qualified for the knock out stages, Toulon and even they will need to play some rugby this weekend to guarantee a home quarter
final.
The new structure has meant that dead rubber games are few
and far between; indeed four out of our seven Aviva Premiership Clubs have their
European destinies very much alive; Wasps, Saracens, Bath and the
Northampton Saints. The Tigers' and Harlequins' chances of progression are slimmer and are dependent on other results whilst the Sale Sharks’ competition is over after recording four losses to date.
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| Dublin was a big game, the Ricoh will be huge!! |
The weekend kicks off at the
Ricoh Arena where Wasps take on
Leinster in a winner takes all clash to top Pool 2. Wasps are the form team in the group having smashed Harlequins in their own turf last weekend and will
aim to make history one of the first sides ever to have lost their first two games
and still qualify, Bath could be the other. Leinster’s Jimmy Gopperth will want to show his new team what they are getting and you expect Captain Jamie Heaslip to be colossal and lead from the front. Wasps' defensive prowess was outstanding last weekend led by Haskell, more of the same is anticipated. Both sides have exciting backs that are bursting with talent and it
promises to be one hell of a battle to start the weekend, in front of a packed house at the Ricoh Arena. Key Premiership Man - Captain Haskell - another Dallaglio espque performance to lead the side to it's greatest victory in years...
At the same time Harlequins
will be aiming to put 5 tries past Castres at the Stade Pierre Antoine in order
to cling on to a faint hope of qualifying. The match against Wasps last weekend
hurt Joe Marler's side for having had the majority of the possession and territory
the scoreboard looked like a bad dream. Nick Evans returns to the starting XV
and he will make his first start since 7th December, Nick is an
outstanding rugby player and his inclusion will boost the entire side. Out wide another impact man, Charlie Walker, starts on the Wing. History tells us that Charlie thrives in Europe and
particularly against French opposition, his tries against Racing & Clermont last year were first class and with maximum points being the
objective his contribution could be vital. Going for broke is the name of the game for Conor O'Shea's team, then they must rely on others' results. Key Premiership Man - Nick Easter - to set the tone physically for the side and enjoy the space Castres should provide him to turn heads with his all around fitness and skill set
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| Big team performance expected at FG |
The next stop on the European
Road is Franklin’s Gardens where the Northampton
Saints host Racing Metro in another straight shoot out to top a group, this time Pool 5. This game is a chance for revenge for Mallinder's men as in Round 1, in Paris they didn't deliver. The atmosphere will be electric as the home fans aim to intimidate Dimitri
Szarzewski’s men as much as possible. Discipline will be king for the home side, I'm not pointing any fingers but every single person must be squeaky clean, as Nigel
Owens won’t stand for any nonsense and they must have 15 men on the field at all times against such a side as Racing. It is a mark of the quality of the Saints
that I expect them to deliver a solid victory and if I was a betting lady I’d
put a few pounds on George North scoring at least once during the 80 minutes. Key Premiership Man - Stephen Myler - to push his side into all of the right places & take every point on offer.
At the Kingspan Stadium Ulster
host the Leicester Tigers, the
Tigers must take the same focus and precision that they put into their game
against the Scarlets and deliver over the water. Ulster are in the
unfamiliar position of not being able to qualify for the knock outs, injuries have ravaged the side during the course of the competition however a lot of pride is at stake and captain Rory Best will drive his side to deliver on home soil. Leicester have
boosted their starting front row with the return of Marcos
Ayerza and Tom Youngs and Freddie Burns retains the 10 shirt over Owen
Williams. Leicester, like Harlequins are dependent on other matches if they are to qualify, focus will be the name of the game at the Kingspan. Key Premiership Man - Tom Youngs - a rock solid throwing performance & scrum time proficiency will deliver exactly what Leicester require
After a few hours of sleep the
action continues on Sunday and the first point of interest is The Rec as Bath and the Glasgow Warriors clash in
Pool 4. It is imperative that our Premiership side win this fixture to give
them the chance of progressing however even a win may not be enough due to
losing their first two matches in the competition. I believe that if Toulouse
beat Montpellier the winner of this game could go through as a runner up, but isn't 100% guaranteed to. Bath go into the game bursting with confidence after last weekend's stunning performance at Toulouse and their match day 23 is hugely impressive. The Warriors have been one of the surprises of
the competition however I expect Bath to show that their loss at Scotsun earlier in the competition was a one off. Key Premiership Man - Jonathan Joseph - to ignite proceedings for his side and continue to push his own International cause
Musnter welcome the Sale Sharks to Thomond Park in a battle
for pride as both sides cannot progress through to the knock out rounds. Muster
will be on the bounce back after a humiliation at Allianz Park last weekend
whist Sale will head to Ireland in search of putting down a huge marker by
beating a side drenched in history like Munster. The giant Munster men all had bad
days lastt weekend, even the great Paul O’Connell, so all of that frustration will be channelled into a
physical offering at home. The Sharks travel to Ireland without Danny Cipriani, I
expect Steve Diamond has rested Danny ahead of a huge week in the England Camp
and for that I salute him. Nick Maclead steps into the 10 shirt and Sale have a relatively inexperienced bench however let's see what they can do with no pressure on their shoulders. Key Premiership Man - Captain David Seymour to guide his less experienced men through the intense atmosphere of Thomond Park.
