The opening weekend of the European Champions Cup was played with events in Paris in all of our minds. It should have been a tremendous sporting occasion filled with joy however instead we were all reminded how precious life is and deeply sadden by the tragic events that unfolded on Friday evening. The sport has been further hit by the sudden death of the great All Black Jonah Lomu and as the competition continues we will all remember those that are no longer with us.
This weekend 9 of the 10 scheduled matches will be played with Stade Francais’ fixture against Munster understandably postponed in order not to put the French authorities in Paris under even greater strain.
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Round 2 starts on Friday night with a classic match up between Ulster and Saracens. History shows that these matches are always dramatic affairs however Saracens have a strong record against Ulster. Mark McCall's side have won five of their six European Cup meetings against the Irish provenance and crucially have been victorious in last three meetings. Saracens looked extremely strong against Toulouse and I don’t see any sign of them taking their foot off the gas. This season Ulster’s home form has been strong and although they are managing without a number of key men the province will be chomping at the bit to get one over England’s form side.
On Saturday the Leicester Tigers head to the Stadio Comunale di Monigo to take on Bennetton Treviso. It is the perfect second round fixture for Richard Cockerill’s side after confidently beating Stade Francais in Round 1. The Tigers looked fresher and more vibrant going forwards than we have seen them in a long time and a fixture against less taxing opposition provides the opportunity to further cement their confidence. In eight top flight European meetings Treviso have never emerged victorious against Leicester and have lost by an average of 40 points per game… reversing this trend will of course be their aim however personally I cannot see it happening.
In Bath the Recreation Ground will be rocking for a re-match of the 2014 quarter-final as Leinster Rugby come to town. Leo Cullan’s side suffered a shock, and heavy, defeat at the hands of Wasps last weekend and head on the road with their European position on the line. Bath Rugby haven’t gone through the gears yet this season due to their disrupted preparation and on Saturday afternoon they need to show us their razzle dazzle. This is the Out On The Full feature game of the weekend with a full preview en route on Thursday
The Northampton Saints head north to the Scotstoun Stadium to face the Glasgow Warriors. The Warriors will be enjoying having their 21 Rugby World Cup players back and given Scotland’s performances should run out at home confident. In Round 1 the Saints recorded a vital win, only their second the season, however it wasn't beautiful. Although Jim Mallinder’s side have won four of the previous six European fixtures against the Warriors this one will be a stern test of character.
Last weekend Rob Baxter’s Exeter Chiefs recorded their first black mark on an otherwise impeccable report card as they struggled away from home. The Chiefs looked off colour, they gave the Ospreys far too much ball and will be disappointed with all areas of their game. I expect some stern words will have been spoken during training and believe that the Chiefs will bounce back at home and showcase the fluid and positive rugby that we've enjoyed during the opening Aviva Premiership rounds.
The final game with Aviva Premiership representation will be held on Sunday afternoon in Coventry as Wasps will host RC Toulon. This match is the ultimate test of Wasps’ form, was their victory in Dublin a one off or can they do it again against the current title holders? Watch out for the battle of the back rows including Steffon Armitage and George Smith, delight in the expected Charles Piutau versus Delon Armitage full back clash and wait and see what kind of game Quade Cooper brings to the Ricoh. The Met Office are forecasting a crisp and dry evening so expect this one to be a cracker to finish the weekend!!
Opta Match Facts
- Ulster Rugby have won 12 go their last 15 home matches against English opposition in Europe
- Leicester Tigers have won all 20 matches against Italian opponents in the European Cup
- Bath Rugby have never won a home on home soil against Leinster in Europe, their only was against the provenance came on the road in 2005/6
- Northampton Saints have won 9 of their last 10 matches against Scottish opposition - with an average margin of 17 points
- The Exeter Chiefs are still yet to record a win against a French club in Europe’s top flight competition
- Wasps have won 17 and drawn 2 of their last 20 home matches in Europe… however they’ve won just 1 of their last 3.
Champions Cup Round 2 Schedule
Fr 20th Nov 7.45pm - Ulster vs. Saracens - BT Sport
Sat 21st Nov - 2pm - Bennetton Treviso vs. Leicester Tigers - Sky Sports
Sat 21st Nov - 3.15pm - Bath Rugby vs. Leinster Rugby - BT Sport
Sat 21st Nov - 4.15pm - Toulouse vs. Oyonnax - BT Sport
Sat 21st Nov - 5.15pm - Glasgow Warriors vs. Northampton Saints - Sky Sports
Sat 21st Nov - 5.30pm - Scarlets vs. Racing 92 - Sky Sports
Sat 21st Nov - 7.45pm - Exeter Chiefs vs. Bordeaux-Begles - BT Sport
Sun 22nd Nov - 2pm - ASM Clermont Auvergne vs. Ospreys - Sky Sports
Sun 22nd Nov - 5.15pm - Wasps vs. RC Toulon - BT Sport
