We’re down to the final eight as the Champions Cup enters the quarter-finals stage. Three English sides, two French, two South African and one Irish make up the remaining teams, resulting in four titanic matchups across the weekend.
LEINSTER vs LEICESTER (Friday, 8pm)
Proceedings begin on Friday night as Leicester face the most daunting task in club rugby – playing Leinster in Dublin.
It’s an assignment Richard Wigglesworth’s men are all too familiar with as the two sides clashed in last year’s quarter-finals, with the Irishmen grinding out a 23-14 win.
However, much has changed for the Tigers since then.
Following a rocky start to the Wigglesworth era, Leicester have been in blistering form of late, winning their last six in all competitions.
After last week’s hard-nosed 16-6 victory over Edinburgh, there will be a quiet confidence amongst the squad despite coming in as sizeable underdogs.
If the Tigers are to defy the odds this week, it’s imperative they win the breakdown battle. Leinster’s attack feeds off quick ruck ball, so the Tigers must stop it at the source. Tommy Reffell and Julian Montoya’s turnover abilities will be called into action, and they’ll need to hound every ruck to slow Leinster down and stunt their attacking platform.
If Leicester were to win this week, it would be one of the greatest European nights in club history.
As for Leinster, they have been the guidepost for every European club this season.
Leo Cullen’s men haven’t lost a game in over 300 days. Through their opening five Champions Cup games, they’ve averaged a mammoth 43 points per game and piled on 31 tries – the most of any side. They’re merciless. And last week’s 30-15 win against Ulster encapsulated why the men from Dublin are so fearsome.
Most club sides have a distinct identity, but Leinster are different.
Their ability to grind out wins in torrential rain one week, but then shred defences apart in dry conditions another is a rare combination, but one that they’ve mastered. It’s that tactical dynamism which makes them so relentless.
On top of that, Leinster’s starting lineup is one you wouldn’t blink twice at if Andy Farrell named it for Ireland. In fact, 14 of this week’s matchday squad featured in Ireland’s Grand Slam clinching win over England just six weeks ago.
But the scary thing is, the four-time European champions aren’t even at full strength this week.
Talisman Johnny Sexton is unavailable after picking up a long-term groin injury during the Six Nations, whilst reigning World Player of the Year Josh van Der Flier is also absent with an ankle injury.
Leicester won’t head to Dublin with an ounce of fear and Leinster remain on their warpath to avenge last season’s agonising loss to La Rochelle in the final, but only one can book their place in the final four.
Leinster: Keenan, O’Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe, R Byrne, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Molony, Ryan (c), Baird, Doris, Conan
Substitutions: McKee, Healy, Ala’alatoa, Jenkins, Penny, McGrath, H Byrne, Frawley
Leicester: Brown, Watson, Potter, Kelly, Steward, Pollard, Van Poortvliet; Cronin, Montoya (c), Heyes, Martin, Henderson, Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese
Substitutions: Clare, West, Cole, Snyman, Cracknell, Wolstenholme, Atkinson, Gopperth
TOULOUSE vs SHARKS (Saturday, 3pm)
Toulouse are the most successful club in Champions Cup history. The five-time champions are unbeaten this tournament and emphatically swept aside the Bulls 33-9 in the round-of-16.
Ugo Mola’s side boasts an embarrassment of riches, spearheaded by former World Player of the Year and 2023 Six Nations Player of the Tournament – Antoine Dupont.
An electric backline paired with one of the biggest forward packs in the world is why Toulouse are so dominant.
They are yet to lose at the Stade Ernest Wallon this season, and they’ll have every intention of keeping it that way this week.
The Sharks are the most intriguing side left in the competition.
Neil Powell’s side are 8th in the URC and have been wildly inconsistent throughout the season. Granted, they’ve waded through lengthy stints without their Springbok stars, but for a team so rich in talent, their erratic form is cause for concern heading into their toughest test of the campaign.
However, the Sharks certainly have the capability to go toe-to-toe with any side in the world, as proven by last week’s 50-35 thumping of Munster in Durban.
They have the highest rate of gain-line success of any team in the tournament (63%) and can pile on points when given the chance.
However, they’ll have to navigate this clash without Eben Etzebeth, who sustained a muscle injury last week. His absence is a massive blow, but with four Springboks in the starting pack, the Sharks still have the power to compete with Toulouse’s monstrous forwards.
The Sharks shouldn’t be completely written off this week, but they’ll have to be faultless if they’re to topple the five-time European champions in their own backyard.
Toulouse: Ramos, Mallia, Barassi, Ahki, Lebel, Ntamack, Dupont (c); Baille, Mauvaka, Aldegheri, Arnold, Meafou, Willis, Flament, Cros
Substitutions: Marchand, Neti, Ainu’u, Roumat, Brennan, Placines, Retiere, Delibes
Sharks: Chamberlain, Kok, Am, Janse van Rensburg, Mapimpi, Bosch, Williams; Nche, Mbonambi, Du Toit, Andrews, Grobler, Kolisi (c), Tshituka, Notshe
Substitutions: Van Vuuren, Mchunu, Sadie, Labuschagne, Buthelezi, Wright, Tapuai, Abrahams
EXETER vs STORMERS (Saturday, 5:30pm)
Exeter’s season has been a complete rollercoaster ride. On the surface, a European quarter-final berth and fighting for a playoff spot in the Premiership is admirable.
However, with the overhanging knowledge of an end-of-season mass exodus – with stalwarts Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Simmonds, and Dave Ewers just a few of many players departing – this season has all the feelings of ‘The Last Dance’.
Last week’s round-of-16 clash with Montpellier provided one of the most thrilling European contests in recent memory.
14-man Montpellier sent it to extra-time through the boot of Paolo Garbisi, then took a shock lead, before Jack Yeandle’s 101st-minute try punched Exeter’s ticket into the quarter-finals – it was heart-stopping stuff from beginning to end.
Now the question is, can Exeter recover from the emotional exhaustion in time for the visit of the URC Champions?
The Stormers provide a completely new test for Rob Baxter’s men this week, and they’ll have to tighten up defensively to get through to the final four.
John Dobson’s side are riding a four-game win streak in the Champions Cup. Their thrill-seeking brand of rugby poses a unique attacking threat and was on full display once again in their 32-28 win over Harlequins last week.
The Capetonians have a unique combination of assets. A willingness to run from anywhere and offloading in the wide channels usually comes with its drawbacks. Deploying that high-octane attacking style requires a mobile forward pack, which usually hinders the set-piece.
However, with a front row of Steven Kitshoff, Joseph Dweba and Frans Malherbe, the Stormers boast one of the best scrummaging platforms in the world.
With the Chiefs set-piece struggling this season, there’s no doubt that the reigning URC champions are going to be targeting every scrum as an opportunity to attack.
We may see a slightly more pragmatic approach compared to last week, but the Stormers’ set-piece advantage paired with their ability to strike from anywhere is why they come into this clash as the favourites.
Exeter: Wyatt, Nowell (c), Slade, O’Brien, Woodburn, Simmonds, Becconsall; Sio, Frost, Street, Gray, Jenkins, Kirsten, Tshiunza, Simmonds
Substitutions: Yeandle, Abuladze, Iosefa-Scott, Davis, Ewers, Cairns, Skinner, Hogg
Stormers: Willemse, Hartzenberg, Nel, du Plessis, Senatla, Lubbok, Jantjies; Kitshoff (c), Dweba, Malherbe, van Rhyn, Orie, Pokomela, Dixon, Theunissen
Substitutions: Kotze, Vermaak, Fouche, Porter, Engelbrecht, Dayimani, de Wet, Blommetjies
LA ROCHELLE vs SARACENS (Sunday, 3pm)
Title holders against the three-time champions, blockbuster head-to-head matchups across the park, and an inaugural meeting between two European giants; this fixture produces mouth-watering narratives wherever you look.
La Rochelle were rampant in the group stages as Ronan O’Gara’s men were just one of three teams to reach the knockout stages undefeated.
But that perfect record was dangerously close to being snapped last week as Gloucester’s spirited effort at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre almost produced one of the great European upsets.
For a team that boasts immense power up front, La Rochelle were bullied at times by a weakened Gloucester pack, a rare sight for the reigning champions.
Sneaking past an injury-ridden Gloucester raised some eyebrows, but being given that scare may have poked the bear heading into this week’s clash and that underwhelming performance will certainly provoke a response.
As for Saracens, they had to produce a comeback of their own in the round-of-16, eventually overturning a half-time deficit to overcome the Ospreys.
It was another performance that highlighted the makeover Mark McCall’s men have been through this season. In previous years, Sarries’ sole focus was on the X’s and O’s – winning the territorial battle and falling back their dominant set-piece.
But now, the focus has shifted, with the Londoners able to venture down different, more exciting, attacking avenues.
Whilst they still carry the ability to settle into their classic kick-heavy, set-piece dominant attacking approach, they’ve morphed into a side willing to launch attacking raids from inside their own territory and use their offloading abilities more to punch holes through defences.
It’s worked wonders up until this point, and against a heavy La Rochelle pack, it may just be the perfect recipe.
La Rochelle: Dulin, Favre, Seutemi, Danty, Rhule, Hastoy, Kerr-Barlow; Wardi, Bourgarit, Atonio, Lavault, Skelton, Dillane, Botia, Alldritt (c)
Substitutions: Lespiaucq, Thompson-Stringer, Sclavi, Sazy, Tanga, Boudehent, Berjon, Thomas
Saracens: Goode, Malins, Lozowski, Tompkins, Maitland, Farrell (c), Van Zyl; M Vunipola, George, Riccioni, Itoje, Tizard, Isiekwe, Earl, B Vunipola
Substitutions: Woolstencroft, Mawi, Judge, Hunter-Hill, Wray, Davies, Taylor, Lewington
Written by Cam Stephens
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