Champions Cup: Five Things to Watch in the Round of 16

By Charlie Elliott

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After an 11-week hiatus, the Champions Cup is back, and the knockout stages are upon us. 

The round of 16 will see the best of the URC, Top 14, and Premiership battle it out to make it to the last eight. 

Whether it’s standout individual performances, tactical battles, or potential upsets, there’s no shortage of excitement.  

Here are five key things to watch out for as the next round of the Champions Cup unfolds. 

Record-breaking Damian Penaud

Damian Penaud is on the verge of breaking the Champions Cup record for most tries in a single season, as he currently sits level with Chris Ashton at 11 tries.  

With the upcoming Bordeaux-Bègles clash against Ulster, Penaud has a golden opportunity to surpass Ashton and etch his name in the tournament’s history books.  

His clinical finishing ability and knack for being in the right place at the right time have made him a standout performer this season.  

Penaud’s form has been a key factor in Bordeaux’s successful campaign in the Top 14 and Champions Cup, with them sitting second in the league alongside finishing with maximum points in the pool stages in European rugby. 

His main highlight of the tournament so far came when he scored six tries in one game in the pool stages against the Sharks.

The match against Ulster promises to be a thrilling encounter, and with Penaud’s pace and sharp rugby instincts, it’s entirely possible that he will score once more. 

Just one try is needed to claim the Champions Cup try-scoring record and further cement his legacy as one of the competition’s greats. 

Repeat of 2014 Final 

The Toulon v Saracens match is a repeat of the 2014 Heineken Cup final, where Toulon triumphed 23-6 to secure the second of their three European titles in as many years. 

That victory marked the height of Toulon’s dominance in European rugby, with key players like Jonny Wilkinson, Bryan Habana, and Craig Burden leading the charge.  

Burden was Player of the Match after a great shift, which included a thumping hit on Schalk Brits. 

While it may not be quite as memorable a match after Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall confirmed that they would not be prioritising the Champions Cup, the game will still bring back memories of that classic clash in Cardiff. 

Ronan O’Gara against his former club 

Ronan O’Gara is set for an emotional and intriguing clash as he leads La Rochelle against his former club, Munster, in the upcoming Champions Cup match. 

The former Munster fly-half, who spent his entire playing career at the Irish province, is now the head coach of La Rochelle, a team he has transformed into European contenders.  

His team will need to beat their recent run of poor form as they currently sit on an eight-match winless run since beating Toulouse in January. 

O’Gara’s legacy at Munster is legendary, having helped them secure two Heineken Cups, and his connection to the club runs deep.  

This game will undoubtedly carry significant personal meaning for him as he faces the team he once captained.  

However, as La Rochelle’s head coach, O’Gara will be fully focused on leading his side to victory. 

Premiership sides needing to travel 

An interesting dynamic of the round of 16 is that out of the five Premiership teams that remain, only Northampton Saints are at home. 

Saints face Clermont Auvergne at Franklin Gardens on Friday night as arguably the only team from England that are expected to win, but even that is debatable given their recent form. 

Harlequins, Sale Sharks and Saracens all have extremely tough tests away to Leinster, Toulouse and Toulon respectively. 

Leicester Tigers will be outside shots in their away tie against Glasgow Warriors, but out of the non-Saints teams, will likely consider themselves as the most likely to get something. 

It could result in one or even zero Prem teams in the quarters, which would be a huge embarrassment to the league. 

Although the fixtures haven’t been kind, it surely raises questions for the RFU about potential changes to the schedule which may help English clubs compete in Europe.  

Impact of try-scoring Premiership on European rugby 

Another discourse surrounding the Premiership is the seeming lack of defence that surrounds many of the games right now, or the sheer quality of attack (depending on how you look at it). 

It will be good to see how this recent trend transforms into the European game, whether English teams will be able to blow teams away with some great attacking play or whether the lack of defence shown will come back to bite them. 

An accusation is often made that Prem sides simply aren’t ass well-rounded as the rest of Europe’s teams, as since 2020 we haven’t seen a team from England in the final. 

Potentially, it could be the case that pragmatism has been the problem in recent years, and taking the handbrake off could give teams more of a chance. 

Or we will see some hugely embarrassing scorelines.

READ MORE: Champions Cup Round of 16 – Fixtures, Where to Watch and Previews