Champions Cup

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Champions Cup news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

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Santi Cordero reacts quickest to sink unlucky Saints

13 December 2020 2 comments

Heartbreak for Northampton as Santi Cordero scores unusual late try to prolong their rotten form

Faulty execution killed us says Saints DoR Chris Boyd

13 December 2020 0 comments

Northampton Saints will be looking to overturn their defeat to Bordeaux against Leinster

Wasps complete woe of Covid-hit Dragons

13 December 2020 0 comments

■By ROGER PANTING WASPS took advantage of Dragons’ Covid-19 misfortunes to get their European campaign off to a bonus-point start in a scrappy game at […]

Tom Seabrook starts alongside senior man Henry as Gloucester give the kids a run

13 December 2020 0 comments

George Skivington has named an experiment squad to travel to Lyon for Gloucester’s Champions Cup opener

Blackett: Players had option to pull out

13 December 2020 1 comment

WASPS’ director of rugby Lee Blackett questioned EPCR’s approach to the Covid situation in the Dragons’ camp. He said: “EPCR were aware of the situation […]

Leinster are simply in a class of their own

13 December 2020 0 comments

Leinster dispatch Montpellier in the opening round of the Champions Cup

Racing 92 v Connacht: Andy Friend goes on offensive looking for major upset

13 December 2020 0 comments

Head coach Andy Friend summarises the giant task facing Connacht as they travel to La Défense Arena

Edinburgh’s brave defence cracks against in-form French

13 December 2020 1 comment

La Rochelle got the better of Edinburgh in a low-scoring affair at Murrayfield

Cheslin Kolbe lands killer blow for Toulouse against Ulster

13 December 2020 1 comment

Toulouse and Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe displays his class once again at the Kingspan, as Ulster fall to defeat in the Champions Cup

Round-up: Benetton celebrate famous win over Stade Francais

13 December 2020 2 comments

A first-ever victory for Italian side Benetton in their visits to Stade Jean Bouin

Hallam Amos’ acrobatics put Cardiff clear of Falcons

13 December 2020 0 comments

Newcastle Falcons brilliant start to the 2020-21 campaign comes stuck against Cardiff Blues in the Challenge Cup

TEAMS: Malins, Sheedy and Earl all back for Champions Cup opener

11 December 2020 0 comments

Bristol Bears and Clermont kick off Saturday’s action in Round 1 of the new Champions Cup season

Munster have everything in its right place to re-emerge on the European scene

11 December 2020 1 comment

Two-time Heineken Cup winner Peter Stringer previews Harlequins clash at Munster, where the hosts are favourites at fortress Thomond Park

Rusty Scarlets face uphill task at The Rec

11 December 2020 1 comment

The Welsh region has been impacted by a period of required self-isolation in the lead up to their clash with Bath in the Champions Cup

Teams will be at full strength for Champions Cup, says Lawrence Dallaglio

10 December 2020 0 comments

The Champions Cup remains the pinnacle of the European club game and a bigger prize than domestic success

Exeter captain Jack Yeandle eager for Glasgow Warriors challenge

6 December 2020 0 comments

Yeandle is already looking ahead to the Chiefs’ Champions Cup opener against Glasgow after easing past Leicester in the Premiership

Every player was a hero in pulsating extravaganza

18 October 2020 1 comment

BRENDAN GALLAGHER VERDICT NOTHING has ever come easy for Exeter Chiefs in their 149 years, so only the most optimistic of Chiefs fans -watching remotely […]

Marshall was lone voice in the call for fair play

18 October 2020 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE idea of reverting to ‘home’ referees took a heavy knock last weekend when the Kiwi match […]

‘Modest’? Those RFU reserves are invisible

18 October 2020 0 comments

IT is a pity that the RFU’s response to the figures revealed in this column about the extent to which their reserves of £61.7m in […]

Courageous Chiefs plant a defiant flag at the summit

18 October 2020 0 comments

By NICK CAIN EXETER Chiefs made the remarkable transition from the English second-tier Championship to the summit of northern hemisphere club rugby by beating Racing […]

NICK CAIN’S PLAYER WATCH…

18 October 2020 0 comments

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Vunipola: Vincent Koch showed he is the best tighthead on the planet

27 September 2020 0 comments

England prop Mako Vunipola lauds the individual performance of Saracens teammate Vincent Koch in the win over Leinster

Howley signs for Kingsley’s Canada

27 September 2020 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA FORMER Wales coach Rob Howley has been named assistant Canada coach following his return to the sport after being banned for a betting […]

Bulls go on rampage

27 September 2020 0 comments

BULLS ran riot with a 49-28 win in Jake White’s first match in charge against the Sharks. Blitzbok 7s duo Stedman Gans and Kurt-Lee Arendse […]

Qantas call time

27 September 2020 1 comment

RUGBY Australia’s finances suffered another blow as Qantas ended a 30- year partnership with the organisation. The Australian airline has been seeking cost savings because […]

Scarlets will be title contenders this season

27 September 2020 1 comment

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Firepower: A fit Jonathan Davies can push Scarlets to the next level PICTURE: Getty Images After what must surely […]

The yellow brick road comes to sad and sobering end for Sarries

27 September 2020 0 comments

By NICK CAIN THIS is the end of the road for a Saracens side that has done it all when it comes to winning the […]

This is the end of an era says McCall

27 September 2020 1 comment

SARACENS director of rugby Mark McCall said: “In many ways it is the end of an era, but we showed all the qualities and characteristics […]

At long last Chiefs make it to rugby’s Hillary Step

27 September 2020 1 comment

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Power: Sam Simmonds scores Exeter’s second try EXETER Chiefs, anonymous fourth tier trundlers back in 1995 when the Heineken Cup was launched, […]

Baxter: Incredible win, now finish it off

27 September 2020 0 comments

NOTHING could hide Rob Baxter’s joy last night but “we ain’t won nothing yet” was the message he drummed home in the dressing room after […]

Bears kill off Begles in extra-time thriller

27 September 2020 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Leading the charge: Bristol captain Steve Luatua scores their first try PICTURES: Getty Images BRISTOL scored 17 unanswered points in extra-time to […]

Waste of time if we don’t win it – Lam

27 September 2020 2 comments

PAT LAM wasn’t getting carried away with Bristol reaching their first European final. “We haven’t won it yet, we’ve given ourselves every chance but it […]

Why can I mingle in a shop but not at rugby?

27 September 2020 1 comment

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Contrast: Shoppers mix in the aisles while rugby stadiums remain empty PICTURE: Getty Images WITH professional and […]

Mistake-ridden Tigers are tamed by Toulon

27 September 2020 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD TIGERS’ European dreams were well and truly buried on a ploughed Stade Felix Mayol pitch as Toulon set up a Challenge Cup […]

TEAMS: McCall sticks by the Saracens who overcame Leinster

25 September 2020 0 comments

Full teams for the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals this weekend

Who will win the 2020 European Champions Cup?

21 September 2020 0 comments

With just hours until the semi-finals of the European Champions Cup, all eyes are on whether anybody has what it takes to stop Exeter Chiefs. […]

Captain Jack expects fierce Saints riposte

20 September 2020 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY Taking nothing for granted: Jack Yeandle PICTURE: Getty Images EXETER hooker Jack Yeandle believes his side are ready to achieve their destiny […]

Ludlam: Manny relishes a challenge, he’s ready

20 September 2020 0 comments

New face: Manny Iyogun ROOKIE Northampton prop Manny Iyogun has the ability to seize the day at Exeter and write his name into Saints folklore, […]

Crafty Boks try to get the best of both worlds

20 September 2020 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK lished Celtic sides, the participation of those sides in the European Cup could be devalued because the […]

Griffiths’ plan needs the Prem to play fair

20 September 2020 0 comments

IT was a near certainty that the English Championship Proposal was not going to get unanimous approval, and two of the core tenets of the […]

Saracens hit by Euro humbug

20 September 2020 1 comment

OUR sport is no stranger to hypocrisy, and this was illustrated clearly in the build-up to the European Cup quarter-final between Leinster and Saracens, with […]

Deadly Teddy keeps Racing out of reach

20 September 2020 1 comment

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Racing away: Francois Trinh Duc celebrates his try RACING 92, with Teddy Iribaren in killer form with the boot, were too quick […]

Goode’s very good, Saracens are superb

20 September 2020 0 comments

By NICK CAIN Immense: Vincent Koch ALEX Goode went on a three-day knees-up after Saracens beat Leinster in the European Cup final 16 months ago […]

Barritt so proud of Sarries’ spirit

20 September 2020 2 comments

BRAD Barritt paid tribute to his team-mates – and looked forward to playing the semi-final in France alongside them. “This team has been built on […]

Ulster call on Cooney to shoot down Top 14 giants

20 September 2020 1 comment

By SAM JACKSON Recall: John Cooney comes in for Alby Mathewson SCRUM-HALF John Cooney has been recalled to Ulster’s starting line-up as the Irish province […]