Champions Cup

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

stdClass Object ( [id] => 4 [league_name] => Champions Cup [league_logo_id] => 0 [league_logo_url] => [parent_league_id] => 0 [wp_league_id] => 47 )

Bath

Bordeaux

Bulls

Castres

Clermont

Edinburgh

Exeter

Glasgow

Gloucester

Harlequins

La Rochelle

Leinster

Lyon

Montpellier

Northampton

Ospreys

Racing 92

Sale

Saracens

Sharks

Ulster

Tomane wings in for the clash of European titans

21 October 2018 0 comments

JOETomane will make his first European start for champions Leinster in today’s Pool 1 clash in Toulouse as the Irish side aim to win their […]

Off goes Cipriani as his week gets worse

21 October 2018 1 comment

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Collision: Danny Cipriani, left, tackles Munster’s Rory Scannell, centre, and gets a red card MUNSTER claimed a bonus point win against Gloucester […]

‘He just couldn’t get out the way’

21 October 2018 0 comments

GLOUCESTER coach Johan Ackermann sympathised with Danny Cipriani over his sendingoff. “He wasn’t even wanting to tackle the guy. He wanted to just get out […]

Itoje ensures Sarries don’t lack firepower

21 October 2018 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD BRAD Barritt’s face was left cut and bruised as Saracens were made to scrap their way to a crucial bonus-point victory over […]

McCall relieved by late bonus try

21 October 2018 1 comment

MARK McCall attempted to put a positive twist to his side’s lacklustre victory which saw the two-time European champions leave it late to pick up […]

Yes, Wade is small but his talent is giant-size

21 October 2018 0 comments

READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK NICK CAIN CHRISTIAN Wade encapsulates English rugby’s irrational fear of the X-Factor players it produces, and this week it […]

Eddie’s big day on film

21 October 2018 1 comment

JAPAN’S win over South Africa in Brighton in 2015 is being made into a film written by former Rugby League player Max Mannix and it […]

Two’s a crowd

21 October 2018 0 comments

THE concept of the England co-captaincy announced by Eddie Jones in which Dylan Hartley and Owen Farrell share the role defeats the object. The traditional […]

Right facts

21 October 2018 1 comment

THEnew East Stand at Twickenham will be repaid in full in seven years, and not the five years stated in our interview with Steve Brown […]

Murphy: Amazing Manu has a shot with England

21 October 2018 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Power drive: Guy Thompson dives over for a first half try for Tigers PICTURES: Getty Images Defiant: Blade Thomson goes over for […]

Tigers finding their bite again

21 October 2018 0 comments

GEORDAN Murphy says his side are getting near the level he demands ahead of their double header with Racing 92. The Tigers boss said: “After […]

Racing run riot as ace Russell pulls the strings

21 October 2018 0 comments

By STEFFAN THOMAS ULSTER came crashing back to earth with a bang as they were thrashed by Racing 92 in Paris. Despite taking an early […]

Toulon fairytale has Falcons dreaming

21 October 2018 2 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE One of the great nights: Newcastle beat Toulon NEWCASTLE’s stunning 26-25 win at Toulon has given rise to the belief that anything […]

Cockerill’s magnificent men come of age

21 October 2018 0 comments

By GARY HEATLY EDINBURGH head coach Richard Cockerill believes their thumping of Toulon is the start of his team coming of age. The Scots, who […]

Chiefs let it slip after Castres are hit by red card

21 October 2018 0 comments

By NICK CAIN Numbers game: Gareth Steenson celebrates after diving on a through ball to score Chiefs’ third try PICTURE: Getty Images Blistering start: Santiago […]

Burns back on song but Bath miss last-gasp kick

21 October 2018 2 comments

Early power: Joe Cokanasiga breaks clear to score the first try for Bath after just three minutes PICTURES: Getty Images Fightback: Joe Simpson dives over […]

Lozowski and Kaino cited for Champions Cup incidents

16 October 2018 0 comments

More fallout from Saracens win over Glasgow

Munster delight at points on road

14 October 2018 0 comments

MUNSTER’S head coach, Johann Van Graan was overjoyed to pick up two points on the road. “Nobody gave us a chance so I’m incredibly proud […]

Gloucester prepared to live or die by the sword

14 October 2018 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY Confident: Tom Hudson FULL-BACKTom Hudson promises Gloucester will adopt a rip-roaring approach to their first Champions Cup campaign in five years. The […]

Stretts: No regrets, but now let’s win it

14 October 2018 1 comment

By ADAM HATHAWAY Second spell at Sarries: David Strettle PICTURE: Getty Images DAVID Strettle has been on the receiving end of a Saracens onslaught and […]

Evans expects another early onslaught

14 October 2018 0 comments

By STEFFAN THOMAS JARROD Evans believes weathering an early storm holds the key to claiming another famous French scalp as Cardiff Blues make their first […]

Tigers suffer a mauling but Tuilagi’s hitting form

14 October 2018 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER He’s through: Manu Tuilagi breaks clear to score a second half consolation try PICTURES: Getty Images Touchdown: Alan O’Connor scores for Ulster […]

Murphy: We were bullied up front

14 October 2018 0 comments

GEORDAN Murphy admitted his Tigers pack has come off second best at Kingspan Stadium. “We did a lot of things well but ultimately we got […]

Gareth’s fatal error costs his Scarlets in late drama

14 October 2018 0 comments

By ALEX BYWATER Determined: Racing No. 8 Antonie Claassen can’t stop Scarlets’ scrum-half Gareth Davies going over PICTURES: Getty Images Opening try: Racing’s Baptiste Chouzenoux […]

Pivac: I don’t blame Davies

14 October 2018 0 comments

WAYNE Pivac insisted his team’s slow start to the game – and not the late penalty try – cost the Scarlets victory against Racing 92. […]

Cockerill rues the famous victory that got away

14 October 2018 0 comments

By PETER WILLIS EDINBURGHmissed a golden chance to cause a major Champions Cup upset in Montpellier after dominating their hosts. As well as keeping the […]

Young unfazed by Toulon galacticos

14 October 2018 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Big game experience: Falcons scrum-half Micky Young PICTURE: Getty Images Ace: Julian Savea A TRIP to the Mediterranean to play Toulon at […]

Hughes is a tweet for misjudging the mood

14 October 2018 1 comment

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK NATHAN Hughes may feel that a relatively light right-handed punch from a prone position to get Gloucester […]

Freddie drops Bath in a real spot of bother

14 October 2018 1 comment

By NICK CAIN He got this right: Freddie Burns scores Bath’s second try Consoled: Stuart Hooper hugs Freddie Burns FREDDIE Burns was yesterday given a […]

I’ll bounce back from this tweets Freddie

14 October 2018 2 comments

FREDDIE Burns tweeted last night: “Love this sport for the highs and the lows. Today was an ultimate low and a mistake I’ll learn from. […]

Leinster launch title defence with brutal 8-try rout

14 October 2018 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Star turn: James Lowe scores his second try for Leinster PICTURES: Getty Images Held: Juan de Jongh is stopped by Jonathan Sexton […]

Young upbeat despite drubbing

14 October 2018 0 comments

WASPS director of rugby Dai Young saw positives in his side’s defeat but knows there is much work to do before facing Bath next Saturday. […]

We could have nicked that at end says Baxter

14 October 2018 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Driving in: Luke Cowan-Dickie goes over to score for the Chiefs PICTURES: Getty Images On the run: Phil Dollman makes a break […]

Dean Richards can’t wait for Newcastle’s return to big time after a wait of his own

11 October 2018 0 comments

The Falcons travel to Toulon for Sunday’s opener

Brian O’Driscoll backs a team not named Leinster or Saracens for Champions Cup glory

11 October 2018 0 comments

Exeter Chiefs strength on home soil gives them an advantage over the other contenders, says the three-time champion

Champions Cup preview: A look at all five pools as Leinster seek to retain European crown

11 October 2018 0 comments

Leinster and Wasps kick things off on Friday night at the RDS

It would be special to add Champions Cup title to my Super Rugby medal, says Wasps fly-half Lima Sopoaga

10 October 2018 0 comments

Three years on from winning Super Rugby with the Highlanders, Sopoaga wants to win the equivalent in the Northern Hemisphere

TEAMS: Ulster welcome Ospreys to the Kingspan for final Champions Cup spot

18 May 2018 0 comments

Record breaking Stockdale starts on left wing in crucial match for place in next season’s Champions Cup

Rory Best a doubt for Champions Cup playoff against Ospreys

16 May 2018 0 comments

Ulster stalwart Best a doubt for Champions Cup playoff

Greatest? No way, but Hartley had his moments

13 May 2018 0 comments

READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK NICK CAIN EDDIE Jones is not averse to stirring the pot, and he did so this week as part […]

NZ are hypocrites in their fuss over Shields

13 May 2018 0 comments

IF there’s one rugby nation that England should not take any lectures from when it comes to adopting players from other countries it is New […]

Anscombe hits late winner to crown famous Blues recovery

13 May 2018 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER CARDIFF Blues gave departing coach Danny Wilson the silverware his sterling efforts deserved in this pulsating Challenge Cup Final that was so […]

Ackermann rues another lost final

13 May 2018 0 comments

FRUSTRATED Gloucester coach Johan Ackermann questioned why decisons were not always referred to the TMO following Garyn Smith’s somewhat controversial score and the sin-binning of […]

Stats show Goode and Gibson should be on the plane

13 May 2018 0 comments

I HAVE both a love and a healthy scepticism regarding statistics generally but the end of season Opta stats are always worth five minutes of […]

Victories come at a cost to Jaguares

13 May 2018 1 comment

New skipper: Lezana THE Jaguares are beginning to bare their teeth after four consecutive road trip victories – two in Australia and two in New […]

Stop talking rubbish Eddie – just give Cips a fair crack

13 May 2018 1 comment

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points EDDIE Jones is famously good for a quote and a soundbite and […]

No fireworks but Leinster willpower wins the day

13 May 2018 1 comment

By NICK CAIN Cutting through: Robbie Henshaw on the charge LEINSTER won their fourth European title, equalling Toulouse’s record haul, but this was not the […]

Lancaster: It means so much to all my family

13 May 2018 0 comments

CAPTAIN Isa Nacewa, crowned European player of the year in his final season with the province, booted the match-winning penalty in the 78th minute to […]