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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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 […]