NICK CAIN

IT took the 2022 European Cup until the quarter-finals before it delivered in terms of the quality and drama that have made it the best club/provincial tournament not just in the Northern Hemisphere, but globally.
It also provided the Premiership with a very clear reminder of its declining competitiveness, with its leading teams failing to hit the heights in Europe either in attack or defence.
Despite the overblown hype from the vested interests involved in the top English league, no Premiership club qualified for the European Cup semi-finals for the second year in succession...