It’s an incredibly busy Friday and Saturday in the Heineken Champions Cup, with nine fixtures over the next two days as the teams tee up their charges into the last 16.
Among the highlights are the high-flying Leinster’s trip to Kingsholm, Exeter’s visit to the Bulls in South Africa and Sale’s chance for revenge against Toulouse.
But it all starts with a corker of a clash in Pool B tonight, as Leicester head to Clermont Auvergne.
Friday
Leicester are on a tough run of form at the moment with consecutive heavy defeats in the north of England at Sale and Newcastle, but they head to Clermont (8pm) with two European wins in the bag already, and should they win they will be all-but through to the last 16.
But Clermont still have a strong chance of making it through to the next round, and although they are struggling in the Top 14 they still have a formidable home record.
It might well be the game of the round, and one that Richard Wigglesworth will desperately hope delivers a positive result to get his Tigers team back on track.
Saturday
Eight of the nine games will be taking place the following day, with two kick-offs each at 1pm, 3:15pm, 5:30pm and 8pm.
The day begins with a bang as Gloucester host Leinster and Sale welcome Toulouse (both 1pm). In both cases, a team coming off the back of a heavy European defeat with one win and one defeat host sides who are top of their domestic leagues and unbeaten in the competition.
Gloucester’s 57-0 defeat to Leinster provoked a lot of discussion about the competition’s new structure, but evidently they are fielding a much stronger side for this home fixture and it’s a game that has a feel of producing a memorable Champions Cup group game.
Sale are in good form after back-to-back domestic wins against the 2022 and then 2021 Premiership champions, and have made the AJ Bell Stadium something of a fortress in recent weeks.
They host Toulouse, in a fascinating game with a subplot that will see England hopefuls Ben Curry (Sale) and Jack Willis (Toulouse) go up against each other as the Six Nations approaches.
The Sharks can secure their place in the Last 16 with a win against Bordeaux Begles (3:15pm) who they beat in a tight, tense affair in the reverse fixture in early December, while at the same time Saints are in the last chance saloon as they travel to Munster in a game that will hopefully match the excitement of their last game at Thomond Park 11 years ago.
At 5:30pm the Exeter Chiefs, who are unbeaten in Europe take on the Bulls. Having crushed them at home and taken a strong squad to South Africa, they will be hoping they can earn another big European success as the competition becomes their primary focus.
After the chaos of a last-minute venue change that hampered their chances against La Rochelle saw them beaten in Dublin, Ulster travel to the French Atlantic coast hoping for the much-needed win against the European Champions which will give them a fighting chance of making the last 16 (5:30pm).
The final pair of fixtures sees a Saracens side who have earned two hard-fought wins play host to Lyon (8pm) knowing that victory should seal their place in the next round and give them the freedom to rest players in their final fixture, while Ospreys will give themselves a brilliant chance of qualifying for the next round if they can replicate their memorable win against Montpellier, this time at home (both 8pm).
Champions Cup Friday Fixtures:
Clermont vs Leicester (8pm)
Saturday Fixtures:
Gloucester vs Leinster (1pm)
Sale vs Toulouse (1pm)
Sharks vs Bordeaux Begles (3:15pm)
Munster vs Northampton Saints (3:15pm)
Bulls vs Exeter Chiefs (5:30pm)
La Rochelle vs Ulster (5:30pm)
Saracens vs Lyon (8pm)
Ospreys vs Montpellier (8pm)
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