The European (Investec) Champions Cup is underway and so far, Leinster has been performing amazingly.
So much so, that bookies are compelled to say their chances of winning the title are pretty good. Read on to discover their recent form, upcoming fixtures, and odds.
Champions Cup Favourites With Odds
Although it’s too early to say, there are a few favourites to win the competition. Beginning in the Pool Stage, the 24 teams competed to qualify for the Round of 16 by placing in the top four places in their pool table.
Now, the Round of 16 will whittle the competition down to 8 teams, which will fight in the Quarter Finals. The four winners will then compete in the Semi-Finals held at the beginning of May, and eventually the final will be held on the 24th of May at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
The odds to win European Champions Cup according to Ladbrokes:
- Toulouse: 13/8
- Leinster: 17/10
- Bordeaux: 4/1
- La Rochelle: 20/1
This is based on statistics from previous games, the squad, their injuries, and special intel that bookmakers use to calculate odds. Leinster has odds of 17/10 to win, probably because they are at the top of Pool 2 after Round 4. With this being said, the Round of 16 starts on Friday 4th April and in the coming days, Leinster will play against the Harlequins in Croke Park to determine not only whether they will take part in the Quarter Finals, but also which other teams will compete.
Last year’s winners, Toulouse, are another favourite. After winning all of their Pool Stages, the renowned club shows no signs of slowing down. Both Toulouse and Bordeaux are in Pool 1 but the latter are dominating the table with 20 points. La Rochelle, who won consecutively in 2022 and 2023, is also a club to watch.
Leinster Past Form
Up until now, Leinster has performed unsurprisingly well and if they continue, the chances of winning the championship are within reach.
In Round 1, they played against Bristol Bears, who despite their home advantage at Ashton Gate were beaten. Leinster won 35-12 which clearly boosted morale and began their winning streak. In Round 2, Leinster played against ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium, again winning 15-7. In Round 3, Leinster played La Rochelle and won 16-14 at the Stade Marcel Deflandre. Despite winning every game they played, the margin was slowly narrowing. In their last game of the Pool Stage, Round 4, Leinster played Bath Rugby and won 47-21 at the Aviva Stadium. This was a resounding defeat and demonstrated just how worthy they were to qualify in the Quarter-Finals.
Outside of the Investec Champions Cup, Leinster has been playing in the United Rugby Championship. There have been many wins, such as the most recent against the Sharks on the 29th Match, when head coach Leo Cullen decided to give Max Deegan captaincy despite it being the role of Caelan Doris. Perhaps this was due to the nail-biting loss of the 21-20 defeat against the Bulls the week before.
It is worth mentioning that Leinster was increments away from winning the Champions Cup last year, in a tense match that ended in a 31-22 win for Toulouse after extra time, which was their sixth title. This year, the team is fighting tooth and nail to make sure that they take the winning spot; however, Toulouse has the same ambition.
The last time Leinster won the Champions Cup was in 2018, although they are four-time champions and therefore the second most successful club in the history of the competition, after Toulouse. By nation on the other hand Ireland have won seven times thanks to Ulster in 1999.
Upcoming Fixtures
On Saturday, Leinster are playing against the Harlequins. The odds of Leinster winning, as stated by bookies, are 1/25.
The Harlequins have lost two matches and won two matches in the Pool Stage, whereas Leinster won all four games.
At the same time, Benetton will play Castres Olympique. Although it’s probable that Leinster will win, there can never be a guarantee. Earlier that same day RC Toulon will play Saracens, and later La Rochelle will play Munster.
If Leinster does win, they will be placed in the top eight teams and go on to play in the Quarter-Finals held between the 11th to 13th of April.
The stadium is picked based on which team placed higher in the pool stages, and as Leinster finished first, this means either Aviva Stadium or Croke Park.
Should they also win this match, they will play in the Semi-Finals between the 2nd to 4th of May. Bookies say that the odds of Leinster reaching the Semi-Finals are 1/4.
To get a good idea of how Leinster will perform in upcoming Champions Cup matches, it is a good idea to also watch their other games.
On the 18th of April, they will play another Irish team, Ulster, for the United Rugby Championship. A few weeks later, they are set to play Zebre Parma on the 10th of May again for the United Rugby Championship.
Conclusion
Our final thoughts are that Leinster has a fighting chance of winning the Champions Cup. After being runners-up for three consecutive seasons since 2022, this could finally be the year where everything changes.
It’s not enough for Leinster to play consistently well, because other favourites such as Toulouse and La Rochelle must also stumble.
The only strategic way to bet is by watching the games coming up, in addition to other matches that Leinster is involved in. Remember to make use of promotions such as enhanced odds, which are prominent this time of year when exciting matches are taking place.
Ireland suffered a disappointing loss during the Six Nations this year. In spite of winning the Triple Crown by beating all three home nations, the team didn’t even make it to the final. Instead, France was crowned champions on the 15th of March.
If Leinster could win the Champions Cup, this could rectify the situation and lift the spirits of Irish rugby fans.
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