European Rugby Champions Cup: Round Four preview
Friday 12 December 2014 12:48, UK
The inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup reached the halfway point of the pool stages in dramatic fashion last weekend, with Aviva Premiership sides coming out on top throughout.
Leicester Tigers produced the major upset of Round Three, toppling reigning kings of Europe Toulon at Welford Road while Harlequins got the better of three-time European champions Leinster at the Twickenham Stoop.
There were also wins for Saracens, Wasps and defending Premiership champions Northampton Saints, while Clermont Auvergne claimed a slice of European history as they became the first French side to beat Munster at Thomond Park.
Indiscipline cost Glasgow Warriors in Toulouse, but Ulster managed to inject life into their Champions Cup campaign with a morale-boosting triumph over Scarlets and Ospreys claimed a late draw against Top 14 heavyweights Racing Metro Paris.
With the dust just about settled after an exhilarating weekend of action, what better than to do it all over again? As ever with European rugby, Rounds Three and Four are double-headers, meaning we get the same fixture list once again giving us another tantalising weekend of action to feast upon.
Friday night lights
It all starts at the Recreation Ground on Friday night, where cross-code prodigy Sam Burgess will make his first start for Bath against Montpellier.
Mike Ford’s West Country men claimed an impressive 30-5 victory at a muddy Altrad Stadium last weekend and will be desperate to do the double over their Top 14 adversaries in front a partisan crowd.
Saturday then throws up a series of blockbuster clashes, with Toulon looking for revenge against Leicester, while Leinster and Harlequins lock horns at the Aviva Stadium and Sale Sharks aim to go one step further against Saracens.
After extinguishing Toulon’s hope of taking a vice-like grip of Pool Three, Leicester Tigers travel to the Stade Mayol hoping to do the double over the reigning champions.
Further fuel was added to the fire in the wake of Toulon’s defeat, with former Tigers prop Martin Castrogiovanni launching a scathing, expletive-filled attack on Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill. It could well get tasty in Toulon on this weekend.
Can Quins conquer?
In their first meeting with Leinster since the notorious ‘Bloodgate’ affair of 2009, Harlequins kept their perfect European record intact to move three points clear at the Pool Two summit and a repeat result in the Irish capital will see the Londoners well on their way to the quarter-finals.
Tries from veteran forward Nick Easter, who earned the plaudits of many, and winger Asaeli Tikoirotuma saw Quins clinch a 24-18 victory over a try-less Leinster at The Stoop.
Saracens will be hoping to turn in a much-improved display when they host Sale at Allianz Park on Saturday.
Despite claiming victory in the first of two matches in as many weeks against their Premiership rivals at the AJ Bell Stadium last weekend, the 2014 European finalists lacked gusto and only just held on to claim a 19-15 win.
After being denied victory late on in Swansea, Racing Metro Paris will be desperate to put their home advantage to effective use as they host Ospreys at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir on Saturday.
Upset
A 74th minute Josh Matavesi try, converted by Dan Biggar, saw the Welsh region snatch an unlikely draw against the French heavyweights last weekend to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages just about alive.
Northampton Saints will be looking to seize the initiative in Pool Five when they host Benetton Treviso at Franklin’s Gardens.
The European double-header looks to have fallen kindly for Saints, who claimed a bonus-point triumph in Italy last weekend as they raced in six tries in a 38-15 win.
Glasgow Warriors will aim to make amends for their slip at the Stade Ernest-Wallon when they host Toulouse in a return fixture at Scotstoun on Saturday.
The Warriors suffered a 19-11 defeat at the hands of the Frenchmen and head coach Gregor Townsend was left to lament his side’s indiscipline as they endured their first loss of the campaign.
History boys
The pick of Sunday’s hat-trick of fixtures has to be at the Marcel Michelin after Frank Azema’s Clermont, viewed by many as one of the greatest sides not to have to won a continental title, became the first French side to beat Munster at Thomond Park, and only the third to prevail in Limerick in European rugby last weekend.
Thomond Park has staged some classic continental encounters over the years and Saturday’s showdown proved to be another historic clash as Clermont’s 16-9 triumph saw them claim a slice of history and deny Munster the opportunity to become the first side to chalk up a century of wins in European competition.
Meanwhile, Wasps will keep their slender hopes of Champions Cup quarter-final qualification alive should they claim a second victory over Castres Olympique when the pair rematch at Adams Park.
Dai Young’s side travelled to the Stade Pierre-Antoine last weekend and returned with a 32-17 bonus-point victory, taking their tally to seven points, just two behind second-placed Leinster and five adrift of Pool Two leaders Harlequins.
The European weekend will end at the Parc y Scarlets where Ulster will bid to keep their slender Champions Cup hopes alive when they face Pool Three basement side Scarlets.
The Welsh region entered Round Three in second place, but Ulster’s bonus-point victory at Ravenhill last weekend combined with Leicester Tigers’ toppling of reigning European champions Toulon led to wholesale changes in the standings.
Follow Round Four of the European Rugby Champions Cup live on Sky Sports 2HD and with our interactive blog.
Glasgow Warriors v Toulouse - Live on Sky Sports 2HD from 12:30pm on Saturday
Racing Metro Paris v Ospreys - Live on Sky Sports 2 Red Button from 5:15pm on Saturday
Saracens v Sale Sharks - Live on Sky Sports 2HD from 5pm on Saturday
Wasps v Castres Olympique - Live on Sky Sports 2HD from 12:30pm on Sunday
Clermont Auvergne v Munster - Live on Sky Sports 2HD from 3pm on Sunday
Watch four European Rugby Champions Cup matches on NOW TV with a Sky Sports Week Pass. No contract
