Wednesday 28 January 2015 16:57, UK
England have the most teams in the Champions Cup quarter-finals but France have the best quality, says Sky Sports pundit Stuart Barnes.
Now all roads lead to France... or most of them. In terms of quantity the pool stages have been a triumph for the Premiership clubs. Four of their representatives have qualified for the quarter-finals, although only Bath escaped as pool winners (and fifth seed at that).
France is one team short in terms of quantity but as far as quality goes they lead the way. They provide the top three seeds with the PRO12’s European big guns, with Leinster making up the fourth seed.
Toulon are in terrific form but Wasps can make a match of it with the fast pace of their game. It could be a hugely entertaining and high-scoring game.
These have to be the toughest set of quarter-finals on record. Whether it is the switch to five instead of six pools or the extra financial gears coming into play between the respective leagues, the cream has risen to the top as never before.
The top three seeds are first, third and fourth in the Top 14. The quartet of English qualifiers is currently filling – you guessed it – first, second, third and fourth spots in their league. Leinster are a relatively lowly fourth in the PRO12 but their vast European experience counted in the end.
What a weekend it proved to be. The shock of the European season occurred at the Gardens where Racing Metro finally announced themselves on the European stage.
Northampton were overpowered in the scrum, swarmed over at the gain-line and battered by the bruising lines of Jamie Roberts. Expectations of a home quarter-final turned to dust. The English champions now have the unenviable trek to the Auvergne ahead of them. Don’t write them off but, on the evidence of this season to date, it is fair to say that their odds of European glory drifted a long way at the weekend.
Clermont were organised, efficient, all the things they struggle to be. Throw in their capacity for the brilliant and they are serious contenders yet again. Favourites, however, must be the European and French champions, Toulon. Job adroitly done in west Wales, they are at home to Wasps, one of the stories of the qualifying stages.
From the awful position of two played and two lost, they forced their way into the quarter-finals with three wins, a plethora of bonus points and an exciting draw with Leinster. Outplayed for the first half they fought back in the second in front of a superb crowd in Coventry. It summed their European season to date.
Toulon are a free shot for Wasps. Few outside their camp will give them a chance. Toulon are in terrific form but Wasps can make a match of it with the fast pace of their game. It could be a hugely entertaining and high-scoring game. The French are firm favourites but it’s a two horse race and a Wasps side at their best are dangerous. Whether they have sufficient power - there’s the question.
Racing Metro have the power but have they got the application to repeat their performance from Franklin’s Gardens? If they have then Saracens are in trouble, but the Sarries are a resilient side and while well beaten in Clermont, the memory of their Munster dismantling serves as a reminder not to write them off. Of the three Anglo-French fixtures history, if not form, suggests the best chance of the one in four away wins, which is a quarter-final average, belongs to Saracens who have that extra edge in European experience.
Finally fourth versus fifth seeds, Leinster versus Bath; as glamorous a tie as there is this year. The Irishmen have yet to convince (they fell away badly in the second half) but if Sean O’ Brien and Cian Healy are restored to the team, they will be a tough nut to crack. Bath, as brilliant as they were against Toulouse, were fortunate to hang on against Glasgow. The Scots came within a hands width of winning and topping the pool. There was plenty of heroism in defeat at the Recreation Ground. It is no consolation but on this form, Glasgow have a shot at going all the way in the PRO12.
Bath relied on the power of their pack. In particular, their impact front row of Nick Auterac, Ross Batty and Henry Thomas whose part in Bath’s two penalty tries cannot be underestimated. They were immense in Toulouse and just as good in Bath.
On the subject of Toulouse, they went from being the only 100 per cent team in the tournament after round four to another eliminated team two rounds later. They have been dwindling for years. When people say `that was not like Toulouse’ I wonder how often they watch them. The French side proves that money alone doesn’t buy success - it has to be well spent and utilised. That has not been the case in Toulouse for some time.
Elsewhere there was a notable effort from Ulster who turned Leicester’s bid for a four try bonus point into a four-try destruction of the Tigers. Things are not as bad at Welford Road as Toulouse but nor are they good. The pressure is on the giant England club to make the Premiership play-offs.
In the Challenge Cup, the importance of the Top 14 showed itself with none of the French teams qualifying for the last eight. Until the winners are offered a Champions Cup spot it will remain an issue. Even so, the quarter-finals are interesting enough with the Dragons against the Blues my pick of fixtures.
This week I head off to Cork for the Saxons match with the Wolfhounds. The English efforts have been disappointing in previous years. It will not be easy in Ireland.
The game will be swallowed up in the Sam Burgess hype but, interesting as the progress of the Slamming One is, both Stuart Lancaster and Joe Schmidt have plenty to watch in World Cup year. Join us Friday night for the game.
Stuart answers your emails...
Got a question for Stuart? Email him at skysportsclub@bskyb.com, Tweet @SkySportsRugby #askskyrugby or use the feedback form on skysports.com.
Hi Stuart. For many years Leicester were formidable in the top tier of European rugby, but we are now mulling around in the middle of the second tier. I don't feel Richard Cockerill is the man to get us back where we belong. The brand of rugby is tedious and predictable and has been for a few years now. The injury list for the last three years is a direct result of this push-and-grunt style, along with poor recruitment. Matt O'Connor joined Leinster, we replaced him with Paul Burke? How important is it that they react now or else the injury list will remain high and Tigers’ status low? Steve Thurnby
STUART REPLIES: I am not wholly sure that the style is directly related to the injury list, but I do agree that the lack of variety in the way the Tigers play is impacting upon their ability to beat the best. The odd big effort from the pack is masking issues. The club will need a few years before its status slips - the culture in the club and the aura around it will keep the team buoyed when others might sink. But something does need to change and soon. I would wait until we see what, if any, impact Manu Tuilagi's return has and then judge. It could be worse, Steve, you could be a Toulouse fan.
Dear Stuart Barnes. There are some intriguing questions over Cipriani, Easter and Burgess, but I propose another. I feel England need two distributors in their backline to unlock Southern Hemisphere teams. For me the best two in England are Eastmond and Ford. I understand that Eastmond is perhaps undersized at centre, but he could be moved to wing - at least in defence then in attack come into a second distributor role? I know this is unorthodox but Eastmond initially played wing at Bath and haven’t other wingers such as James O’Connor and Shane Williams been employed in such a hybrid role? From David Watts
STUART REPLIES: David, Eastmond is not undersized. He is a chunk. England's issues are more in matters of communication (which I find hard to understand as at Bath communication appears to be a strength). Brad Barritt will be 12 after Jamie Roberts’ demolition job on the Saints, but what do England do at 13? I agree that, if England wish to maximise their game, they need another playmaker. But maybe England has decided they will play to strengths, i.e, their forward strength and physical power. This debate about how they want to play should be worrying for England fans. The World Cup is looming and there are far too many unanswered questions. As for employing a non-winger on the wing, I give you Jonathan Joseph.
Hi Stuart. I was a great fan of you in your playing days - the Andrew v Barnes conundrum held a similar ideological fascination to the Campbell v Ward scenario, and, as with all the Munster faithful, I have the utmost respect for your frank insights.
Therefore, in the wake of Munster's most inept European performance, I would be interested to hear your views on the current direction, or lack thereof, shown by Anthony Foley and the current management set-up. Of course Foley was, and will always remain, one of the all-time Munster legends, but that should not dissuade critical commentary on his managerial prowess.
The fact that JJ Hanrahan has been a peripheral figure this season and allowed to leave the Munster fold is a travesty, but this is just a symptom of the lack of vision in Limerick these days. Foley promised a return to traditional Munster values, but ironically, there has rarely if ever been an occasion where these were so evidently absent as in that game against Saracens.
There has been much talk of Saracen's fine performance, and I salute their victory, but someone needs to tell it as it was - Munster were dire. My personal opinion is that Foley needs to go now before more damage is done. What do you think?
Regards,
John Collins, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
STUART REPLIES: John, way too early. Munster showed a capacity to perform at a high level when they beat Leinster at Lansdowne Road earlier this season. A little like England, I think they are struggling to find their identity as a team but with this being Anthony Foley's first year, I think that firstly the call is too early and secondly remains a little harsh.
Hi Stuart, with Leinster the only PRO12 team to qualify for the European quarter-finals it highlights the growing gap between French and English clubs, and the rest. Ospreys are top of the PRO12 but the Saints were never troubled by them in their match and they controlled the game with ease. It took Ospreys 75 minutes to get to the Saints’ five- metre line and Ospreys never looked like scoring a try. Where does this leave the reputation of the PRO12? Perhaps the likes of Leinster and Munster - who are a shadow of previous seasons - would be better off trying to play in the English league so that they don’t get dragged down to the poor level of the rest of the PRO12.
Mick Collyer
STUART REPLIES: Hi Mick. Swallows and summers; the Irish and French have dominated the tournament for years. A bad year now and then is inevitable. It could easily be that Leinster are the only non-French team in the semi-finals while Glasgow were so unlucky not to beat Bath. Right now, the PRO12 is struggling in comparison with the other leagues but let's avoid knee jerking quite yet. Ulster's win against Leicester is another sign that things might not be quite as bad as you think.
