LEINSTER ENJOYED THE simple and pure pleasure of downing one of their great rivals on their patch in La Rochelle yesterday evening but it came with several other benefits.
Leinster have qualified for the Champions Cup Round of 16 thanks to three wins from three games but the stoic 16-14 victory at Stade Marcel Deflandre also leaves them in position to top Pool 2 and advance to the knock-outs as one of the two top-seeded teams in the competition.
That brings with it home advantage throughout the knock-out stages before the final in Cardiff.
Leinster are on 13 match points, second only to Bordeaux on 15 after the French side’s latest bonus-point win against Exeter on Saturday. They have yet to face a top-class side but Bordeaux are a joy to watch with their array of attacking stars like Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
Irish attack coach Noel McNamara must be loving life with Bordeaux, who will look to make it a perfect 20 points by notching another bonus-point win at home to the Sharks next weekend. That would guarantee their status as top seeds, ensuring a home Round of 16 game, home quarter-final, and home semi-final.
Leinster should be aiming to finish as the number two seeds, which would also guarantee Leo Cullen’s men a home Round of 16 game, home quarter-final, and home semi-final.
Leinster are at home to Bath in their final pool game this Saturday at the Aviva Stadium and that should be another cracking clash given that Johann van Graan’s men beat Clermont 40-21 yesterday to reignite their campaign following two defeats last month.
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Still top of the Premiership, Bath can play some lovely attacking rugby with Finn Russell pulling the strings. Nonetheless, Leinster will be hoping for a bonus-point win to seal status as second seeds.
Leinster are back in the Aviva this Saturday. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
They will have to keep a close eye on Toulon’s visit to Sale Sharks in the very last game of the pool stages on Sunday evening, given that the French side have won their three games so far to also sit on 13 match points, albeit with a points difference of +23 compared to Leinster’s +33.
Sale can still reach the knock-out stages so Leinster will hope that the English side can do them a favour.
Even a win without four tries could be enough for Leinster to be one of the top two seeds, depending on how Bordeaux and Toulon do.
At the other end of the Champions Cup equation, Ulster’s hopes of a Round of 16 tie are not mathematically dead but they would need to produce a massive bonus-point win against Exeter on Friday night and hope the Sharks get nothing from their visit to Bordeaux.
Following their defeat in Leicester, Richie Murphy’s side have zero match points from their three games. Exeter are in the same boat with zero points so this clash in Belfast on Friday will almost certainly decide who drops into the Challenge Cup Round of 16.
Unless one of them has a gigantic bonus-point win and the Sharks get no match points against Bordeaux, the winner of this Ulster v Exeter tie will be away from home in the Challenge Cup Round of 16.
Munster’s stirring victory at home against Saracens on Saturday revitalises their campaign and they will take on Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens this Saturday afternoon with hopes of earning a favourable knock-out tie. A win would ensure Munster top their pool, earning a home Round of 16 and home quarter-final.
Northampton had been in contention for top seeding until their defeat away to Stade Français on Saturday. The reigning Premiership champions were in a winning position in Paris but gave it up and though they can still be Pool 3 winners, the chance for a top-two seeding appears to be gone.
Munster are currently second in Pool 3, with that spot guaranteeing a home Round of 16 tie, but given that third-placed Saracens are at home to Castres this Sunday and likely to win, the Irish province will probably need to grab a victory in Northampton and top the pool.
Munster are back up and running. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Presuming that Saracens will win at home to Castres, a losing bonus point for Munster in Northampton should be enough to confirm third place in Pool 3 but that would mean taking to the road in the Round of 16. Munster have lost away games at that stage for the last two seasons, so they need something special against Saints.
In the Challenge Cup, Connacht’s third bonus-point win from three games leaves them as the only team in the competition on the maximum of 15 match points.
They still have a big game ahead on Friday night in Cardiff as they look to confirm top seeding for the knock-out stages. Montpellier, who are away to Newcastle on Friday, have 14 match points after three games.
Even a single losing bonus point would be enough for Connacht to top their Pool 1 and almost certainly grab status as second seeds, unless Edinburgh hammer Black Lion.
So all four Irish provinces have reasons to go hard at this final week of pool action as the jostling for favourable knock-out games reaches a crescendo.
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Leinster have ideal shot at top seeding for Champions Cup knock-outs
LEINSTER ENJOYED THE simple and pure pleasure of downing one of their great rivals on their patch in La Rochelle yesterday evening but it came with several other benefits.
Leinster have qualified for the Champions Cup Round of 16 thanks to three wins from three games but the stoic 16-14 victory at Stade Marcel Deflandre also leaves them in position to top Pool 2 and advance to the knock-outs as one of the two top-seeded teams in the competition.
That brings with it home advantage throughout the knock-out stages before the final in Cardiff.
Leinster are on 13 match points, second only to Bordeaux on 15 after the French side’s latest bonus-point win against Exeter on Saturday. They have yet to face a top-class side but Bordeaux are a joy to watch with their array of attacking stars like Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
Irish attack coach Noel McNamara must be loving life with Bordeaux, who will look to make it a perfect 20 points by notching another bonus-point win at home to the Sharks next weekend. That would guarantee their status as top seeds, ensuring a home Round of 16 game, home quarter-final, and home semi-final.
Leinster should be aiming to finish as the number two seeds, which would also guarantee Leo Cullen’s men a home Round of 16 game, home quarter-final, and home semi-final.
Leinster are at home to Bath in their final pool game this Saturday at the Aviva Stadium and that should be another cracking clash given that Johann van Graan’s men beat Clermont 40-21 yesterday to reignite their campaign following two defeats last month.
Still top of the Premiership, Bath can play some lovely attacking rugby with Finn Russell pulling the strings. Nonetheless, Leinster will be hoping for a bonus-point win to seal status as second seeds.
They will have to keep a close eye on Toulon’s visit to Sale Sharks in the very last game of the pool stages on Sunday evening, given that the French side have won their three games so far to also sit on 13 match points, albeit with a points difference of +23 compared to Leinster’s +33.
Sale can still reach the knock-out stages so Leinster will hope that the English side can do them a favour.
Even a win without four tries could be enough for Leinster to be one of the top two seeds, depending on how Bordeaux and Toulon do.
At the other end of the Champions Cup equation, Ulster’s hopes of a Round of 16 tie are not mathematically dead but they would need to produce a massive bonus-point win against Exeter on Friday night and hope the Sharks get nothing from their visit to Bordeaux.
Following their defeat in Leicester, Richie Murphy’s side have zero match points from their three games. Exeter are in the same boat with zero points so this clash in Belfast on Friday will almost certainly decide who drops into the Challenge Cup Round of 16.
Unless one of them has a gigantic bonus-point win and the Sharks get no match points against Bordeaux, the winner of this Ulster v Exeter tie will be away from home in the Challenge Cup Round of 16.
Munster’s stirring victory at home against Saracens on Saturday revitalises their campaign and they will take on Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens this Saturday afternoon with hopes of earning a favourable knock-out tie. A win would ensure Munster top their pool, earning a home Round of 16 and home quarter-final.
Northampton had been in contention for top seeding until their defeat away to Stade Français on Saturday. The reigning Premiership champions were in a winning position in Paris but gave it up and though they can still be Pool 3 winners, the chance for a top-two seeding appears to be gone.
Munster are currently second in Pool 3, with that spot guaranteeing a home Round of 16 tie, but given that third-placed Saracens are at home to Castres this Sunday and likely to win, the Irish province will probably need to grab a victory in Northampton and top the pool.
Presuming that Saracens will win at home to Castres, a losing bonus point for Munster in Northampton should be enough to confirm third place in Pool 3 but that would mean taking to the road in the Round of 16. Munster have lost away games at that stage for the last two seasons, so they need something special against Saints.
In the Challenge Cup, Connacht’s third bonus-point win from three games leaves them as the only team in the competition on the maximum of 15 match points.
They still have a big game ahead on Friday night in Cardiff as they look to confirm top seeding for the knock-out stages. Montpellier, who are away to Newcastle on Friday, have 14 match points after three games.
Even a single losing bonus point would be enough for Connacht to top their Pool 1 and almost certainly grab status as second seeds, unless Edinburgh hammer Black Lion.
So all four Irish provinces have reasons to go hard at this final week of pool action as the jostling for favourable knock-out games reaches a crescendo.
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Champions Cup Leinster State of Play