Champions Cup rugby: ‘I predict eight home wins out of eight’
Though the fixtures suggest a couple of upsets, I am going out on a limb and saying that there will be eight home wins in the Champions Cup round of 16 ties this weekend.
It’s one of those weekends where I will be putting my phone on vibrate and just enjoying what is set to be a humdinger of a weekend.
There are so many good games across the next three days: Leinster’s clash with Ulster stands out alongside the Cell C Sharks’ game against Munster down in Durban.
Champions Cup clashes
Leicester Tigers are one of the form teams in the Premiership at the moment and their clash against Edinburgh should be a great occasion. The Scots could upset the defending English champions but it’s hard to see past a firing Tigers outfit.
You can never write off Munster, that’s part and parcel of being one of Europe’s great legacy teams. But in the Cell C Sharks they will face some absolute brute force and I think the South Africans will win. This could be the game of the weekend.
Staying in South Africa, I think it is going to be very difficult for Harlequins to overcome the Stormers in Cape Town. It is such a difficult place to go and win and I think the Stormers have a more rounded game at the moment.
Ulster could upset Leinster at the Aviva. Following on from their final league game, and given the way the Champions Cup and URC work, the Dubliners may not need to leave Ireland’s capital between now and the end of the season. Whether Leinster can get up for this one given many of their internationals will be recovering from a Grand Slam win is yet to be seen, but they’re favourites.
Well up for it
I simply cannot see past a thumping win for La Rochelle against Gloucester. The Cherry and Whites are in a rut of form and La Rochelle – under Champions cup lover Ronan O’Gara – will be well up for this one.
Exeter face Montpellier on Sunday in a match which could include a number of Chiefs players who will be playing for the French champions next season. Both sides will be really keen to get a Cup run going and I think Exeter could just sneak it.
Another challenger for the game of the weekend is Toulouse’s clash with the Bulls. Both have flair and power, and both like to put on a show. There’s so much talent between the two sides but I do think home advantage could tell in this one.
The weekend ends with Saracens taking on the Ospreys. The Welsh region beat Leicester to make it to the last 16 so they’re not to be taken lightly. That said, Saracens and the Champions Cup have been synonymous in recent years and they’ll be looking for title number four.
The reality
The reality is we could see a repeat of last year’s final – in Marseille between Leinster and La Rochelle – again this season – in Dublin.
Leinster will be enjoying home comforts all the way to the final and they will be able to target matches accordingly throughout the remainder of the campaign.
La Rochelle have taken this competition seriously and I think a lot of that is down to O’Gara – he is a Champions Cup legend and sees the tournament as the pinnacle of the club game.
Leinster – assuming they get past a tough Ulster outfit – will play either Edinburgh or Leicester in the quarter-finals in the Irish capital.
La Rochelle, on the other hand, will host Saracens or Ospreys should they topple Gloucester on Saturday evening.
It is certainly tougher for the French outfit but we could be seeing a new rivalry bloom before our eyes.
I love the Champions Cup – it is just brilliant – and I cannot wait to get stuck in to all eight matches this weekend.
China Sevens head coach Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance, experts in leadership development and behavioural change. Follow Ollie on Twitter and on LinkedIn.