Champions Cup review: Sunday’s action shows no-one is the favourite

Sunday’s Champions Cup action was bigger proof than ever that league form means nothing in the mixing pot of Europe.

The league leaders from the Premiership, Top 14 and URC were all in action, with each side (Northampton Saints, Toulouse and Stormers) suffering losses in what was an extraordinary day of Rugby.

If anything, the results posed more questions than answers in the race for a last-16 place, with one pool stage round to go next week.

Bath, Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers all displayed that the Prem sides could go far in the competition earlier on in the weekend, and Sunday was poised to further push that narrative.

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Magnificent Quins

Not many would have predicted struggling Harlequins to get a result against an unbeaten DHL Stormers side, but even fewer would have predicted a 51-point swing at the Stoop.

The Twickenham-based side were back to their effortless best on Sunday, the likes of which haven’t been seen in years.

Jason Gilmore’s army was like a brand new team and showed no signs of the issues and mistakes which have plagued them this season.

The effortless, free-flowing rugby was simply awesome to watch as the points mounted against the URC leaders.

The backs were in perfect harmony with Marcus Smith pulling the strings. Cadan Murley and hat-trick hero Nick David also had great performances.

A real throwback

But one of Harlequins’ strongest elements was at the breakdown. It was a real throwback to the disruptive force they had been seasons before.

The forward pack did the job well, particularly Chandler Cunningham-South, who provided a solid link between the big men and the runners.

It would be a dream time to find a rich vein of form and, if the performances continue, could complicate the battle for England‘s number 8 spot in the Six Nations.

Hopefully for Quins, securing their spot in the last 16 with such a strong performance can culminate in some more results this year.

Saints struggle

It was not such a great day for Northampton Saints, though, who struggled to a 50-28 loss away at Bordeaux Begles.

Their bad day at the office began even before kick-off when England fly-half Finn Smith was injured during the warm-up. 

Whether the inclusion of Smith would have given Saints the win or not is debatable, but they certainly seemed struggle in his absence.

Bordeaux were ultimately the better side. They were quicker, stronger and were far more cohesive, which made them a challenge to stop.

If anything, when Saints were able to disrupt the game, it suited the opposition. 

Too much to handle

Just like on the international stage, Damian Penaud, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Matthieu Jalibert are some of the best when it comes to loose ball and scruffy phases.

They simply created too much for Northampton to handle. They weren’t bad, just not good enough.

Henry Pollock was a shining light, however, proving just how versatile he is as a player, thriving in positions out wide and fitting in as a creative back as much as a forward.

It remains to be seen just how severe Smith’s problem is, but Saints will need to find some direction if they are to be without him not just during injury, but when the Six Nations rolls around as well.

Saints had already qualified for the next round, but this loss could cost them a home game in the knockouts.

Saracens held on

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall was clearly unhappy with his side before their match against Stade Toulousain, citing a lack of “attitude and application”.

But it is fair to say his side showed enough grit and determination to prove to the fans in the StoneX that Sarries are still capable of great things in their nail-biting 20-14 victory.

This game was a real heavyweight clash, with fans chomping at the bit to see the fight between such great players as Antoine Dupont and Maro Itoje.

But the biggest story was the battle of the Willis brothers. The pair were at each other’s throats from the word go, constantly trying to one-up the other.

It was arguably one of their best performances each, seemingly dominating every tackle and making meters whenever on the ball.

Saracens’ Tom Willis was the epitome of fierce as he fought his way to a player of the match performance.

This was the north London side’s best performance of the season, but for the complete opposite reasons than their local rivals, Harlequins. 

Forget flashy backs play and clever kicking games; the atrocious weather in London made the game a true slug-fest.

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall

Blitz-style defence

Saracens had the wind behind them in the first half and were able to create a lead, largely thanks to the brilliant footwork of Rotimi Segun, but had to dig in for the final 40.

The home side’s game management was awesome in the second half, as the wind made clearance kicks almost impossible. 

This meant they had to work the ball up the pitch themselves through good discipline and big runs, which is where Owen Farrell made his biggest impact off the bench, controlling his backs well from centre.

Off the ball, their blitz-style defence was enough to cause handling errors all over the park for Toulouse, which ultimately gave Saracens the victory, and a real shot at a knock-out spot.

It wasn’t pretty, but glimpses of something akin to their 2019 Champions Cup campaign were well and truly there. 

Who knows, we could be witnessing the start of another golden era for the side.

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