Champions Cup
This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Champions Cup news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoChampions Cup Final Preview: Can Northampton Saints pick up their second star?
“It’s not an individual sport, it’s a team sport, and we need everybody, and that includes support staff and everybody on...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoLawrence Dallaglio: Race for British and Irish Lions spots starts in European Finals
The race for British & Irish Lions Test places begins in Cardiff this weekend as Northampton Saints’ quartet of tourists get...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoNorthampton Saints in race to get stars fit for Champions Cup final
Northampton's last-minute victory over Saracens yesterday came at a cost, with four players left on the treatment table ahead of Saturday’s...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoBordeaux have a point to prove in Champions Cup final says Adam Coleman
Adam Coleman believes Saturday’s Champions Cup final in Cardiff between Bordeaux Begles and Northampton will be a meeting of like minds....
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoJeremy Guscott: Northampton Saints need team effort to stifle ‘electric’ Louis Bielle-Biarrey
Northampton and Bordeaux-Begles are great attacking sides, and that is what makes the European Cup final on Saturday at the Principality...
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Challenge Cup
/ 12 months agoEuropean Finals Preview: Northampton Saints and Bath shape up to face the French
Paul Rees sets the scene ahead of this weekend's grand finale to European competition in Cardiff As the Premiership hacks through...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 12 months agoBrendan Gallagher: European Cup’s given us some real pearlers
So this weekend in Cardiff will be the 30th European Cup Final, a pearl anniversary of sorts. Where did the time...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChris Collyer: Leinster need to reset and restart from the ground up
By Chris Collyer For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoSocial Media Moments of the Week: Henry Pollock divides opinion with try celebration
By Charlie Elliott As the weekend of rugby draws to a close, the discourse around the sport continues to bubble away. The...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup Team of the Week: Northampton Saints’ Lions hopefuls help deliver historic upset
By Charlie Elliott The Champions Cup played host to two of the best semi-finals we have seen in the competition, as the two favourites were...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoNorthampton Saints stun Leinster in Champions Cup semi and sweep into final
By Adam Hathaway in Dublin Northampton captain Fraser Dingwall hailed the spirit of his side as they pulled off one of...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoPhil Dowson: Henry Pollock is buzzing for every chance he gets
By Adam Hathaway Henry Pollock has been smashing it out of the ballpark this season, and that has led to calls...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoLeinster 34-37 Northampton Saints: Tommy Freeman hat-trick ignites stunning Saints
By Adam Hathaway Leinster ...........................34pts Tries: O’Brien 17, Van der Flier 25, 58; Doris 58, Lowe 69 Conversions: Prendergast 25, 47,...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 1 year agoBrendan Gallagher: Northampton Saints win over Leinster is the best win on the road I’ve seen
I’ve been reporting on this Heineken Cup, European Cup, Investec Champions Cup – call it what you want – since the...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoBordeaux vs Toulouse Preview: Injury problems put Toulouse on the back foot
By Ben Jaycock Bordeaux v Toulouse Today. Kick-off 3pm, Stade Velodrome, Marseille An injury-plagued Toulouse are up against it today when...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoBenjamin Kayser: Gap between Premiership and Top 14 is huge
By Paul Rees The top two sides in the Top 14 meet in today’s Champions Cup semi-final at the Matmut Atlantique...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoNick Cain: At last! Welcome words reinforce value of jeopardy
One of the few signs of clear-thinking rugby union sanity this week came from Simon Gillham, the chairman of the Tier...
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British and Irish Lions
/ 1 year agoHenry Pollock’s energy could give British and Irish Lions that extra boost
By Nick Cain The likelihood of any uncapped young “bolters”, who were a feature of Lions squad announcements in the amateur...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoNick Cain: Backing of franchise rugby is myopic, hypocritical and self-serving …
The parallel universe which some of the main movers and shakers in the RFU/ Premiership currently inhabit has revealed itself in...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoWe are delighted to make Challenge Cup final, says Johann van Graan
Bath boss Johann van Graan was delighted to secure a place in the final at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. He said: “We...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup semi-finals: Best head-to-head matchups
The Champions Cup semi-finals take place this weekend, and the squad lists look more like Test squads than club ones. Leinster...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals: Fixtures, Where to Watch and Previews
European rugby is well and truly back, with the semi-finals of both major competitions in continental rugby taking place over the...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup: Rory Hutchinson eying Leinster surprise
By Paul Rees Rory Hutchinson says Northampton regard Saturday’s Champions Cup semifinal against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium as an opportunity...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoMission Impossible: How Northampton Saints can beat Leinster
By Peter Jackson - The man truly in the know Phil Dowson only has to press a button anytime during the...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoToo many teams in Champions Cup, says Mark McCall
By Jon Newcombe Mark McCall believes cutting the number of teams will help the Investec Champions Cup regain its elite status....
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 1 year agoBrendan Gallagher: 20 years ago, we had games worth seeing in the Champions Cup
Rugby Matters - A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, by Brendan Gallagher I have no great wish to...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoSunday Round Up: Bath still on for treble after West Country demolition
By Charlie Elliott For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup Team of the Week: Seven Leinster players included after dominant display
By Charlie Elliott For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoRampaging Northampton Saints set up Leinster showdown
Beating Leinster in Dublin might sound like Mission Impossible but Northampton Saints fly-half Fin Smith insists playing the ‘Saints’ way is...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoNorthampton Saints 51-16 Castres: Job done! Alex Mitchell makes it simple for Saints
Northampton Saints, putting their foot down after the break, breezed past Castres to book a repeat of last year’s Champions Cup...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup: Damian Penaud is back to his best to guide Bordeaux into the semi-finals
By Gary Fitzgerald Bordeaux ......... 47pts Tries: Penaud 5, Lucu 12, Samu 25, Echegaray 34, Lamothe 57, Bielle-Biarrey 78 Conversions: Jalibert...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoToulon v Toulouse preview: France’s big two collide in battle of the heavyweights
The weather in Toulon is normally mild, but the Stade Mayol will reverberate this afternoon to the sound of thunder as...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoLeinster 52-0 Glasgow Warriors: Ruthless Leinster demolish Warriors
Leinster may have lost the last three Champions Cup finals, but this was another ruthless demonstration of their intent to avoid...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoGlasgow Warriors were bullied in every aspect of the game, admits Franco Smith
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith admitted his side were taught a lesson in Dublin. “Leinster were brilliant,” he said. “I’m not...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup Quarter-Finals: Fixtures, Where to Watch and Previews
By Charlie Elliott For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup Team of the Week: Munster trio shock Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle
For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoCai Griffiths: Worcester Warriors return to second tier ‘is not fair’
By Ben Jaycock The decision to give Worcester Warriors a place in next season’s Championship has sparked an angry response from...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoDanny Wilson: Leinster have got an All Black – on the bench!
Harlequins boss Danny Wilson highlighted the difference in strength in depth between his side and Leinster in the wake of their...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoJeremy Guscott: Champions Cup still has a role to play
By Jeremy Guscott - Outspoken and unmissable every week... The European Cup is as big as the clubs involved want to...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoChampions Cup: Toulon’s power too much for Saracens
By Paul Rees Toulon ............................... 72pts Tries: Wainiqolo 5, Isa 35, 55, 59; Jaminet 39, 70; Alainu’uese 44, Fainga’anuku 62, Serin...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoMark McCall: We gave it a good go but Toulon were hard to stop
Mark McCall expects to provide a springboard for his young side in the Champions Cup in the coming seasons. Sarries conceded...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoLeinster 62-0 Harlequins: From Bloodgate to a blood bath for Quins
By Adam Hathaway Leinster ............................. 62pts Harlequins .......................... 0pts Tries: Prendergast 14, J McCarthy 17, Osborne 27, van der Flier 44,...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoJosh Van der Flier: Leinster can do better
Man of the match Josh van der Flier urged his Leinster side not to rest on their laurels after the humiliation...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoLa Rochelle 24-25 Munster: Cool-head Jack Crowley has the drop on Ronan O’Gara’s side
By Kevin Fallon La Rochelle ..... 24pts Tries: Botia 10, Penalty 65, Bosmorin 76 Conversions: West 11, Hastoy 76 Penalty: West...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoGlasgow Warriors 43-19 Leicester Tigers: Tigers blown away by spirited Warriors
By Bryn Palmer Glasgow Warriors 43pts Tries: Venter 13, 74; Vailanu 18, 41; Hastings 49, Horne 50 Conversions: Hastings 14, 19,...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoNorthampton Saints 46-24 Clermont: Tommy Freeman’s hat-trick steers Saints home
By Rob Wildman Northampton Saints ..... 46pts Tries: Smith 18, Freeman 23, 29, 60; Augustus 40, 46; Pollock 71 Conversions: Smith...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoFraser Dingwall: Players took charge for Northampton Saints
Saints acting captain Fraser Dingwall put Friday night’s win down partly to a players’ meeting held without the team’s coaches present....
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoBordeaux vs Ulster Preview: Zac Ward on alert for Damian Penaud battle
By Ben Jaycock Ulster winger Zac Ward is chomping at the bit to be facing off against France star Damian Penaud...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoToulouse vs Sale Sharks Preview: We’re out to beat the odds, says Alex Sanderson
By Jon Newcombe Sale's French intelligence network has revealed how seriously defending champions Toulouse are taking their English opponents in the...
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Champions Cup
/ 1 year agoCastres 39-37 Benetton: Ill-disciplined hosts win it at the death
By Ben Jaycock Castres ............39 Benetton .........37 An ill-disciplined Castres were forced to play with 13 men for a 10-minute spell...
International Rugby
Will Genia backs the Henry Pollock hype but feels England need to be more fluid
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