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
/ 2 years agoPlumtree: We must sort out the logistics
By BEN JAYCOCK Sharks head coach John Plumtree believes the Champions Cup is the greatest club competition out there but has...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoSorry, but that’s not all right, Jacques
A great European Cup final last weekend had only one blemish, when the limp attempt to tighten the rules around water-carriers...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoAwesome! Toulouse make it a super six
By BEN JAYCOCK at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Champions Cup final player of the match and European rugby’s biggest star Antoine Dupont...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoToulouse provide a lesson in brilliance
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Leinster............................. 22pts Tries: van der Flier 93 Conversions: Frawley 94 Penalties: Byrne 18, 43, 46, 65; Frawley 77...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoChampions Cup Final Preview – Europe’s best set to provide fireworks
European rugby‘s two most successful sides battle it out for Champions Cup glory as Leinster face Toulouse in the final on...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoEx-Wasps buzzing for European glory
By BEN JAYCOCK Thibaud Flament has risen from Loughborough University’s fifth team to become a French international with the intention of...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years ago‘Play big matches at neutral venues’
By PAUL REES Danny Wilson’s has backed calls to play Champions Cup semi-finals at a neutral venue after Toulouse and Leinster...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoGraham: Guys were in tears after that defeat but we’ll fight back
Sam Graham believes Northampton can turn the heartache of losing last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final to their advantage as they set...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoPower of the four musketeers
A common theme of last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-finals was the influence of the four scrum-halves, the catalysts of teams that...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoToulouse overcome Quins to join Leinster in eighth final
By NICK POWELL Toulouse………………………………………….38 Tries: Lebel 4, Mauvaka 19, Flament 27, Dupont 33, 37; Mallía 68 Conversions: Kinghorn 21, 35, 38;...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoSaints so close to stunning Leinster
From ADAM HATHAWAY at Croke Park Northampton boss Phil Dowson was left to rue the one that got away after Saints...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoQuins have to climb very steep mountain
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK WHEN Harlequins face Toulouse this afternoon in their first European Cup semi-final in south-west...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoLeinster made to fight all the way
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Leinster..............................20pts Tries: Lowe 10, 15, 43 Conversion: Byrne 11 Penalty: Byrne 29 Northampton Saints...... 17pts Tries: Hendy 58,...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoIt’ll be tough for us but we’ll meet fire with fire, says Care
By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Toulouse vs Harlequins Today. Kick-off 3pm, Stadium de Toulouse WHEN Harlequins went to Bordeaux last month they...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoWhat’s in The Rugby Paper: 05/05/24
For only the second time in eight seasons there are two English teams in the Champions Cup semi-finals, and we’ll have action...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoLeinster all-stars set for blockbuster battle
By BEN JAYCOCK Having finally toppled their Champions Cup bogey team La Rochelle, next up for Leinster is Premiership pacesetters Northampton...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoTime for Saints to be true to themselves
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK THE contest between the 9-10 pairings of Leinster’s Jamison Gibson-Park and Ross Byrne and...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoLeinster’s workload merits little sympathy
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK LEINSTER are worried about the pressure that could prevent them from winning a...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years ago‘Ireland in blue’ will provide stiffest test
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Phil Dowson and Leo Cullen first crossed paths in European action 10 seasons...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoBe quick! McKellar’s lowdown on Leinster
By PAUL REES Northampton had the chance last night to quiz Dan McKellar about their Champions Cup semi-final opponents Leinster but,...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoSorrell pleased to see English clubs stand up
By BEN JAYCOCK Despite their fierce London rivalry with Harlequins, Saracens backs coach Kevin Sorrell is pleased two Premiership sides reached...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoBan teams who pick reserves for knock-out stages
The Bulls are not the first outfit to undermine the European Cup by picking an understrength team, with some French clubs...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoTry-fest with big issues below the surface
The Paris Games, more formally known as the XXXIII Olympiad, are almost upon us and the Rugby Sevens schedule is full...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoOutsiders aiming for a place in the final
Paul Rees looks ahead to the Champions Cup semi-finals where Quins and Saints are facing an uphill battle BEFORE this season’s...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoNominees listed for top award
Northampton pair Courtney Lawes and Fin Smith, and Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith have been nominated for the Champions Cup player of...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoToulouse hammer Exeter to set up semi-final against Quins
By NICK POWELL Toulouse……………64 Tries: Ntamack 8, Willis 32, Kinghorn 48, 56; Ahki 51, 75; Dupont 58, Malia 67, 79 Conversions:...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoQuins and Saints on the march in Europe
By PAUL REES Two English clubs are through to the semi-finals of the Champions Cup after stunning victories against high class...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoHendy making most of having his legs on ‘back to front’ – Dowson
By PAUL REES Phil Dowson believes George Hendy is a wing unlike any other – because he has his legs on...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoThe pinball wizard who can fire Exeter
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK IMMANUEL Feyi-Waboso was a pretty unknown factor before the Six Nations, but the 21-year-old...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoGreen seizes day for dazzling Quins
By PAUL REES Bordeaux-Begles ...........41pts Tries: Lucu 19, Buros 24, Depoortere 42, Bielle-Biarrey 59, Tambwe 64, 75 Conversions: Lucu 25, 43,...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoMillard: We knew we had to dig deep
Billy Millard said Harlequins knew they would have to dig deep to reach their first Champions Cup semi-final after travelling to...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoSparkling Leinster get it right this time
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Leinster............................. 40pts Tries: Lowe 16, 60; Gibson-Park 37, Baird 42, Sheehan 56 Conversions: Byrne 18, 38, 43 Penalties:...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoDoris: Croke will be massive
Leinster's victorious squad are looking forward to their ‘home” semi-final at the 82,000 capacity Croke Park, two miles across Dublin from...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoSaints on rampage as Bulls fall apart
By GARY FITZGERALD Northampton Saints..... 59pts Tries: Ramm 10, 47; Lawes 15, Sleightholme 20, Mitchell 24, 67; Coles 40, Dingwall 50,...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoAnother barmy idea from the men in suits
The Ministry of Silly Walks was a Monty Python sketch which lampooned bureaucratic inefficiency. Rugby Union requires something similar to shame...
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Challenge Cup
/ 2 years agoPienaar heads the list for Europe’s golden oldies
In the course of wheeling their way into the Challenge Cup quarter-finals last weekend against the Cheetahs, the Michelin Men of...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoInvestec Champions Cup quarter-final preview
La Rochelle head to Dublin looking to end Leinster’s hopes of a fifth Champions Cup title for the fourth consecutive season...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoNorthampton Saints player ratings vs Munster
By TOM JEFFREYS Northampton Saints produced a memorable display to earn their first Champions Cup knockout victory in 13 years against...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoDowson impressed by ‘freak athlete’ Hendy
Northampton Saints head coach heaped praise on George Hendy after his two second half tries sealed a 24-14 win over Munster...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoSaints battle past Munster to secure quarter-final spot
By TOM JEFFREYS Northampton Saints……………………………….24 Tries: Ramm 10, Freeman 35, Hendy 60, 72 Conversions: Smith 10, 36 Munster………………………………………………..14 Tries: O’Brien 15,...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoTop Chief Vintcent’s whirlwind continues
By MARK STEVENS Exeter fought back to beat Bath and seal a place in next weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-finals in a...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoBath left sweating on injury to Russell
Fly-half Finn Russell limped off after 14 minutes with a groin injury in the defeat to Exeter at Sandy Park and...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoManny stars for Baxter’s battling Chiefs
By MARK STEVENS Exeter ...............................21pts Tries: Vintcent 23, Fisilau 56, Roots 66 Conversions: Slade 23, 56, 66 Bath ...................................15pts Tries: du...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoChampions keep threepeat dream alive as Libbok fires wide
By GARY FITZGERALD Stormers........... 21pts Tries: Jantjies 27, Hartzenberg 79 Conversions: Libbok 29 Penalties: Libbok 3, 21, 45 La Rochelle ......22pts...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years ago‘It came down to small margins’
Disappointed Bath boss Johann van Graan insists his side will ‘regroup’ in the wake of their Champions Cup exit. “We are...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoRiley crashes over to snatch Stoop thriller
By NICK POWELL Harlequins ....................... 28pts Tries: Esterhuizen 23, Smith 34, Murley 40+2, Riley 76 Conversions: Smith 25, 35, 40+3, 78...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years ago‘We dug deep to find way to win’
Quins head coach Danny Wilson felt the result was all that mattered as his side booked a place in the last...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoLeinster march on to face old foes
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Leinster............................. 36pts Tries: Gibson-Park 12, 23, 29; Henshaw 49, Conan 71 Conversions: R Byrne 13, 30, 50; H...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoPowerful Bulls lay down a marker
By BEN JAYCOCK Bulls ..................59 Lyon................... 19 The Bulls reached the Champions Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoBordeaux put sorry Sarries to slaughter
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Bordeaux .......................... 45pts Try: Garcia 36, 48; Depoortere 61, 66; Bielle Biarrey 63, 75 Conversions: Lucu 27, 49,...











