European Rugby picks the last 16
Round 4 of the Investec Champions Cup was played last weekend with 12 matches deciding the 16 teams that would go on to the knockout stage in early April and the 8 which would shelve their hopes of European glory for another year *.
4 teams qualified from each of the 4 Pools, the top 2 in each having home field advantage for the next round. The matches have been decided by ranking the teams 1-16, the order based on the team’s ranking in their Pool AND the number of points they have collected. The matches will pit #1 vs. #16; #2 vs. #15; etc. The winners of the 8 matches on April 5-7 will play the Quarter Finals the weekend of April 12-14.
Pool 1 results: 1) Union Bordeaux-Begles 2) Vodacom Bulls 3) Lyons 4) Saracens. The South African Bulls not only beat Pool leaders Union Bordeaux-Begles but jumped into 2nd place with their bonus point 46-40 win. Lyon dropped to 3rd having lost to Saracens 39-24, that win in London giving Saracens the 4th and final spot. Bristol Bears lost to Connacht 27-10 and finished a disappointing last in the table.
Pool 2: 1) Stade Toulousain (4-0) 2) Harlequins 3) Bath 4) Racing ‘92. Ulster could have pinched 4th place had they been able to beat Harlequins at the Stoop but lost 47-19, that result opening the door for Racing ‘92 who beat Cardiff 48-42 in Paris. Bath lost to Stade Toulousain 31-19 in France allowing Quins to take their bonus point win to 2nd place and home field advantage.
Pool 3: 1) Northampton Saints 2) Exeter Chiefs 3) Glasgow Warriors 4) Munster. Northampton finished 4-0 with a 26-23 win over Munster who with a losing bonus point secured 4th place in the Pool. Munster’s single point denied Aviron Bayonnais even a chance of qualifying despite their 40-17 win over Exeter. Glasgow’s 29-5 win over RC Toulon snuck them into 3rd place.
Pool 4: 1) Leinster 2) DHL Stormers 3) Stade Rochelais 4) Leicester Tigers. The most open Pool before the weekend saw some juggling in the order of merit. Leinster saw off the Leicester Tigers 27-10 in Ireland and finished 4-0 while the Stormers beat Stade Francais Paris in the City of Light to secure 2nd place. Stade Rochelais took the Sale Sharks out of contention with a 37-24 win in London and vaulted over Leicester for the 3rd place position.
So, 6 English, 5 French, 2 South African, 2 Irish and 1 Scottish team go back to the mat in early April. Meanwhile, the Premiership resumes and the Six Nations starts on February 2. Much to enjoy.
Note that the 5th place team in each ICC Pool will qualify for the Round of 16 in the EPCR Challenge Cup, The European Professional Club Rugby tournament started in December 2023 and plays its R16 the same weekend of April 5-7. It includes clubs from all over Europe including, for the first time, the country of Georgia.