THE RUGBY SPECTATOR: European Club updates
With the international calendar on pause after a highly entertaining and successful Six Nations (at least for some), focus returns to the club games being played across Europe. With the three major competitions being deep into the second half of their seasons, and the Champions Cup in the Round of 16, the pressure is on for would-be contenders to get the job done.
England’s Gallagher Premiership has completed 14 of 18 rounds and one of several teams could still finish the regular season on top. While Northampton Saints lead with 49 points, another 5 teams are 9 points behind or less. Given that only the top 4 go to the semi-finals on June 1st, the narrow gap between #1 and #6 means the competition is wide open, promising a thrilling end to the season. Next Round is played April 20 and 21 and the current rankings are 1) Saints 49; 2) Bath 44; 3) Saracens 42; 4) Harlequins 42; 5) Bears 40; 6) Exeter 40; 7) Tigers 39; 8) Sale 37. Key matches up in Round 15 on April 20 and 21 include: Saints (#1) vs. Leicester Tigers (#7); Exeter (#6) vs. Bath (#2); and Sale Sharks (#8) vs. Harlequins (#4). Semi-finals to be played June 1 and the final, at Twickenham, on June 8.
TV coverage - The Rugby Network (therugbynetwork.com)
In France, the top 14 has completed 20 Rounds of 26 (14 teams playing each opponent twice, home and away). Round 21 will be played April 20 with the 2 top matches featuring league leader Stade Francais Paris vs. Bayonne (#10) and RC Toulon (#4) at home to Stade Toulousain (#2). Current standings are 1) SFP 63 pts; 2) Stade Toulousain 60; 3) Racing ‘92 52; 4) RC Toulon 51; 5) Stade Rochelais 51; 6) Union-Bordeaux-Begles 49. The top 6 teams after the final Round on June 8 go to a knockout format. Teams 3-6 play each other in quarter-finals, the winners playing teams 1 and 2 in the semi-finals (June 20 and 21). The championship final will be played at Stade de France on June 28.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) has completed 13 of 18 Rounds, the next to be played April 19 and 20. This combination of sides from South Africa, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy comprises 16 clubs in total of which 8 will go to the Quarter-finals on June 6 and 7. Currently, Irish powerhouse Leinster leads the league with an 11-2 record and 54 points (including 10 bonus points). The rest of the top 8 at this stage are: Glasgow Warriors 10-3, 49 pts (9); Vodacom Bulls 9-4, 45 (9); Munster 8-1-4, 43 (9); DHL Stormers 8-5, 39 (7); Benetton Rugby 8-1-4, 37 (3); Ospreys 7-6, 35 (7); and Ulster 7-6, 35 (7).
TV coverage - Flo Rugby (florugby.com)
The Investec Champions Cup has entered the Round of 16, knockout stage of this annual competition between the top teams of Europe and South Africa. On April 5, 6 and 7 the quarter-final picture is coming into focus as teams take timeout from their domestic league obligations and meet top-class talent from other countries. Results this weekend include: Harlequins beat Glasgow Warriors 28-24 and will face Bordeaux-Begles who saw off Saracens 45-12; Leinster beat Leicester Tigers 36-22 and will face Stade Rochelais who beat the DHL Stormers 22-21 in South Africa. Exeter Chiefs who beat Bath 21-15 will play the winner of Stade Toulousain and Racing ‘92; and the Vodacom Bulls, who beat Lyon 59-19 play the winners of Northampton Saints vs. Munster. Note the home team is always the higher ranked club from the pool stages. These quarter-finals are played the weekend of April 11, the semi-fnals the weekend of May 4, and the Final on May 25.
TV coverage Flo Rugby (florugby.com)
Major League Rugby (MLR) in the US has completed 6 Rounds of its 16 game regular season which finishes in late June. The 12-team League is divided into 2 conferences of 6 teams, Western and Eastern; each team plays the other teams in its conference twice (home and away) and plays each of the teams in the other Conference once. The top 8 teams will qualify for the playoffs - details to follow. As of Round 6, the Seattle Seawolves head the Western Conference with a 5-1 record and 24 points, ahead of the Houston SaberCats who have 23 points but a game in hand. In the eastern Conference, last year’s champions, the New England Free Jacks lead the conference having only played 5 games but with a 4-1 record and 19 points, ahead of NOLA Gold who are 3-2 and 15 points.
TV coverage The Rugby Network (the rugbynetwork,com) and Fox Sports 1 or 2, depending on the match.