Investec Champions Cup preview: Toulouse leads French lead, Glasgow represents Scotland
Premiership table-toppers Bath face La Rochelle, who won the tournament in 2022 and 2023, in a thrilling clash on Friday evening for the 30th edition of the Investec Champions Cup.
Toulouse, who won the first title in 1996, also won the latest edition, defeating Leinster in extra time at the Tottenham Stadium in May.
Led by star scrum-half Antoine Dupont, Toulouse will once again take the French lead as reigning Top 14 champions and current early-season leaders.
But they are far from the only cross-channel contenders.
An exciting Bordeaux-Bègles side including French wingers Louis Belle-Biare and Damien Penaud will fancy their chances of reaching the semi-finals for the first time, while Clermont Auvergne and Toulon arrive with heavyweight European pedigree behind them.
The French game has been complemented with a crop of England stars, who are ineligible for national team selection under Rugby Football Union rules.
European action gives France-based players the best chance to impress British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell ahead of the tour of Australia in the summer.
Former captain Owen Farrell and Henry Arundell are playing at Racing 92 under England World Cup 2015 coach Stuart Lancaster, Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam are playing at Toulon, and flanker Jack Willis is at Toulouse. Former England wing Chris Ashton Says it’s hard to watch. past.
“Toulouse are very consistent and they have an incredible team,” Ashton told BBC Rugby Union Weekly.
“They always finish first or second in their league and are always in the semi-finals or final of the European Cup.”
Speaking on Rugby Union Weekly, BBC Rugby correspondent Chris Jones said: “We can always talk about potential favorites and both ultimately support Toulouse.”
Leinster has added one of its own superstars. All Black center Jordie Barrett, who lived in County Meath for a time as a child, has returned to the province, adding some stardust to a squad that already includes Ireland mainstays Kellan Doris, Hugo Keenan and James Ryan.
Could he be the signing that enables them to take the final stage as four-time champions once again after finishing as runners-up in four of the last six finals?
Exeter Chiefs were the last English team to win the competition in 2020, but Harlequins and eventual Premiership champions Northampton both reached the semi-finals last year.
Bath took the curtain down on European giants La Rochelle, but the Premiership club and their neighbors Bristol could advance after excellent starts to their domestic leagues this year.
South African teams have been playing in the tournament for the past two seasons, which has faced some long-term challenges in terms of pitch quality as well as pitch quality.
Siya Kolisi’s short-lived stint at Racing 92 ended in September, with the 33-year-old Springbok captain linking up with international teammates Eben Etzebeth, Aux Nache and Makazole Mapimpi at the Sharks.
Ashton said: “The team the Sharks have can beat most teams. If they decide to take it on, they can easily reach the finals.”
Jones said: “It’s hard to back the South African team to win because of the travel issue.”
Glasgow, Scotland’s sole representative, traveled to South Africa to defeat the Bulls last season and sensationally win the United Rugby Championship crown.
After an impressive start to this year’s URC and a number of Scotland internationals keen to stake their claim for Farrell, few would fancy taking them to the knockout stages.
“Glasgow have to be taken seriously given what they did in the URC, winning in Munster and then getting on a flight the next week and winning against the Bulls in Pretoria,” Jones said.
However, for the first time in the tournament’s history, there will be no Welsh representation, a further blow to the nation’s pride.
