1
We preview the best matches to catch on Rugby Pass this weekend as the Champions Cup roars back to life with more quality fixtures than a plumbing showroom.
ADVERTISEMENT
Champions Cup: Northampton vs Leinster (Saturday December 10, 3:45am HKT)
Pool 4 is the tightest-run race in the Champions Cup at the moment, with just two points separating leaders Leinster from bottom-placed Northampton. Results so far would dictate the pool is likely to be flipped on its head this weekend – every match so far has been won by the home side. Out of sorts Saints could certainly do with the win after dropping their last couple of Premiership matches, while in-form Pro12-topping Leinster should be quietly confident of breaking the away fixture curse.
Champions Cup: Munster vs Leicester (Saturday December 10, 11:15pm HKT)
Pool 1 has the look of an unsolvable riddle at the moment and this has ‘match of the round’ written all over it. With pre-season pool favourite Racing 92 yet to register a competition point (after only one game, it must be said) the winner of this clash will give themselves a huge playoffs boost. Munster have only ever lost five times in 59 European matches at Thomond Park, which bodes well; but two of those losses, in 2007 and 2015, were to Leicester. That doesn’t bode so well.
[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1473723660″]
Champions Cup: Racing 92 vs Glasgow (Saturday December 10, 11:15pm HKT)
At the other end of Pool 1 Racing 92 are looking to get their first points of the Champions Cup season against Glasgow Warriors. Their first game against Munster was postponed and they lost the next one away at Leicester, so it may be a little early to write them off, but a win here is probably essential in what is a fiercely competitive pool. Glasgow have already scalped Leicester in the first round, but have now gone three weeks without a win in the Pro12. At home in Paris, Racing should be able to get their Champions Cup campaign rolling at last.
Champions Cup: Wasps vs Connacht (Sunday December 11, 9:00pm HKT)
This season will be Pat Lam’s last taste of Champions Cup rugby in a while – he’s off to coach Bristol next season. The Connacht coach is well-placed to make one giant tilt at the playoffs this season, though, with his side 2-from-2 in a group which contains only three competitive sides. To finish top they’ll need to beat Wasps at least once. Dai Young’s side have an enormous win over Zebre and a 20-20 draw with Toulouse to show for their season thus far; at home this weekend, they will be very hard to beat.
