Heineken Champions Cup Round 3: Where do things stand ahead of the weekend’s fixtures? | Rugby Union News

We look at where things stand ahead of the Heineken Champions Cup’s Round 3 pool stage fixtures after heavy Round 2 disruption…

Are the Round 3 and Round 4 fixtures going ahead as planned?

The question on everyone’s lips ahead of this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup pool clashes across Europe was, are Rounds 3 and 4 likely to go ahead without disruption?

During Round 2 pre-Christmas, a host of fixtures involving British and French clubs were postponed due to the implementation of new government rules in France for travel to and from the UK relating to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

This came after the EPCR began the season by saying there would be no such postponements, but rather cancellations and automatic 28-0 defeats for the clubs unable to fulfil fixtures.

Such a scenario proved reality for Bristol vs Scarlets in Round 1, as well as Montpellier vs Leinster and Ospreys vs Racing in Round 2, before the decision was taken to call off five further fixtures but decree them as postponed due to Government travel decisions.

On Friday, the EPCR confirmed in a statement that Rounds 3 and 4 would go ahead as planned, after a slight change to France’s government travel protocols.

“Following dialogue with the leagues and unions, EPCR has been informed that exemptions for what is termed the ‘pursuit of an economic activity’ which have been put in place by the French government will apply to clubs and match officials who are travelling between France and the UK,” the statement read.

“While recognising that these are particularly challenging times for all its stakeholders, EPCR will continue to work with the leagues and unions so that this month’s matches can be played safely.

“EPCR is optimistic that this season’s tournaments will be played to a successful conclusion.”

Fresh doubt on Monday evening?

Despite EPCR assurances, however, fresh doubt emerged on Monday evening as to whether games involving English clubs in France would be able to go ahead.

Bath and Sale are due to play in La Rochelle and Clermont respectively, and Newcastle Falcons at Biarritz on Friday, but according to the clubs, current travel rules mean squads must isolate for 48 hours upon arrival before matches, and then produce a negative Covid-19 test to leave isolation.

As such, all three clubs are reported to have serious concerns about travelling, with worries members of any travelling party may be left stuck in France.

“We’re not sure where we stand with it all and to be honest I’m not sure if we can go,” Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards said.

“There has so far been no relaxation from the French government regarding the 48-hour isolation requirement and it’s very much up in the air. We just don’t know where we stand.

“We’ve heard nothing from EPCR other than a positive email which doesn’t actually clarify anything. There’s no clarity on isolation, no clarity on the testing, and all they’ve said is from the competition point of view it’s game on. But that’s not what the French government have said so far, and we just don’t know where we stand.”

Bath’s Stuart Hooper added: “We need clarity as soon as possible. The quarantine period when you get to the hotel is still to be sorted out.”

A further headache for Sale boss Alex Sanderson is that his South African players based in the UK need different visas to enter France.

“There’s a certain type of visa you get if you’re South African, which has to be approved,” he said. “They’d have to fast-track and approve these Schengen visas in record time. Apparently it’s only a stamp but it’s out of our hands.

“This is entirely in the lap of European Rugby and their ability to push it through and then the French government to approve it. It doesn’t give us a competitive team.

“It’s a mockery of the cup then, isn’t it? We’re in it to play the best teams with our best team. So no, I wouldn’t even consider taking a second team to Clermont to get beaten up.”

Sky Sports have approached the EPCR for comment on the above quotes and are awaiting a response.

On Monday night, officials from the Ligue Nationale de Rugby were said to be lobbying the French authorities to relax the 48-hour isolation rule.

Which fixtures from Round 2 were postponed?

In total, five fixtures were lost from the schedule in Round 2 in the form of postponements involving British and French clubs: Bath vs La Rochelle, Sale vs Clermont, Scarlets vs Bordeaux, Toulouse vs Wasps, Stade Francais vs Bristol.

A further two could not be played, as Covid outbreaks for Leinster and Ospreys meant they had to forfeit their fixtures vs Montpellier and Racing 92 respectively.

In all, just five games out of 12 took place on the pitch in Round 2: Ulster 27-22 Northampton, Harlequins 43-17 Cardiff, Glasgow 22-7 Exeter, Munster 19-13 Castres, Leicester 29-23 Connacht.

What are the standout fixtures? And who is on course for the knockouts?

Looking to the Round 3 fixtures on paper, Top 14’s Castres – who sit third in France’s domestic league at present – host two-time European champions Munster on Friday evening for a record 18th time – no fixture in the history of the competition has been played more.

Other standout ties see Connacht host Premiership leaders Leicester Tigers in Galway on Saturday, with the Irish province never having made the European Cup knockouts before but off the back of a bonus-point win over Stade Francais and losing bonus-point at Welford Road so far.

The Tigers themselves are two wins from two and well on course for the Round of 16, as are Munster at present with two wins to their name too. Ulster and defending Premiership champions Quins also are two from two, while France’s Racing 92 sit on 10 points after picking up a Covid-forfeit win vs Ospreys.

2020 European Cup winners Exeter Chiefs have one of the biggest games of the weekend as they host Glasgow at Sandy Park, having lost to the Scots last month.

On Sunday, Leinster dare not lose at home to Montpellier having been handed a 28-0 Covid-inflicted defeat in France before Christmas, while Northampton need to beat Ulster at Franklins Gardens to maintain any chance of progressing.

When are Round 2’s postponed games likely to be replayed?

The short answer is that there is no actual answer at the moment as to when the postponed games will be fitted in.

The rugby calendar is so packed between European Cup games, Test windows and domestic leagues, that there are no free weekends available where clubs would not be missing key players to international duty.

One mooted solution concerns the period directly after the Six Nations – when all pool games should already be completed – as the European Cup format this season reserves two weekends for the Round of 16.

The original plan was to play two-legged Last 16 ties on the weekends of April 8/9/10 and April 15/16/17, before the quarter-finals take place on the weekend of May 6/7/8.

Last season, the tournament planned for two-legged quarter-final ties, but two rounds of pool games were scrapped in January due to Covid and the EPCR proceeded with a straight knockout finish, with a Round of 16 taking place on the original quarter-final first leg weekend.

Therefore, the suggestion is that the weekend allocated for the Round of 16 first-leg ties this season will be saved for the five postponed pool games from Round 2, and the second week be a single leg Round-of-16 knockout weekend.

There is, however, nothing even close to official at this stage.

“Discussions are ongoing regarding the five Heineken Champions Cup and two Challenge Cup Round 2 fixtures which were postponed due to unforeseen circumstances arising from changes to border controls between France and the UK,” the EPCR said last week.

“No further comment will be made at this time.”

Key stats

Marcus Smith of Harlequins is this season’s leading scorer with 28 points from two matches, while Jack Carty (Connacht) and John Cooney (Ulster) are in joint-second place on 24 points.

Glasgow Warriors’ Australian back row, Jack Dempsey, tops the carrying charts with 31 from his two matches.

Old European rivals Munster and Castres will meet for a record 18th time in the tournament when they clash at Stade Pierre Fabre on Friday.

Leinster, who host Montpellier on Sunday, have won 10 tournament matches in a row at the RDS Arena, with their last defeat coming against Wasps in the 2015/16 season.

Wenceslas Lauret (Racing 92), Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) and Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins) are the joint-leading try scorers to date with three apiece. Gray has also made the most tackles with an impressive 34 while Dombrandt tops the turnover charts with five.

The Ulster pair, Michael Lowry and James Hume, lead the way in metres made with Lowry on 220 while Hume is next best on 214.

If selected, Toulouse and France second row Thibaud Flament – who went to university at Loughborough – will be up against his old club Wasps in Saturday’s contest at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Heineken Champions Cup fixtures Round 3

Fri, Jan 14:

Cardiff vs Harlequins (8pm)

Castres vs Munster (8pm)

Sat, Jan 15:

Wasps vs Toulouse (1pm)

Ospreys vs Racing 92 (3.15pm)

Connacht vs Leicester Tigers (3.15pm)

Exeter Chiefs vs Glasgow Warriors (5.30pm)

La Rochelle vs Bath (5.30pm)

Bristol Bears vs Stade Francais (8pm)

Sun, Jan 16:

Leinster vs Montpellier (1pm)

Northampton Saints vs Ulster (3.15pm)

Bordeaux-Begles vs Scarlets (3.15pm)

Clermont Auvergne vs Sale Sharks (5.30pm)