Will French rugby remain king of Europe? The evening of Friday, December 10 marks the start of the games to seize the crowns gleaned during previous editions by Stade Toulousain in the Champions Cup and Montpellier in the European Challenge. Title contenders and outsiders, the Covid-19 as an X factor, we tell you all about the 2021-2022 editions of the European cups.
Toulouse want to defend their title
It is the first name that comes to mind when we imagine who will lift the trophy of the queen competition: the Stade Toulousain. He is the big favorite at his own Champions Cup succession. Sacred champions of France and Europe last year after dominating Stade Rochelais twice in the final, Antoine Dupont’s teammates – contending for the title of best player in the world – approach this edition “with a lot of ambition”, ensured the international opener Romain Ntamack for Rugbyrama. “We have a title to defend.” Despite the setback in Bordeaux last weekend (17-7), Toulouse offers a very solid start to the season (2nd, 9 wins, 3 losses). Ugo Mola’s players are due to start his potential epic against Welsh Cardiff on Saturday.
At the start of the season, two other thieves caught our attention. It’s hard not to put a coin on the inevitable Irish from Leinster (quadruple European champions) and the English from Saracens (triple European champions) who faced each other in the final in 2019. The latter are respectively leaders of Pro 14 and runner-up in the Premiership. Best attack of the championship, the Leinster carried by a new generation already well oiled has only fallen once this season against Ulster and is presented as the second big scarecrow of the competition.
Leicester, Bordeaux … these outsiders on the lookout
The Bordeaux-Bègles Union faces Leicester in the shock of this first day of the Champions Cup (to be followed on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. on France 2). There are two teams there that could upset the forecasts. On the one hand, the UBB, leader of the Top 14, always looking for a first coronation to crown its progress; on the other, the Leicester Tigers (crowned in 2001 and 2002), unbeaten Premiership leaders who hope to restore the image of a team weighed down by years of famine. The teammates of the English international George Ford were full of confidence last year by reaching the final of the European Challenge where they lost against Montpellier by a small point.
Even if it is currently struggling to digest its exceptional 2020-2021 season, we must not forget the Stade Rochelais, unhappy finalist last year. Fifth in the championship with six games won for as many lost, Ronan O’Gara’s players, so far very inconstant, could take the opportunity to get their heads right. Faced with opponents within their reach such as Glasgow (to be continued on Sunday 4:15 p.m. on France 2), then Bath, the Rochelais are able to really start their season before coming to play the troublesome party.
Covid-19 as an X factor
Matches canceled, won on the green carpet, refusal to play and a lost match, the 2020 editions could not escape the coronavirus and some gruesome situations. The 2021 editions are already not spared. Isolated because of positive cases after their visit to South Africa, the llanelli Scarlets were forced to forfeit their first game against Bristol. To ensure that the matches can be held despite the Omicron variant and avoid the mess of the past year, the EPCR – the governing body of the competitions – has chosen to allow clubs an unlimited number of players in the European Cup. The winners will also be those who will best manage to squeeze through the drops.
What to expect from French clubs in the European Challenge?
Yes the small European Cup is sometimes shunned by the clubs. The residents of Top 14 often prefer to avoid leaving feathers there to give themselves every chance to perform in the league, however once the group stage has passed it can allow them to save their season. This was the case for Montpellier, defending champion, after dominating Leicester (18-17). Tenth in the league after an extremely sluggish season marked by the dismissal of its trainer Xavier Garbajosa, the MHR was able to take advantage of the confidence gleaned to better tackle this new season. After twelve days of the championship, he is in third place behind UBB and Toulouse.
If clubs like Biarritz, Perpignan, Brive or even Pau, potentially more concerned by a fight to stay in the league, should avoid throwing themselves headlong into the competition, others like Toulon (11th) and Lou (4th ) seem better equipped to find new life and new ambitions there. The Lyon campaign begins on Friday with a match against Gloucester (to be continued on France 4 at 9 p.m.). For Toulon, it will be necessary to wait until December 17 and the reception of the Zebre.