Donal Lenihan: The once-electric Champions Cup has reached a crossroads

Once the flagship event for rugby followers in this country, the Champions Cup appears to be fading in the consciousness of a growing number of competing clubs

The Munster huddle before the Champions Cup clash against Castres at Thomond Park at the weekend. While Munster still hold the tournament so dear, Donal Lenihan fears it ‘appears to be fading in the consciousness of a growing number of competing clubs’, citing the number of understrength teams played in recent rounds. Picture: Inpho/Morgan Treacy

A bit like the hospitality industry in this country at the moment, the Heineken Champions Cup is suffering death by a thousand cuts.

In times past, our pre-Christmas break was so often taken up by great trips to the south of France in Rounds 3 or 4 of European action. The picturesque Place Saint-Georges in the centre of Toulouse or Clermont’s Place de Jaude were always buzzing and brimful of festive cheer, the match itself in those brilliantly raucous rugby arenas at the Stade Ernest-Wallon and Stade Marcel-Michelin providing an 80-minute adrenaline rush.

The revamped format which reduced the pool stage from six to four games two years ago has served to greatly dilute the impact of this great tournament. Now we are drip-fed two games instead of the usual four before the Christmas break and, as a consequence, the tournament lacks the punch it usually carries at this time of year.

It hasn’t helped that the new format has been greatly impacted by the Covid pandemic for the last two seasons. The one new innovation I was really looking forward to was the introduction of two-legged quarter-finals, with the aggregate score over the two weekends dictating progress to the last four.

Out of necessity that never happened last season. This year the home and away concept was introduced for the round of 16 games following the pool stage. With 24 teams now qualifying for the Champions Cup as opposed to 20 in the previous format, the theory was that teams would stay more engaged in the competition for longer.

Due to Covid-related postponements, the home and away aspect had to be abandoned mid-stream last season, with the spare date generated in the calendar used for games postponed in the earlier rounds. With five games called off last weekend, the likelihood is that the home and away round of 16 will now have to be amalgamated once again in order to create a spare weekend to play those postponed games.

At this stage, I’m not so sure too many clubs will be put out. Once the flagship event for rugby followers in this country, the tournament appears to be fading in the consciousness of a growing number of competing clubs.

It was very noticeable how many clubs started with understrength teams in the opening round and that had nothing to do with Covid. Castres have fielded a diluted side in both games to date, against Harlequins and Munster, while Montpellier travelled to Exeter Chiefs in round 1 with most of their frontline stars rested. As a result, they were stuffed 42-6.

On the back of that result, how galling was it for Leinster to see them awarded a 28-0 bonus point win on the back of their game being cancelled due to Covid issues last Thursday? The irony here is that both clubs reported positive positive cases early in the week but Montpellier were awarded full points, apparently on the basis that Leinster had further positive cases reported on Wednesday whereas Montpellier had none since Monday.

Given Wasps had to withdraw four of their named side against Munster in round one after they tested positive two days before the game, there appears to be a lack of consistency in the EPCR’s decision-making process.

When you consider the potential implications of a decision like that, both financially and in relation to its impact on the shape of the knockout phase, it’s no wonder Leinster have chosen to appeal the decision.

We were originally told that there was no wriggle room in the calendar to rearrange these games. Now that five games were postponed — as opposed to cancelled — last weekend on the back of the French government’s decision to toughen its restrictions around travel to and from the UK, it now appears that a date will be found to play those five games.

EPCR will do everything in their powers to appease the French clubs and that’s why we are likely to see a change in the tournament format, mid-stream, to keep them on board. 

In fairness to the tournament organisers, the impact of the global pandemic has now wreaked havoc on this once great competition for a third season in a row.

While some French clubs would be more than happy for the tournament to go into hibernation for a while, it’s clear that the likes of holders Toulouse, last year’s runners-up La Rochelle and perennial finalists Racing 92 are fully committed and motivated to go all the way.

The Champions Cup is at a crossroads. With a reduction in the salary caps for Gallagher Premiership squads from £6.4m (€7.5m) to £5m (€5.88m) for the next three seasons and scope for only one marquee signing, many English teams fear they won’t be in a position to compete for ultimate honours against the Irish provinces and big French clubs in the short to medium future.

That may well see them fielding weakened sides on European weekends which dilutes the competition massively. An arrangement between the French Federation and club organisers LNR, which guarantees their French international players a two-week break at some stage in the season in an effort to replicate the player management system that has worked so well for the IRFU, has already seen some of the French clubs using the European window to rest their players.

That defeats the purpose of European competition, even if it means the advantages may be about to stack up in favour of our provinces even more. At the very least, it means they will remain very competitive in Europe for the foreseeable future.

That said, I’d much prefer to see all the leading clubs going hammer and tongs for ultimate glory in pursuit of the title of Europe’s best. For that to happen something has to change. One thing that might help rectify that is the oft-mooted suggestion of the Heineken Champions Cup winners meeting their Super Rugby counterparts from the south in a lucrative world club final. Sadly, as things stand, this once great European odyssey is in grave danger of losing its allure. That would be a real tragedy.

As for Saturday’s meeting of Munster and Castres, the only time the largest crowd Thomond Park has hosted in almost two years became passionately engaged was the half time rendition of ‘Zombie’ by the Cranberries. It was that kind of evening.

Recent events have not only impacted on Munster’s fitness for battle, with so many players now lacking any serious game time for over two months. The decision yesterday to postponed Leinster’s visit to Thomond Park on St Stephen’s night due to a number of positive Covid-19 cases within the Leinster squad, adds further to Munster frustrations.

Meanwhile the announcement that Johann van Graan has become the latest coach, following Rassie Erasmus, Jacques Nienaber, Felix Jones, Jerry Flannery and Stephen Larkham to abandon ship, despite being offered or assured of contract extensions, is a worrying trend.

It’s difficult to get your head around what exactly is going on at Munster rugby these day. My overall sense is of a province oscillating from one crisis to another, across both the professional and amateur arm of the game, an issue I intend to examine in greater detail next Wednesday.

In the meantime, Happy Christmas to one and all.