Pressure is on for struggling Stade Francais in Champions Cup

The Top 14 champions have had a dismal start to their domestic campaign, and with Leicester and Munster in their opening Champions Cup fixtures, the pressure’s on for coach Gonzalo Quesada.

Last Sunday Stade Francais woke to find themselves bottom of the Top 14. Just two wins from their first seven matches had taken last season’s champions to the foot of the table, a humiliation that was eased a few hours later when they dug out a dour 14-9 victory over Clermont in Paris to climb up to 11th.

It wasn’t a pretty win, but then there’s been little attractive about Stade’s rugby this season. Blame the World Cup? No, that would be the easy excuse and one, which for the most part, Stade have refrained from employing.