Champions Cup team-by-team guide: Lack of squad depth likely to prove Munster’s downfall
previews the 20 teams aiming for glory as the Champions Cup kicks off this weekend.
Pool 1
Benetton Rugby
Kieran Crowley
Alberto Sgarbi
Federico Ruzza (lock)
Failed to qualify
500/1
Having qualified by right rather than geography for the first time, last season’s PRO14 quarter-finalists will relish the opportunity to prove their worth and win for the first time in the Champions Cup since 2014/15. Their patchy start to the current season can only improve with the return of their Italian World Cup contingent but it’s a very tricky pool.
Leinster
Leo Cullen
Johnny Sexton
James Ryan (lock)
Runners-up
15/8 favourites
An unbeaten start to their PRO14 campaign and enough bitterness from last season’s final loss to Saracens to mount a fresh bid for a record fifth Champions Cup title.
Lyon
Pierre Mignoni
Co-Captains: Baptiste Couilloud & Felix Lambey
Josua Tuisova (wing)
Fourth in pool
100/1
A rough, winless Champions Cup debut last season but early-season Top14 form, with eight wins from nine to top the table, suggests Lyon will be better-equipped this time.
Northampton
Chris Boyd
Co-Captains: Teimana Harrison & Alex Waller
Cobus Reinach (scrum-half)
Failed to qualify
50/1
Qualified courtesy of a strong finish as Saints got to grips with life under Boyd and have started strongly in the Premiership this season.
Pool 2
Exeter Chiefs
Rob Baxter
Jack Yeandle
Stuart Hogg (full-back)
Second in pool
10/1
Still waiting to crack the code that will allow them to transfer domestic success into a European challenge and this pool could be theirs for the taking.
Glasgow Warriors
Dave Rennie
Co-Captains: Callum Gibbins & Ryan Wilson
Adam Hastings (fly-half)
Quarter-finalists
50/1
A so-so start in the PRO14 does not augur well for a club that has under-achieved in Europe.
La Rochelle
Ronan O’Gara
Romain Sazy
Gregory Alldritt (back row)
Failed to qualify
40/1
Back for a second crack at the Champions Cup following a 2017/18 debut but middling form at home may mitigate against a full-on push for European glory.
Sale Sharks
Steve Diamond
Jono Ross
Faf de Klerk (scrum-half)
Failed to qualify
80/1
Challenge Cup semi-finalists for the last two seasons, Sale will need all their frontline stars on song for this year’s return to the Champions Cup.
Pool 3
Clermont Auvergne
Franck Azema
Morgan Parra
Damien Penaud (centre/wing)
Failed to qualify
13/2
Atoned for a rare non-appearance by winning last season’s Challenge Cup and will be the team to beat in this pool with all their World Cup stars back in harness.
Bath
Stuart Hooper
Charlie Ewels
Sam Underhill (flanker)
Third in pool
80/1
Pre-tournament boost with a league win over Northampton and plenty of firepower waiting to be unleashed.
Harlequins
Paul Gustard
Chris Robshaw
Kyle SInckler (tighthead prop)
Failed to qualify
100/1
Poor league form and little Champions Cup pedigree but with the capacity to spring a surprise.
Ulster
Dan McFarland
Iain Henderson
Marcel Coetzee (back row)
Quarter-finalists
50/1
After a near-miss at Leinster in last season’s quarter-finals, Ulster will be targeting at least a return to the last eight this time around and they appear to bubbling nicely so far as they adjust to life without Rory Best.
Pool 4
Munster
Johann van Graan
Peter O’Mahony
Andrew Conway (wing/full-back)
Semi-finalists
20/1
Three trips to the last four in three seasons but still lacking the squad depth to genuinely contend for silverware in Europe and despite the arrival of Stephen Larkham as a senior coach, there are now likely to be without fly-halves Joey Carbery and JJ Hanrahan for the early pool stages.
Ospreys
Allen Clarke
Justin Tipuric
Alun Wyn Jones (lock)
Failed to qualify
500/1
Woeful early-season performances in the PRO14 do not bode well for the Welsh region heading into this “pool of death”.
Racing 92
Laurent Travers
Henry Chavancy
Teddy Thomas (wing)
Quarter-finalists
22/1
A deep squad and deeper pockets have not translated into early-season promise so far for the Parisians as they lie 10th in the Top14 after nine games but Europe may stiffen their resolve.
Saracens
Mark McCall
Brad Barritt
Maro Itoje (lock)
Champions
3/1 2nd favourites
There may be trouble at home after being heavily punished by the Premiership for salary-cap breaches but unless they sacrifice their Champions Cup title defence in a bid to avoid relegation following their league points deduction, they will remain the team to beat.
Pool 5
Connacht
Andy Friend
Jarrad Butler
Jack Carty (fly-half)
Failed to qualify
100/1
Coming off a heavy home defeat in the league to Leinster will only add to the perception that Connacht are the outsiders in this pool but they are more than capable of springing a surprise or two in this company.
Gloucester
Johan Ackermann
Willi Heinz
Franco Mostert (lock)
Fourth in pool
33/1
Have too often not added up to the sum of their parts but can be formidable opponents, especially on home soil at Kingsholm.
Montpellier
Xavier Garbajosa
Louis Picamoles
Handré Pollard (fly-half)
Second in pool
33/1
Continuing to punch below their weight at home and in Europe but with the talent to go far in this season’s Champions Cup, if they can get their heads in the right place.
Toulouse
Ugo Mola
Julien Marchand
Cheslin Kolbe (wing)
Semi-finalists
7/1
Another French heavyweight with iffy domestic form but having returned to Europe’s elite last season, Toulouse should be contending to pip Leinster to that record fifth title.
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