Champions Cup hangs in the balance as French clubs await Euro decision

It would be unthinkable - even in these unprecedented times

A general view of the Heineken Champions Cup ahead of the match at Kingsholm, Gloucester.

Could there really be no European rugby next weekend? It is a question, even in these difficult times, that seemed unthinkable before Christmas as Leinster marched on against Northampton Saints and Munster staged the mother of all comebacks at Stade Marcel Michelin.

Yet the dawning of a new year and the emergence of a Covid-19 variant as rampant as the Racing 92 backline has got even the most bullish of rugby supporters on tenterhooks this weekend.