The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup have reached the knock out phase with all 4 provinces in action, Ulster will face Bordeaux Begles, Munster will play La Rochelle, Leinster take on Harlequins in the Champions Cup last 16 and Connacht are in action against Cardiff in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.
It is a big weekend for all 4 sides, Leinster and Connacht have home advantage while Ulster and Munster are on the road in France. Leinster will play Harlequins in Croke Park with a 3pm kick off. They have had the opportunity to leave a number of Irish internationals on home soil to rest up and prepare for the visit of Harlequins while a share of the rest of the squad headed for South Africa in the URC.
Leinster will recall the heavy hitters for the game on Saturday with men like Robbie Henshaw, James Ryan and Joe Mc Carthy likely to come straight back in to the 23 to play Harlequins. Leinster have again used the much vaunted squad depth to good effect and will use a 23 mostly made up of fresh players with men like Tommy O Brien putting a hand up for selection while over in South Africa.
This is another knock out game for Leinster to try and put down a marker as a title contender this year alongside Toulouse, La Rochelle and others. Home advantage has proven crucial to teams in the quest for European glory in recent seasons.
Leinster will know it will be home comforts all the way to final if they can get past Harlequins but they have been here before and come unstuck. The form of this season mirrors the last few seasons and hasn’t counted for anything in Europe for Leinster so they will guard against complacency this week.
They will have all the main men available including Jordie Barrett and RG Snyman both of whom have been invested in to help get them over the line in Europe as well as in the URC. They will both want to begin the job of paying back the investment in the knock out stages of the Champions Cup.
I fancy Leinster to win well on Saturday and set there course for the quarter final on home soil the following week.
Ulster will have a job of work to get past another side in the shake up for the title in Bordeaux Begles. They have invested cleverly with Damian Penaud, Joey Carberry being brought in to help aid the quest for a win in Europe.
Ulster have been in mixed form in League action and were fortunate to scrap into the last 16 but the fact they have a ticket to the last 16 party gives them a chance. They will need to up the performances of recent times and go after Bordeaux from the opening minute and see how they get on.
It is a free shot for Ulster and that will hopefully allow them express themselves in the game. They have a number of players back from injury. So as I mention it’s a free shot but one feels Bordeaux will have too much fire power for Ulster to live with. Bordeaux Begles to get through and go into the last 8.
Munster go to France to face La Rochelle in the so called Ronan O Gara derby. La Rochelle haven’t been in great shape over recent months playing 8 games losing 7 and drawing 1. No matter what way you cut that up that is not great form going into the last 16 of Europe. They will be heavily reliant on their home form going into this game. Munster defeated Connacht in the last game and will use that attacking performance as the template.
The outcome of the Alex Nankivell’s red card appeal will be crucial for Munster, he is vital to Munster in attack as well as defence.
If his appeal isn’t successful it will be interesting what way Munster decide to line up in the centre, will Rory Scannell come in or will they be brave and select Sean O Brien alongside Tom Farrell.
I think La Rochelle will still have enough to probably nick the game with the power they will introduce off the bench as well home advantage. It will be a close contest La Rochelle won’t run away with it by any means.
Connacht have home advantage to take on Cardiff and even with the performance of last week vs Munster fresh in the mind, they can look at their form in the pool phase winning all 4 games including away in France as well as the pair of games in Galway. That form will stand to them and like La Rochelle and Leinster home advantage will help them in their quest for a last 8 spot in the Challenge Cup.
Connacht have a good chance this year to go in Cardiff and win the Challenge Cup and will want to put down another marker with a win in Galway in Saturday evening. I think Connacht will do what is required and beat Cardiff to get to the Challenge Cup quarter finals.
It’s a big weekend for all 4 Irish teams and while I think only 2 of them will win, I give the other two sides decent shots at upsetting the apple cart in away fixtures on French soil. Enjoy the weekend, there is plenty of games to keep everyone entertained….