Champions Cup: Five talking points ahead of the round-of-16 showdowns

Adam Kyriacou
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Champions Cup

The Champions Cup returns this weekend as the round-of-16 gets underway, which includes some fascinating match-ups across Europe and South Africa.

Ahead of the games, Planet Rugby has picked out five talking points to consider.

Sharks and Munster need a big response

It’s been a story of differing form in recent months for the Sharks and Munster as the former slipped down the United Rugby Championship (URC) standings while Munster got their season up and running thanks to an impressive streak of form after what was a disappointing start, with new ideas taking time to bear fruit in Limerick.

However, the Irish province’s run ended last weekend as a first-half showing that saw them ship 28 points ultimately led to a 38-26 defeat to Glasgow Warriors. That won’t have gone down well ahead of a month where they will be in South Africa more than Ireland due to the way the schedule has fallen, but on Saturday, they have a chance to kick off April in style against a Sharks team that hasn’t been firing on all cylinders for some time, with an eighth-place spot in the URC not pretty reading for their fans.

Indeed, the Sharks’ latest defeat at Scarlets means both these quality outfits are desperate to bounce back and what better time to do it than in a Champions Cup knockout game? Can the Springbok-filled hosts finally click and put together a complete performance, or will Munster continue their love affair with this competition?

Expect a knockout thriller in Cape Town

Two sides that love to entertain are set to put on a show at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, and we cannot wait to see how this Champions Cup match unfolds.

Reigning URC champions, the Stormers, will understandably want to back that title win up with European glory at the first time of asking, and on form this season, it is far from impossible that they could do just that. Playing a brand of rugby that causes rival defences numerous problems; they back themselves against any opposition.

The same can be said of former Premiership winners Harlequins, who have the likes of Danny Care and Marcus Smith pulling the strings on the field. While they have not been up to their title-winning standards this campaign, Quins can defeat any team on their day, and we expect both teams to keep us on the edge of our seats throughout the match on Saturday. Tries, flair and plenty of running rugby is on the menu in Green Point, and with the weather set fair, this game should be an epic spectacle.

Leinster minus key quartet against Ulster

The business end of Leinster‘s season usually means peak Johnny Sexton, but after suffering a groin injury on Six Nations duty for Ireland, the fly-half was on Monday ruled out for the rest of the campaign. There is also concern this week over Caelan Doris, Garry Ringrose and Hugo Keenan, who continue to follow Return to Play Protocols this week. That medical update from Leinster leads us to believe this trio won’t be in action against Ulster on Saturday, which would be a major setback.

For any other side losing such a high-quality international quartet would result in panic stations, but this is Leinster we’re talking about, and time and again, their depth has shown its class. Ross Byrne will step in at number 10 while Robbie Henshaw’s return from injury alongside Jamie Osborne are just a couple of the embarrassment of riches they boast, with Max Deegan and Rhys Ruddock steely options to replace Doris and Jordan Larmour and Jimmy O’Brien likewise for Keenan at full-back.

Ulster come into the game on the back of a confidence-boosting win over the Bulls, but even with Leinster missing these key players, it’s hard to see a shock result.

How will Exeter react to Rob Baxter rant?

There was no sugar-coating Exeter’s latest defeat in the Premiership, at the hands of then bottom team Bath, as the Chiefs’ domestic season looks all but done. Baxter suggested changes are in the offing for the weekend’s Champions Cup game against Montpellier, and it remains to be seen how many he makes for Sunday.

After leaking five tries at the Rec, it seems Baxter has lost patience with some of his regular players, with their campaign on a knife edge as April approaches. Throw in what’s felt like an exodus from the squad ahead of next season, that includes Sam Simmonds and Luke Cowan-Dickie, and it feels like the end of an era.

Baxter will be keen for a response against the Top 14’s ninth-place side, and Sandy Park should be rocking as the Chiefs look to turn around their recent woes.

Star-studded Toulouse face out-of-form Bulls

Like several of the European protagonists involved this weekend, they will have their international contingent back in the mix, and besides perhaps Leinster, it is most likely Toulouse who will feel that most. The return of France stars Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Thomas Ramos, Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Jack Willis and Francois Cros is quite the injection of Les Bleus’ quality into their line-up, and that spells bad news for Jake White’s out-of-form Bulls outfit on Sunday afternoon.

Despite a second-string Toulouse losing at Castres last weekend in the Top 14, they remain at the top of the domestic table and look fully loaded for another serious assault on the European title, with last year’s semi-final defeat to Leinster no doubt adding fuel to the fire, with few giving the Bulls a chance of a victory.

Indeed, the Bulls have been on a poor run of form of late – losing their last five across the URC and Champions Cup – and with a long return flight to Ulster in their legs, they will hope the highveld factor works in their favour or their European journey will come to an end against a Toulouse side that could go all the way.

READ MORE: How South African sides are placed ahead of their first European play-offs

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