The resolution to dispose of the double leg format in the Champions Cup spherical of 16 has considerably upped the ante for the groups as they head into the ultimate spherical of the pool part of the competitors this weekend.
Up till this season, the groups that emerged from the spherical of 16 to play in the quarterfinals did it by successful a double-legged tie. Meaning dwelling and away fixtures with the winner decided on mixture rating throughout the 2 video games. With a house fixture assured, the ending order didn’t matter a lot.
Champions Cup Round of 16 combat is on
However, below the present format, that adjustments markedly, with the highest 4 groups on the ultimate log in the respective swimming pools internet hosting their one-off spherical of 16 fixtures, with the groups ending from positions fifth to eighth in the swimming pools having to journey.
And with the play-off video games that observe the spherical of 16 all being hosted by the higher-ranked staff, with one caveat, this weekend’s video games have colossal significance.
The caveat is that the South African groups should host their video games abroad as soon as they get to the semifinal, with the ultimate set for Dublin, regardless of who will get there.
Stormers and Bulls might meet in Round of 16
An instance of why this weekend is so vital will be understood by wanting on the potential South African situation.
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If the Stormers and the Bulls, with the Stormers at present fourth in Pool B and the Bulls sixth in Pool A, win their closing video games this weekend, there’s a good probability that we might see a replay in Cape Town of final yr’s United Rugby Championship closing in the spherical of 16.
Conversely, if the Stormers slip or drop factors in their closing pool fixture towards Clermont-Auvergne on Saturday night, they may discover themselves touring to Pretoria, or worse nonetheless to someplace like Saracens or Exeter Chiefs, and even Dublin to play Leinster if it goes actually unhealthy for them.
Any of these latter fixtures could be far much less palatable to Steven Kitshoff’s males than a house sport towards both the Bulls or, because the log stands at present, the Edinburgh staff they beat pretty simply at DHL Stadium in final yr’s URC quarterfinal and once more in a league fixture earlier in the present season.
All to play for in the Champions Cup
Neither of the Stormers or Bulls have formally booked their locations in the final 16 and will theoretically nonetheless fall out of the image utterly in the event that they lose badly on the weekend. However, with the Stormers enjoying at dwelling, you’d fancy their probabilities of at the least conserving the factors differential advantage they’ve on different groups in order to make their passage to the subsequent spherical protected, and the Bulls are additionally properly positioned on factors differential in comparability to groups that may catch them on log factors.
Sharks out to safe dwelling match
The Sharks have much more to play for on their journey to London to face Harlequins on Saturday than you’d think about, seeing they’re the one South African staff that has already certified for the spherical of 16.
The Sharks are at present seeded second in Pool A, and in the event that they maintain onto that place, they are going to have an excellent probability of securing dwelling advantage for each the spherical of 16 and the quarterfinal that shall be performed per week later. For them, a win this week at The Stoop shall be a big step in the direction of presumably making the semifinals.
So that is successfully the weekend that might make or break challenges as it should decide dwelling advantage not simply for the primary play-off part, but additionally the rankings that may affect on who performs the place past that.
Tough on the high
In that sense there are some fascinating match-ups this weekend of essential significance, with just one level separating Leinster, the Sharks and Saracens in the search for the advantage that comes with pole place in Pool A, and with three groups – Toulouse, LaRochelle and Leicester Tigers – locked collectively on 13 factors in Pool B in the battle for high spot there.
The Stormers are theoretically nonetheless in with an opportunity of topping Pool B, which they might do in the event that they scored a bonus level win over Clermont on the DHL Stadium and Toulouse, LaRochelle and the Tigers misplaced their final pool video games. Those groups are at present three factors forward of the Stormers on the log.
As it stands now the Sharks will face an fascinating spherical of 16 match towards French champions Montpellier, who’re down the log in Pool B after two successive losses to the Ospreys.
Top 14 conundrum
The strategy to the pool phases of the Champions Cup is for some French groups impacted by the bunfight they’re concerned in making an attempt to keep away from relegation from the Top 14. Two groups get dropped on the finish of each French league season, and at present none of the groups positioned from fourth via to 14th are protected. But which may change by the tip of March, and if Montpellier really feel safer in the Top 14 they could be a extra formidable proposition in the spherical of 16. The identical goes for most different potential French opponents.
Champions Cup fixtures
Lyon v Vodacom Bulls (Friday, 22.00)
Leicester v Ospreys (Friday, 22.00)
Northampton v La Rochelle (Saturday, 15.00)
Harlequins v Cell C Sharks (Saturday, 15.00)
Bordeaux-Begles v Gloucester (Saturday, 17.15)
Leinster v Racing 92 (Saturday, 17.15)
Exeter Chiefs v Castres (Saturday, 19.30)
DHL Stormers v ASM Clermont-Auvergne (Saturday, 19.30)
Ulster v Sale (Saturday, 22.00)
Montpellier v London Irish (Saturday, 22.00)
Toulouse v Munster (Sunday, 17.15)
Edinburgh v Saracens (Sunday, 19.30)
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