Premiership gets shot in arm as four sides through to Champions Cup knockouts
Four English Premiership clubs have qualified for the Investec Champions Cup round of 16 with a game to spare.
The weekend’s round three results have restored faith in what was feared to be a league drained of resources to fight in club rugby’s most prestigious competition.
Saints march on
Northampton Saints, Harlequins, Bath and Exeter Chiefs won at the weekend to earn unassailable leads in their respective pools.
Northampton’s crushing 61-14 Champions Cup victory over Bayonne handed them a second try-bonus-point win, taking them to 14 points in Pool 3.
Exeter Chiefs came from behind to beat a stubborn Glasgow Warriors outfit 19-17 to sit one point behind Northampton, on 13 points.
With the top four sides in the six-team pools progressing through to the round of 16 stage, the English duo are ample points ahead of those still vying for a Champions Cup knockout spot.
Premiership shot in arm
Bath Rugby completed a 29-25 victory over Racing 92 on Sunday to maintain their unbeaten record with the West Country side netting a third consecutive try bonus point win.
They are second in Pool 2 on 15 points behind leaders Toulouse, who are also on 15 points with a superior scoring difference.
Five points further back are Harlequins who beat Cardiff 54-15 on Saturday to secure qualification in the round of 16.
All four of the qualified English sides are able to solidify their position, and secure a better seeding for the knockouts, next weekend with wins.
Fellow Premiership sides Bristol Bears and Sale Sharks – who respectively lost to the South African Bulls and Stormers this weekend – and Saracens, who were hammered by Bordeaux on Sunday, can all still qualify.
As can Leicester Tigers, who were put to the sword yesterday by La Rochelle in a 45-7 thumping across the English Channel.
Champions Cup showdown
The resurgence of English clubs on the continental stage continued, too, in the second tier Challenge Cup with Gloucester winning 21-20 away in Edinburgh.
It means Newcastle Falcons are the only Premiership side without a win in either competition this season.
The other qualified clubs consist of Pool 4’s Leinster, who have 14 points from their three matches, and Lyon with their two wins and 12 points from three games.
Bordeaux Begles are also through to the knockouts having gone top of Pool 1 last night with their dominant victory over three-time Champions Cup winners Saracens – the Londoners will need a win against Lyon next week to help their chances of qualifying.
The final round of pool matches takes place next weekend before the round of 16 draw ahead of the first knockouts in April.