Vodacom Bulls have chance at shock Champions Cup upset
And then there were eight. The Investec Champions Cup round of 16 threw up a couple of incredible ties as those with hopes of lifting club rugby’s most prestigious trophy were tested to the nines.
So with four tantalising quarter-final ties ahead of us here are my predictions for the quarter-finals, as well my outside tip for an away win.
Saturday show
Bordeaux vs Harlequins
Bordeaux last week made a very, very good Saracens side look pretty average as they backed up their performance against the Londoners in January with a second hammering.
Their reward is the capital’s other Premiership outfit Harlequins but Marcus Smith and Co are unlikely to pose too much of a threat to the French club.
The Top 14 side boast both domestic and overseas internationals and have the closest thing possible to true telepathy underpinning their squad – it’s almost as if they know exactly how each other will shift and move.
I cannot see past a Bordeaux win here.
Leinster vs La Rochelle
What an exciting modern classic this fixture is turning into; rugby’s equivalent of Manchester City versus Real Madrid.
These sides have contested the last two finals with La Rochelle coming out on top, but I back the home side Leinster to turn the tide and come out on top here.
The Dubliners didn’t look as if they got out of third gear against a tenacious Leicester side last week while La Rochelle have had to deal with a lengthy return from South Africa.
Winning in Dublin is tough when everything is going for you; it’s near impossible when there are obstacles.
Northampton vs Bulls
Northampton were impressive against Munster. The Bulls didn’t need much to get past Lyon, they didn’t need to keep playing like they did with the game won in the opening 20 minutes; that says a lot about their mentality.
It has reportedly been hell for them to get up to Northampton this week, with players and staff split across eight flights. All of this should play into the hands of the Saints, who are at home. But they’ll be shattered from their match against Munster last week.
This is where I think we could see an upset, even though I am backing Northampton in this tie.
Champions Cup Sunday
Toulouse vs Exeter
Exeter in France this season has seen them brilliantly beat Toulon but disappointingly come a cropper to Bayonne.
And in Toulouse they’ve got their toughest opponents yet. With the hosts armed with Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack and the rest of their quality roster, it’s going to be an almighty feat to win in France.
If my predictions are correct it looks as though the English teams will be cut from three to one. The Premiership teams are getting closer to the likes of La Rochelle, Toulouse and Leinster but it’ll take a couple of seasons to really develop the game plan to consistently beat these ferocious sides.
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance, experts in leadership development behavioural change and executive coaching support. Follow Ollie on Twitter and on LinkedIn @OlliePhillips11