Power Ranking Europe's Top 15 Club Teams After Weekend of October 10-12

The opening shots are about to be fired in Europe’s new competitions as the Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup kick off this weekend.

With some members of this ranking playing in the lesser of the two, we should see some serious movement next week.

But the last round of domestic action before continental warfare breaks out saw a few shuffles of the pack as the lead changed hands in France and the PRO12 while one of the English title challengers came unstuck.

Let’s have a look at the ups and downs.

15. Leinster (PRO12)

After their horror show in Dublin against Munster, Leinster got back on the horse with a 20-3 win away to Zebre.

Ian Madigan starred with a try, a conversion and two penalties.

Leinster meet another team showing inconsistent form so far when Wasps pitch up at the RDS to start the Rugby Champions Cup next weekend.

These two sides have five Heineken Cups between them, but on current form you wouldn’t have thought either will need to make room for more continental silverware this season.

14. Stade Francais (Top 14)

Stade emerged victorious in the Paris derby with a 23-19 win over Racing Metro that puts them fifth in the table.

They were outscored by three tries to one, but they enjoyed a 20-minute period playing against 14 men thanks to consecutive yellow cards for two different Racing players.

Julien Arias’ debatable try and three penalties each from Jules Plisson and Julien Dupuy were enough to cancel out the higher strike rate from the visitors.

Stade drop into the Challenge Cup after missing out in last season’s play-off to reach the Champions Cup, and they'll face the Newport Gwent Dragons at home next weekend.

13. Racing Metro (Top 14)

Racing sit seventh after that defeat to Stade but can at least console themselves with a seat at the top table and a crackling home fixture against the champions of England.

Not that that stopped the steam billowing from the ears of their coach Laurent Labit, who was fuming after the decision to allow Julien Arias’ try to stand despite the wing looking as though he had been held up short of the stripe.

ESPNScrum.com reported Labit’s post-match rant:

"

That has ended on a parody, a stick-up. We've been robbed. Everybody saw the guy in the middle, nicely dressed, with shoes that matched his shirt, refereeing all afternoon with a smile.

He spent the week in Paris. He must have visited a lot of things and had a nice walk around … and he did so this afternoon too.

"

12. Montpellier (Top 14)

Montpellier completed a 25-9 win at home to Oyonnax but face the prospect of a long spell without instrumental No. 10 Francois Trinh-Duc.

The French international will take three months to recover from the broken leg sustained midway through the first half, per ESPNScrum.com.

His team-mates coped well without him for the remainder of the contest to secure fourth spot as they head into the European break.

Scrum-half Teddy Iribarent slotted four penalties to add to Benoit Paillaugue’s effort, a penalty try the only five-pointer of the day.

11. Bath (Premiership)

Bath put in a curious performance that will have left their coaches tearing their hair out. They fell 29-0 down before rallying to lose 29-22 against Wasps.

That failure to build on a fine home win over Saracens will frustrate Mike Ford and Co. and leaves them only five points clear of the Coventry-bound club in the table.

They now have to head to PRO12 high-flyers Glasgow to begin their European season and will need more than half a performance to avoid defeat there.

10. Exeter (Premiership)

Exeter moved into third in the Premiership on points difference with a 44-24 romp against London Irish.

England prospect Henry Slade was again on the try-scorer’s sheet, but the eye was caught by a brace from Chiefs lock Damien Welch as the home side erased memories of their defeat at Newcastle last week.

Rob Baxter’s men make the trip to Bayonne in the Challenge Cup next week, and their outing in the second-tier European competition means they have it all to do on the domestic front to keep their ranking up on this list.

9. Munster (PRO12)

Munster moved ominously into fourth place in the PRO12 table with a win over Scarlets, thanks to a solitary try from Andrew Smith and four JJ Hanrahan penalties.

This was a far cry from the impressive display that saw Anthony Foley’s men put Leinster through the mincer, but it served its purpose.

Their European campaign gets underway with a trip to Sale, who are coming off the back of a heavy beating at Northampton.

In a pool also housing Clermont Auvergne and Saracens, this is the best chance of the lot for an away win.

8. Glasgow (PRO12)

Gregor Townsend’s men were brought down to Earth with a bump—and a few bruises—by Ulster.

Controversy surrounded the departure via stretcher of Mark Bennett, who lost consciousness in a choke tackle, and the Warriors lost another back through Sean Lamont to concussion in their 29-9 defeat. The incident surrounding Bennett drew criticism from Townsend, per Alasdair Reid in The Telegraph:

"

Irish sides have developed the so‑called choke tackle as a means of winning turnovers. Rather than putting a tackled player on the ground for a ruck, they try to keep him on his feet and prevent the release of the ball. Technically, this creates a maul, and possession is then handed over to the defending side. Done properly, it is perfectly legal.

However, the allegation from within the Warriors camp was that the choke tackle on Bennett was quite literally that – ie that he was tackled around his neck and that he blacked out as a result. Footage of the incident will be reviewed by match citing commissioner Murray White, who is obliged to report his findings within 24 hours of the game.

Gregor Townsend was adamant that there was a case to answer. “He was choke-tackled and he lost consciousness for a bit,” the Glasgow coach said. “He has fully recovered now. The game lost momentum because I thought we were playing well until then. It’s not good to lose a player but we’re really glad he has recovered.

"

Glasgow will at least be battle-hard when they take on Bath next week in the Rugby Champions Cup opening round, with their second place in the PRO12 courtesy of just one point between them and Ulster.

7. Ulster (PRO12)

Ulster made a clear statement of their credentials this season by downing previously perfect Glasgow at Ravenhill.

A coruscating run from Craig Gilroy brought one impressive try before arch-poacher Tommy Bowe got in on the act with an interception effort.

An old European rivalry resumes for the Red Hand Gang next week when they make the trip to Welford Road.

The injury-plagued Tigers licked their wounds with a win over Harlequins last weekend, but with Glasgow’s scalp under their belts, Ulster will fancy the job against their de-powered line-up.

6. Ospreys (PRO12)

Alun Wyn Jones and his merry band of unheralded men continue to show everyone else the way in the PRO12.

Steve Tandy’s side got the better of the Blues at the Liberty Stadium to make it six wins from six so far this term, with Rhys Webb scoring his fifth of the season and making it devilishly hard for Wales coach Warren Gatland to ignore his claims for the starting No. 9 shirt.

The Ospreys have only played one top-five side so far this season, but they are still shaping up well for a tilt at domestic honours with Dan Biggar piloting them expertly from No. 10 and the leadership of Jones proving highly valuable. The pair's continued fitness this season will be key.

Tandy may have the luxury of resting some bodies next week with the relatively gentle start to their European campaign provided by a home tie against Treviso.

5. Bordeaux Begles (Top 14)

Raphael Ibanez’s men could be the surprise package of the French season after notching their second 50-point haul in as many weeks.

Last week they slayed Clermont, this week it was the turn of Castres to fall victim. The home side were 38-0 up before the visitors even fired a shot, after which Ibanez’s men simply re-applied their foot to the gas pedal to add another 21 points.

Bordeaux’s parsimony in defence is as impressive as their free-scoring attack, and that’s where you will find the English accent to their makeup with Ibanez’s former Wasps stablemate Joe Worlsey working as defence coach.

As well as they are doing in the league, Bordeaux will suffer in this ranking from playing in the second tier of European competition, as weighting will be given to the better tournament.

Nevertheless, a home tie against Edinburgh this Friday could hold another healthy points tally in prospect.

4. Saracens (Premiership)

Sarries bounced back from defeat at Bath to beat Gloucester 28-21.

Chris Wyles made the most of some sloppy play by England’s Billy Twelvetrees to open Sarries' account, while Chris Ashton also got in on the act.

The man of the match was Saracens lock Alistair Hargreaves, who galloped over for his own score and also had a hand in Ashton’s.

The South African is revelling in his captaincy role after replacing Steve Borthwick. It’s litmus-test time for Mark McCall’s men next week when Clermont visit Allianz Park for the start of the Champions Cup.

Last year’s Heineken Cup saw Sarries batter the men from the Massif Central at Twickenham to reach the final, and with Clermont’s poor recent form away from the Stade de Marcel Michelin, the Fez Heads will be hoping for a repeat dose to be handed to the men in yellow.

3. Northampton (Premiership)

Saints put on a 5-star display to batter Sale 43-10, with a hat-trick from American No. 8 Samu Manoa and a try a piece for the Pisi brothers.

Saints’ forward power was far too much for Steve Diamond’s men.

Two of Manoa’s tries came from driven line-outs that were resisted by the sharks with all the might of a poorly goldfish, while his other score was a gimme after an overthrow at a Sale line-out.

Jim Mallinder’s men will have tougher tests against each other in training, and might just need a hard week on the practice ground to get ready for their trip to Racing Metro in the Champions Cup this weekend.

2. Toulon (Top 14)

Toulon lose top spot in both this ranking and their own domestic league.

They suffered a bruising 21-10 defeat that is probably a flattering score line for Bernard Laporte’s men, given they were 21-0 down after 43 minutes.

ESPNScrum.com reported: “Much has been written about Toulouse's problems but Toulon found them in the form of old,” indicating that the old powerhouse might just have finally found the main switch to kick-start their season after languishing in the relegation zone.

For Toulon, it is a poorly timed dent to their confidence ahead of the start of the Rugby Champions Cup. They a least face a reasonably gentle start with a home fixture against Scarlets.

1. Clermont Auvergne (Top 14)

Franck Azema’s men returned to the top of the Top 14 with a 30-10 win over La Rochelle, taking advantage of Toulon’s reverse against Toulouse.

The result also shook off the horror show they suffered a week previous at Bordeaux when they shipped 50 points.

Fly-half Camille Lopez starred with 20 points, including a try and six successful shots at goal from six attempts.

It is a timely boost for Clermont as they cross the channel to face Saracens in a repeat of last year’s European Cup semi-final.