5 Key Battles in Matchday 3 of the European Rugby Champions Cup
The November internationals are done and dusted, meaning the elite of the European pack shift their focus back to club matters this week and the return of continental competition.
Matchday 3 of the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup group stage promises to pull the standings further apart, and by the time this weekend's action is through, every team will be acquainted with their pool rivals.
Ahead of the tournament's comeback, we've dissected the fixture list and picked out a selection of the most promising and important player battles set to take place.
1. Rene Ranger vs. Jonathan Joseph
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Montpellier are in dire need of a revival after claiming just two losing bonus points from their opening two fixtures in Pool 4, and if that comeback is to arrive, one can rest assured Rene Ranger will be on the front lines.
The New Zealander is primed for a hard night's work on Friday evening, with Jonathan Joseph—a figure who many believe should be tried in the England midfield—making his way to Altrad Stadium.
If nothing else, the two outside centres are poised for a matchup of physicality, but Joseph is bringing an in-form threat to France, having brought his game up a notch or three this season.
The Montpellier back line is fortunate to have the barnstorming presence of Ranger's quality included. He was, after all, one of the big investments which had people excited about their 2014-15 prospects.
Expect these two bruisers to take a prominent role in seeing who ends Matchday 3 at the bottom of Pool 4, with Bath wallowing at its base with just a sole point to their name.
2. Paul O'Connell vs. Jamie Cudmore
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Two locks of vast experience will clash in a battle of matter over more matter on Saturday, with Paul O'Connell's Pool 1 leaders Munster hoping to prevent Clermont from deposing them at the group's summit.
The visitors have a seasoned behemoth of their own in the second row in the form of Jamie Cudmore. The Canadian gives his Top 14 outfit an incredibly useful wrecking-ball outlet in the loose.
Twenty-three-year-old Sebastien Vahaamahina would undoubtedly seek to apply pressure on the ageing Cudmore and assume a starting place as his own outright.
However, both Clermont's bastion and O'Connell are prime examples of the longevity one can have, even considering all the brutality they perform in order to see their sides thrive.
Cudmore won't necessarily be up to challenge his Munster counterpart at every line-out, but the extra grunt he hands Clermont in the scrum is also a weight for O'Connell to consider.
3. Danny Cipriani vs. Owen Farrell
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The race for the 2015 Rugby World Cup is on, and with England's back line still a minefield of mystery to a large extent, Danny Cipriani and Owen Farrell will be two of those duelling for the starting No. 10 jersey.
The pair just so happen to be meeting under club conditions on Saturday, where the Sale Sharks playmaker has particular motivation for getting one up on his international rival.
The Premiership duo clashed at Allianz Park in September, where Saracens handed Sale a 40-19 drubbing and Cipriani struggled to get up to speed, while Farrell was still out with injury.
Having lost his place to George Ford in England's autumn series, Farrell will need to treat his road to redemption with a calm head. And who better to dazzle against than a man who you're competing with on multiple fronts?
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4. Nick Easter vs. Jamie Heaslip
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Jamie Heaslip figured as part of an Ireland team that finished their autumn series with an unbeaten record and potential to do great things in 2015, while Nick Easter continued chugging away on Harlequins duty.
Conor O'Shea will hope that consistency in the side will aid his No. 8 in the search to overcome Leinster, who arrive at The Stoop on Sunday with the aim of ending the hosts' unbeaten run.
As the official Harlequins Twitter account detailed, Heaslip has the most carries of any player in the Europeans Rugby Champions Cup this season (43), while Easter is third overall (33).
Those barrelling runs will only be half the debate, however, as both men have roles to play in terms of leading their respective outfits, not to mention adding to the impact come set-piece time.
Heaslip hasn't shown quite as much scoring fluidity in recent years as he did earlier in his career, but as the statistics show, he likes to run hard and often, a description which happens to suit Easter all the same.
Leinster and Harlequins currently sit level on points at the top of Pool 2, having each scored three tries across their first two European matches, giving this Sunday's fixture a particularly pivotal edge.
5. Vereniki Goneva vs. Mathieu Bastareaud
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It's not too often Mathieu Bastareaud encounters an enemy centre who can equal him in pound-for-pound aggression with ball in hand, but Vereniki Goneva will do just that when Leicester Tigers host Toulon this Sunday.
In sheer weight figure, the Tigers centre is still somewhat off the mark, but as is the Fijian way, his addition of ambiguity in the role gives his frame a more elusive touch, something Bastareaud may struggle to contain.
What will be the difference at Welford Road, however, is the support men offering each midfielder their outlets when carrying, and in that sense, the Tigers may fall short.
In any case, one can guarantee the two No. 13s will share their sample of intimate moments, where a grave importance will be placed on whose pass and offloading skills are more up to the task.
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