Power Ranking Europe's Top 15 Club Teams After Weekend of December 19-21

The last pre-Christmas ranking follows a return to domestic action for Europe’s top clubs.

In order to give them a rank, both league and European form is taken into credit, which means teams firing in both the Champions Cup and their league take top billing.

In the case of teams playing in Europe’s second-tier competition, the Challenge Cup, if they are bombing on in their league as well as that tournament, this is given some weight, too.

That’s the science, here are the standings.

15. Stade Francais (Top 14)

Despite doing next to nothing in the Challenge Cup, Stade Francais have looked good in the league this season.

Their latest win, a 43-30 victory on the road at Grenoble, came with five tries, and they have the same win record as top pair Clermont and Toulon with nine each.

While the big guns will be dealing with European matters later in January, Stade may see this as their chance to steal a march in the league.

14. Exeter (Premiership)

The Chiefs stay in third spot despite defeat to Sale in their last fixture before Christmas. They are taking their Challenge Cup campaign seriously, and are charging ahead in pool 2 with 16 points from their four games.

Unlike the French sides in the tournament, Rob Baxter’s men clearly see the benefits of building some winning momentum regardless of the competition they are in.

It’s working well so far.

13. Harlequins (Premiership)

Quins snared a narrow 15-9 win over Newcastle as their struggle for consistency goes on in the Premiership.

They are alive and kicking in Europe, however, which means they make this ranking over the likes of Ulster, who are bombing on both fronts at the moment.

Credit to stand-in stand-off Tim Swiel, who kicked all 15 points in Nick Evans’ absence for the win over the Falcons.

12. Munster (Pro 12)

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Munster are all but out of Europe and had a miserable time of it in Glasgow in their last Pro 12 fixture.

Anthony Foley’s men surrendered a nine-point half-time lead to the Warriors and lost top billing in the title race.

They are now in third, and barring a fortuitous turn of events in Europe, the Pro 12 will be their sole focus come February.

11. Glasgow (Pro 12)

Glasgow may have seen their European bubble burst with two defeats in the last two rounds, but they occupy second place in the Pro 12 following a fine win over traditional powerhouse Munster, 21-18.

The Scotsman’s Robert Mitchell best summed up a record-breaking afternoon for Gregor Townsend’s side:

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With Glasgow’s proud 12-game Pro 12 unbeaten home record hanging by a thread after a first period marred by a succession of handling errors, a malfunctioning line-out and the failure to produce any incisive attacking moves of any note, the odds looked stacked on the Scotstoun side slipping to what would have been their fourth defeat in five games.

Instead, despite failing to find their best form against a streetwise Munster side, Glasgow found a way back and scored 12 unanswered second-half points to claim a victory that has given them the perfect launch-pad into the pivotal 1872 Cup double-header derby with Edinburgh and set a new Guinness Pro 12 record of 13 home victories in succession.

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10. Leinster (Pro 12)

Matt O’Connor’s side engineered a 21-11 win over Connacht to put them back in the Pro 12 hunt after a stuttering start to their domestic season.

They are well-poised in their Champions Cup group and now just four points off leaders Ospreys in the battle for domestic honours.

Despite Glasgow’s better position in the league, the pair’s comparative European records hoist the Dubliners above them in this ranking.

9. Toulouse (Top 14)

Toulouse suffered a 23-20 defeat that drops them back to eighth in the Top 14.

They remain above the likes of Glasgow and Munster though, due to their excellent campaign in Europe. With four wins from four they look set fair for the knockout stages.

This defeat must also be viewed in light of the fact they were shorn of props Census Johnston and Neemia Tialata–and duly got battered in the scrum by Montpellier’s experienced front-row campaigners.

8. Wasps (Premiership)

Wasps are clinging to an outside chance of European progress from their Champions Cup pool, but they are firing on the home front.

They celebrated their arrival at the Ricoh Arena in front of nearly 29,000 spectators with a 48-16 hammering of London Irish. Fittingly, Coventry FC fan Andy Goode took centre stage with a league record 33 points.

The success of their bold move to the East Midlands will be judged on more than one huge win in front of one huge crowd, but they couldn’t have asked for a better start to life in their new home.

7. Bath (Premiership)

Bath are another side with slim chances of escape from their Champions Cup pool, but their Premiership campaign maintained its upward trajectory with a convincing away win at West Country foes Gloucester.

George Ford nailed six penalties and three conversions to allay fears that his goal-kicking may be his Achilles' heel as he looks forward to a starting spot as England’s No. 10 in the Six Nations.

No mention of Bath, of course, can pass without a line on Sam Burgess, who was given a start at flanker in Bath’s A League fixture, and popped up with his first try for the club, per BBC.

6. Ospreys (Pro 12)

It has been a ragged European campaign for the Ospreys, but they sit atop the Pro12 following a rousing 31-20 win over Ulster.

They were further boosted with the news that flanker Justin Tipuric had signed a new deal with the region, per BBC.

Arguably, the Ospreys have the in-form No. 9 in world rugby right now in the shape of Rhys Webb. Gareth Griffiths of WalesOnline singled out the scrum-half and his link-up with Dan Biggar as the key to club–and country­­–success in 2015:

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This took his tally to nine in 11 games for the region and there were two more in three matches for Wales in the autumn internationals for an overall tally of 11 in 14 matches.

Dan Biggar also grabbed a try in his 16-point performance contributing another flawless kicking display. The half-back pairing is flourishing for the Ospreys and Wales and shows no sign of petering out.

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5. Saracens (Premiership)

Plenty of sides have racked up massive scores against London Welsh this season, but none quite so big as the 78-7 walloping handed to the Exiles by Saracens.

Two tries by Mako Vunipola and a hat-trick for scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth contributed to the rout that places Sarries three points behind third-placed Exeter going into the festive period.

With Mako back from injury and brother Billy showing signs of his old form at No. 8, Sarries are set for a strong start to 2015.

They are also leading calls for the Premiership’s salary cap to be torn up in order to compete with the top sides in France.

When you see who Toulon have signed in the last few days, it’s easy to see why, but it could create huge disparity on the domestic front, per Paul Rees in the Guardian, who sought Gloucester chief Stephen Vaughan’s views on the matter:

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‘The danger of a system which allowed clubs to spend limitless amounts of money on players is that, assuming those who rely on what they earn continue to do so, you would have two or three clubs challenging for the title and Europe and the rest battling it out for the Champions Cup places,’ said Vaughan. ‘That would have a knock-on effect on attendances and would create a tournament that had less appeal to broadcasters. It would also raise the issue of regulation: would there be financial fair play or would it be acceptable for clubs to live well beyond their means, begging the question of what would happen if a backer suddenly pulled out?’

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In a further twist to this story, it now emerges the club may be under investigation as to whether they have breached the current salary-cap rules, per the Telegraph.

4. Racing Metro (Top 14)

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Tries from Dimitri Swarzewski, Brice Dulin and Yoan Audrin completed a comfortable 27-8 win for Racing over La Rochelle.

The Parisians now sit in fourth, two points behind city rivals Stade Francais, but further up this ranking by virtue of the fact they are also going well in the Champions Cup, while Stade are treating their presence in the second-tier Challenge Cup as little more than a necessary evil.

3. Northampton (Premiership)

The majority of column inches were once again devoted to a Dylan Hartley misdemeanor following Saints’ win over Leicester.

Hartley was sent off after just 16 minutes for an elbow on Tigers centre Matt Smith and copped a three-week ban.

In his absence, the league leaders found the resolve to claim East Midlands bragging rights with a 76th-minute Jamie Elliott try to thank for overturning a 16-19 deficit. Stephen Myler added the extras for a 23-19 win.

It’s the fifth such ban for Hartley, per BBC, whose dismal disciplinary record must be starting to play on the mind of England boss Stuart Lancaster.

2. Clermont Auvergne (Top 14)

Clermont survived the loss of Julien Bardy to a red card on the stroke of half-time to beat Castres 19-10.

They now sit two points behind Toulon.

Camille Lopez and Morgan Parra slotted two penalties apiece to add to Zac Guildford’s try, but the most impressive stat of their afternoon’s work was undoubtedly their penalty count.

Even with a man disadvantage, Franck Azema’s men kept their heads to give away just eight offences to Castres’ 16, per ESPNScrum.com.

1. Toulon (Top 14)

Toulon returned to the top of the table in France with a comprehensive 30-6 home win over Lyon. No. 8 Chris Masoe claimed two tries in a display full of the power and pace we have come to associate with Toulon.

Their week was dampened somewhat with yet another ban for Delon Armitage who was labeled a "habitual offender" and slapped with a 12-week suspension for his part in an unsavoury altercation with Leicester Tigers fans, per the Guardian.

One way to cheer yourself up if you’re a Toulon fan is to look forward to the arrival of Samu Manoa from Northampton next season.

Just what Toulon’s rivals were hoping for: Another massive, rampaging, try-scoring forward to add to the European champions’ pack.

Oh, and don’t forget his Saints colleague Salesi Ma’afu, All Black Ma’a Nonu and Clermont try machine Napolioni Nalaga, who will all be running riot at the Mayol next season, per ESPNScrum.com.