Biggest Winners and Losers in World Rugby for Weekend of January 23-25

The sixth and final round of group competition in this season's European campaign saw the continent's elite make their way through to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup and second-tier Challenge Cup this weekend.

As was expected by many prior to this season's beginning, the bastions of France and England account for a vast majority of the Champions Cup last eight, with Leinster the only outsiders hoping to spoil the party.

This week's edition of rugby's biggest winners and losers also explores recent blows for the international ranks of Wales and England, discussed in more detail ahead.

Winner: French Clubs Show Strength in Quarter-Final Qualification

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Clermont Auvergne, Toulon and Racing Metro will host three of the four quarter-finals in the inaugural season of the European Rugby Champions Cup following some barnstorming starts to their campaigns.

For some years, the power balance of European club rugby has seemingly shifted in favour of the Top 14 and Aviva Premiership outfits, with sides from England playing the role of visitor in each last-eight tie. Saracens, Wasps, Northampton Saints and Bath will all travel for their next European fixtures.

Leinster are the only team from outside France to host a quarter-final (versus Bath) and will hope they can prove the Pro12 still has some say in the continental debate, but there's no denying France's ascendancy.

An all-French final remains on the cards, too, with the winner of the Toulon and Wasps tie playing host in one semi-final, while Clermont can host the other if they make their way past Saints.

Some may well claim the dispensation of money and spending power of the Top 14 giants gives them an unfair advantage, but unfair or not, the vice on European honours is seemingly still theirs.

Loser: Wales Lose an All-Time Great Following Adam Jones' Test Retirement

Five Test caps shy of a century, Adam Jones has announced his retirement from international duty after Warren Gatland failed to name the veteran Wales prop in his Six Nations squad, per ESPN Scrum.

Jones won three Grand Slam titles and 95 caps with Wales, touring with the British and Irish Lions on two occasions, but his involvement under Gatland has severely diminished over the past year.

Of his decision to rule himself out of future Wales selection, the 33-year-old is quoted as saying:

"

Playing for my country has been the proudest moment of my professional career. However, it is now time for me to step aside and let new talent run out in the red jersey of Wales. I am committed to my club Cardiff Blues and look forward to the rest of the season where we are targeting success in Europe and the Guinness Pro 12.

As a child it was my dream to play rugby for Wales, the sport is almost a religion here and I am honoured to have played for my country and to have represented the British & Irish Lions. This year I promised myself that I would work as hard as possible and do everything within my power to get back into the Wales squad. Despite putting my all into this it has become apparent that it wasn't enough, I feel like I am more than just injury cover and have therefore decided to call it a day.

It has been a tough week for me but the support from the Welsh fans has been overwhelming, just as it has ever since my first cap. I have loved every minute playing for Wales, the highs far outweighing the lows, and I am incredibly proud of what I've achieved and accomplished in the red jersey.

"

Jones will be remembered as a stellar front-row servant to his nation, but with the likes of Samson Lee emerging through the ranks, his choice to call it a day now is one to be respected.

It's a shame the Cardiff Blues prop didn't get to make his mark with 100 caps, but Wales will nevertheless feel indebted to one icon of their success in recent years.

Winner: Premiership Clubs Hold Challenge Cup Edge

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Just as French teams may hold an upper hand in the Champions Cup quarter-final draw, Premiership teams boast the same dominance of the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Four of the last eight to make up this season's quarter-finals originate from England, three of whom will host quarter-final fixtures—Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs and London Irish—while Newcastle Falcons travel to Exeter.

And just as an all-French final is possible in the top-tier competition, we may by all means see two Premiership teams make their way through to a Challenge Cup final at The Stoop come May 1.

In a way, the Premiership administration can be overjoyed with their European success this term, and while France's elite may sit far away as some of the strongest sides in the northern hemisphere, England's wide-scale quality is something to behold.

Altogether, eight of the 16 teams involved in European quarter-finals this season play in the Premiership, France accounting for three, Ireland two, Wales two and Scotland just the one.

That is a terrific achievement for the Premiership, illustrating just how strong their representatives are on average, not simply at the top.

Loser: Tom Wood and Geoff Parling Add to England's Injury Dilemma

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England's ongoing injury woes just got worse, after it was reported by ESPN Scrum that Tom Wood and Geoff Parling had suffered injury to heap further woe on England chief Stuart Lancaster.

Wood twisted an ankle during the Saints' loss to Racing Metro this past weekend, while it took just three minutes for Leicester Tiger's Parling to be withdrawn against Ulster.

The situation at lock is particularly troublesome, with Joe Launchbury and Ed Slater already poised to miss the entire Six Nations, while Courtney Lawes should be absent for the first few fixtures.

The back row has been affected already by the loss of Ben Morgan (broken leg), with Wasps captain James Haskell standing among the top contenders to replace Wood at flanker.

At full fitness, this England squad certainly has the capacity to challenge for Six Nations glory, but injuries are putting the title further and further outside their reach.

Winner: Munster's Sharks Rout 'Bittersweet,' but Ireland Could Prosper

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Munster coach Anthony Foley was quoted by ESPN Scrum as describing Munster's 65-10 drubbing of Sale Sharks this weekend as "bittersweet," his team bowing out of their European campaign on an extreme high.

But despite falling miserably short of Clermont and Saracens at times in their European Rugby Champions Cup pledge, Ireland may yet take heart in the Red Army's demise.

After all, nine tries—even against a weakened Sale side—is no small feat, and Joe Schmidt will have been buoyed to see the likes of Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway in such spirited form, grabbing a brace of tries each.

Tommy O'Donnell and Keith Earls also got in on the scoring exploits, while fly-half Ian Keatley showed his quality with a 14-point haul, giving Schmidt confidence in the depth he possesses.

Munster will undoubtedly be disappointed to be heading out of European contest this early in the season, but where one province falls, a nation can hope to thrive in the Six Nations thanks to a morale-boosting display at Thomond Park.