Power Ranking Europe's Top 15 Club Teams After Weekend of January 23-25

This week’s power ranking is guided by the final shakedown for Champions Cup quarter-final places and those who just missed out.

The last eight gives an indication of the spending power of the Top 14 clubs, with all three French qualifiers winning their pools and enjoying home advantage in the next round.

England has four qualifiers, with only Bath topping their pool, who must all travel for their chance to make the semi-finals.

Leinster are the sole Celtic representative in the next round, a feat they have achieved in the absence of players such as Cian Healy and Sean O’Brien.

Here is how they stand.

15. Leicester (Premiership)

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Leicester were handed another shellacking in Belfast as Ulster destroyed their hopes of a bonus-point win that would have given them a chance of qualifying.

The Tigers showed early menace but were beaten 26-7 by a far more clinical Irish outfit. They can now turn their attention to improving on their sixth place in the league, one point off a play-off spot.

That aim will not be helped by the fact Geoff Parling was injured in the opening exchanges of Friday night's defeat and, according to BBC Sport, will be out "'three to four weeks' with damage to his medial cruciate ligament."

14. Ulster (Pro12)

Ulster gave their home fans something to cheer with their 26-7 win over Leicester, which featured a hat-trick from centre Darren Cave.

They are fifth in the Pro12 and remain in the fight for a play-off place, a spot which their next block of fixtures could help them reach, says the Belfast Telegraph's Jonathon Bradley:

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A run of fixtures that brings visits from Treviso, Scarlets and Cardiff, as well as trips to face Edinburgh and the Dragons, sees Ulster play five of the bottom six in succession, with the opportunity to amass a high points total too good to pass up.

Even shorn of their Test stars, the momentum from the Tigers victory must be carried into early spring given a concluding slate of fixtures that includes Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Glasgow.

"

13. Munster (Pro12)

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Munster were already out of Europe but ended with a bang in the form of a 65-10 win over Sale.

Anthony Foley’s side are not the force of old but have a fighting chance in the Pro12, where they sit third, just two points behind the Ospreys.

Still, the hurt at missing out on the latter stages of a competition every Munster rugby fan adores will linger, as the Irish Indepenent's Ruaidhri O'Conor wrote:

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This was as easy as European rugby gets but Anthony Foley's men needed a gentle touch after their mauling at Saracens last week. Nine tries, a record points haul and a lift in the mood was just what the doctor ordered.

It won't soften the pain of looking at the list of quarter-finalists and seeing Leinster there alongside two teams from their own pool, nor will it make April any easier to endure as Europe carries on without them for the first time since 1999.

"

12. Glasgow (Pro12)

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Glasgow came close to a place in the quarter-finals with a stirring performance against Bath.

The Scots led until the 52nd minute, when a yellow card for Alastair Kellock and penalty try swung the game Bath’s way, the home side claiming another penalty try for a 20-15 win.

Gregor Townsend’s men can now focus their attention on the Pro12, where they sit second, and they will have to put this heartbreak to one side.

The Scotsman's Hamish Stuart wrote:

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They stayed true to their principles right to the end, stretching the home team, but could not quite find a breaking point in the Bath defence when it 
mattered most. A defeat that was more than brave, but ultimate disappointment nonetheless.

"

11. Exeter (Premiership)

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Exeter progressed into the last eight of the Challenge Cup with a 45-3 win over Bayonne, where they face an all-English tie with Newcastle.

This, combined with their challenge for a play-off spot in the premiership, is deserving of a ranking here.

February holds the key to maintaining their top-four campaign with fixtures against two rivals for those places in Bath and Harlequins.

They will need to do without Jack Nowell as he links up with England and also have four players in the mix for the England Saxons.

10. Stade Francais (Top 14)

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Despite putting little effort into their Challenge Cup campaign, Stade are second in the Top 14 and level on points with leaders Clermont, which earns them a place in this ranking.

Stade only have two top four sides left to play this season, with those big games against Clermont in March and city rivals Racing in May, who will both potentially have European assignments still to complete.

A squad of this size and ability should have mounted a challenge in Europe.

9. Ospreys (Pro12)

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The Pro12 leaders were humbled by Treviso in Italy to end another poor European campaign with a whimper.

A largely second string side was beaten 23-20.

At least bodies were preserved and players were given a run out who will be needed during the Six Nations while their internationals are away with Wales.

Forwards coach Chris Gibbes alluded to this in his post-match comments:

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There is a gap now in the squad where we are losing some quality players for the next couple of months but these youngsters have to try and close the gap.

We want to go forward as a group, as an organisation, and these guys are the ones that have to do it.

It takes time, and the brutal thing in this tournament is that you don’t have a lot of time. You either get it right or you get burned, and we got burned.

"

8. Wasps (Premiership)

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Had Andy Goode’s drop goal wobbled over the cross bar, Wasps would have stolen the group from Leinster and would be looking ahead to filling the Ricoh for a home quarter-final tie.

It did not, and they now travel to Toulon to face the champions.

The tie throws up some intriguing battles, with English No. 7s James Haskell and Steffon Armitage going head to head, as well as a chance for England hopeful Matt Mullan to test his scrummaging mettle against either Martin Castrogiovanni or Carl Hayman.

7. Saracens (Premiership)

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Sarries ended up sneaking in through the back door to the quarter-finals.

Mark McCalls’ men were well beaten, 18-6, by Clermont Auvergne but survived as the third-best runner-up to make the knockout stages.

Injury to Owen Farrell was unwelcome news for both club and country, however, and in-form Racing Metro must be favourites now to progress from their last-eight clash.

6. Northampton (Premiership)

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The Saints were humbled by Racing at Franklin’s Gardens and have some confidence to rebuild before resuming their campaign.

Luther Burrell was outshone by Jamie Roberts, Dylan Hartley got another yellow card for a brainless offence, Tom Wood got injured and Alex Corbisiero was far from dominant in the scrum.

Courtney Lawes’ physicality is being missed at present, and they will need him back for their daunting trip to the Massif Central to face Clermont.

5. Leinster (Pro12)

Leinster were held to a draw by Wasps to qualify for the last eight, having seen first-half 20-point lead eroded and eventually willing Andy Goode’s last–gasp drop goal wide to hang on to two points.

Despite that, the three-time winners are in the quarter-finals once more and have home advantage when they take on Bath.

Neil Francis of the Irish Independent was certainly not pulling any punches in his assessment of a Jekyll and Hyde performance from the Dubliners.

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The inconsistencies that have dogged Leinster managed to come back to haunt them yet again when they were in a position of advantage - caviar in the first half, cabbage in the second.

How is it that they do not score for long periods of time when the engine is running? They manage to go 43 minutes without a score at the back end of the game, nobody seems to bat an eyelid as management navel-gaze and bemoan the fact that they couldn't "take advantage of their opportunities".

What has become crystal clear is that the Leinster team of old are gone and that ability to nail a team when they are on the rack has diminished.

"

4. Bath (Premiership)

Bath were the only English side to win in the last round of pool play.

Mike Ford’s men did it the hard way against Glasgow but ended up topping their section thanks to Montpellier’s win over Toulouse, who slid out of the tournament altogether having led the group since Round 1.

Bath now travel to Leinster, who they will fancy taking on up front after their forwards gave Glasgow such a tough time.

3. Racing Metro (Top 14)

Racing ended up as top seeds in the last eight after a crushing win away at Northampton.

Dark horses from the outset, Racing have now beaten the English champions twice and gone unbeaten against the leaders of the Pro12 in this pool.

A solid forward unit is backed up by a direct, brutish back line with Jamie Roberts and Juan Imhoff ripping the Saints apart at the weekend.

Saracens have a hell of a job going to Paris for the quarter-final.

2. Toulon (Top 14)

Toulon put the Scarlets away without frills or fanfare at Parc y Scarlets to complete their pool victory and now meet Wasps at home in the next round.

Despite the steep upward curve Wasps’ season has taken in the last couple of months, the reigning champions must be heavy favourites to reach their third straight semi-final, which would be played on French soil.

They are third in the Top 14 behind Clermont and Stade Francais.

1. Clermont Auvergne (Top 14)

Clermont gained revenge over Saracens for their opening-day defeat to ensure top spot in Pool 1 and secure home advantage in the quarter-finals.

Franck Azema’s side will face Northampton in the last eight and will be assured of home-country advantage in the semi-finals should they overcome the Saints.

They still top the log in the Top 14 and can now see a clear path to the final at Twickenham.