Ranking the Four European Champions Cup Semi-Finalists
The semi-finals of the European Champions Cup will see Clermont Auvergne take on Saracens and Toulon face Leinster. With just four teams remaining, who is best placed to win the trophy?
Which team were “New Zealand-esque” at the weekend, who will have to “improve immeasurably” to progress?
Ranking these four teams has taken into account the strengths of each squad, their winning mentality and, most importantly, their form going into a semi-final and a final only two and four weeks away, respectively.
4. Leinster
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Leinster make this enviable quartet after their narrow 18-15 win over Bath. However, despite being European rugby royalty, they prop up this list after putting in an edgy second-half performance at the Aviva.
They won the quarter-final on the back of a dominant set-piece display, particularly at the scrum. But Bath were without their two international tight-head props, David Wilson and Henry Thomas, and Leinster will not have any advantage at scrum-time in the last four against Toulon's imposing pack.
Had the match been played at Bath’s Recreation Ground, or a controversial last-minute decision gone the English side’s way, Leinster might not have made the last four. As Leinster legend Brian O'Driscoll noted on BT Sport, the province were "very lucky" with that last penalty.
Leinster will have to improve immeasurably to progress against Toulon in the next round.
3. Saracens
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Saracens were far from their best but fought their way past Racing Metro 12-11 in Paris. It was emblematic of Saracens’ resolve that it was Argentina centre, Marcelo Bosch, Saracen’s fourth-choice kicker, who won this quarter-final with the last kick of the match.
Without key midfield men Owen Farrell and Brad Barritt, as well as captain Alistair Hargreaves from the pack, this was Saracens winning ugly.
As Mick Cleary wrote in The Daily Telegraph:
"There are times when guts and grit get their reward. And so it was for Saracens, a club famed for their resolve and togetherness, for their refusal to cede to the inevitable, a bunch of blokes who fight until every breath is spent.
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In the semi-final, Saracens will need all of their resolve against the most impressive side in Europe this weekend, Clermont Auvergne. They will take great heart and psychological advantage from the way they demolished the French side last year, but this year’s Clermont are even more formidable.
2. Toulon
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Toulon have been well below their best for a few weeks now. First, they lost an 18-0 lead against Toulouse, and they then put in a nervous second-half display against Wasps. Like Saracens, they expect to win even when not at full tilt.
In their defence, they have been without some very influential players: Leigh Halfpenny, Bryan Habana and Juan Smith, while Matt Giteau was only fit enough to make the bench for the quarter-final.
However, the staggering experience in the Toulon team ought to be enough to see them through to the final. The question is likely to then be whether they can match the intensity of their French rivals Clermont Auvergne.
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1. Clermont Auvergne
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Clermont Auvergne were by far the most impressive side in the last eight, dispatching English champions Northampton in a thumping 37-5 win. They were New Zealand-esque as they cleaned out the ruck perfectly and were devastatingly efficient when on the attack.
In Nick Abendanon, Clermont also had the player of the round.
Clermont are nigh-on unstoppable at their fortress Stade Marcel Michelin, but they have sometimes struggled to reproduce their imperious home form in other venues, most notably last year’s semi-final thrashing at the hands of Saracens at Twickenham. Their rivals will need to hope history repeats itself.
Expect Clermont to make the showpiece final at Twickenham on 2 May after avenging their defeat to Saracens, and have them as favourites to lift the inaugural European Champions Cup.
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