Ranking Europe's Top 15 Club Teams After Weekend of May 1-3
The European Champions Cup has gone to Toulon to add to the Heineken Cups they collected in 2013 and 2014, so the men from the Mayol sit atop these rankings once more.
They have three games left to maintain top spot in the Top 14 before aiming to defend their domestic title, while behind them an almighty scuffle is afoot for the chance to take it off them.
In England, there is also much that could change in the play–off picture behind leaders Northampton, and in the Pro 12, the last two rounds see a number of clashes between top-four sides that could still shake up who plays who to reach the final.
The play–off format deployed by all three divisions may have taken some getting used to when it was foisted on the clubs in the early years of the century, but at this time of year it proves its worth, with far more at stake for many more clubs than ever used to have something to fight for at the fag end of the season.
Time, yet, for this power ranking to witness some seismic shifts.
Just don’t bet on Toulon budging from No. 1.
15. Wasps
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Wasps’ hopes of sneaking into the play-offs hinge on beating Leicester this weekend.
The game, which can now be termed a "Midlands derby," will be played in front of a sell-out crowd at the Ricoh Arena. They have lost just once in the Premiership since moving into the stadium.
Victory over the Tigers will, if the visitors are denied a losing bonus point, see the black and gold move above their old foes, while they could also leapfrog Exeter if the Chiefs lose away at Saracens.
It’s an entirely possible scenario that could leave Dai Young’s players in charge of their own destiny on the final day when they travel to London Irish.
14. Exeter
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The Chiefs hit the road to face Saracens this weekend, looking to overhaul Leicester and reclaim the last play–off place.
After the body blows of a semi-final Challenge Cup defeat to Gloucester, an exit at the same stage of the LV Cup and their recent gallant loss at Wasps, Rob Baxter’s men have had to absorb physical and mental punishment recently.
Chiefs' Irish back Ian Whitten told the Exeter Express and Echo that it will be the top two inches for him and his fellow players that will determine their fate in the final two weeks of the regular season:
"We have talked about the mental side of things and making sure you as an individual are in the right frame of mind at the start of the game to really play your best...There were obviously a couple of technical mistakes [against Wasps] that we can fix...We never really got going until the second half, so we have talked about why that has happened and getting good starts in big games.
"
13. Leicester
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The Tigers have the chance to draw the sting from Wasps' play–off charge if they can escape from the Ricoh with a win this weekend.
Richard Cockerill’s men are in fourth spot, three points ahead of Dai Young’s outfit.
But the former Londoners have proved formidable presence in their new surroundings and the Tigers would be only the second team to beat them there if they can pull it off.
If Exeter lose to Saracens and the Tigers do get a victory, they will be breathing a little easier as they approach the last weekend's clash with Northampton.
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12. Ospreys
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Friday night’s clash with Glasgow could see the Ospreys catapult themselves up to second before Munster and Ulster do battle on Saturday.
It would throw down the gauntlet to all the other title contenders if Steve Tandy’s men can topple the league leaders, and flanker Dan Lydiate seems in the mood after rejuvenating himself following his return from France.
The Lion told the BBC:
"Coming back here, I feel I'm starting to move forward again…I went out there to play with new players and a different standard of rugby, but, at the end of the day, I wasn't being picked. On the rugby side of it, my rugby didn't move forward and that was a big thing about me leaving the Dragons…I wanted to progress as a rugby player, not stand still.
"
11. Racing Metro
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Since their quarter-final exit from the Champions Cup, the wheels have come off Racing’s league campaign and they have slipped out of the top four.
They can claw their way back in with a home win over Stade before a trip to La Rochelle and a final-day home tie with Castres.
The likes of Jonny Sexton and Jamie Roberts will be keen to sign off on their French adventures with some silverware, but that rests on ruling the city this weekend.
10. Ulster
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Ulster lie third in the Pro 12 and can overhaul Munster if they can topple them at home this weekend.
They have already seen off Connacht and Leinster in consecutive rounds, and if they can complete a clean sweep of their Irish rivals, they will be in pole position for home-side status in the semi-finals.
Their work will not be done even with victory this weekend, however. A final-day visit to leaders Glasgow could not represent a tougher finale to the regular season.
9. Stade Francais
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Stade can push Racing Metro further out of the play–off picture this weekend when they travel across town in the Paris derby.
Gonzalo Quesada’s men are three points ahead of Racing but need to bounce back from home defeat to Toulouse.
Stade’s final two fixtures come against Montpellier at home before a trip to Brive, two sides they should beat on this season’s evidence.
8. Toulouse
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Toulouse have surged to within touching distance of a home semi-final in the Top 14 play–offs.
Guy Noves’ side have strung together four wins on the spin, their best run of form all season, and are the in-form team in the league having seen off both Toulon and Stade Francais in recent weeks.
They host Brive this weekend with the 10th-placed club’s season in the balance, hovering one point above second from bottom Bayonne.
The stars are aligning for the men from the Haute-Garonne.
The top two play each other in the following round, and this week the two Parisian clubs directly below them face off.
With throats being slit all around them, the aristocrats of French rugby may emerge from the bloodbath in pole position.
7. Munster
9 of 15Second in the Pro 12, Munster travel north to the Kingspan Stadium to face in-form Ulster in a scrap for semi-final home advantage.
Anthony Foley’s side beat the Ulstermen 21-20 earlier in the campaign, as you'll see above, overcoming a 12-0 deficit and seeing Ian Humphreys’ late conversion attempt miss the target.
A repeat would all but ensure them a play–off at Thomond Park given the contrasting fixtures the pair face on the final day, with the Limerick side at home to the Dragons and Ulster on the road at Glasgow.
6. Saracens
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As things stand, Saracens will have to hit the road in the play–offs.
Mark McCall’s men will be awaiting the result of Friday’s clash between Bath and Harlequins, by which time they could be nine points adrift of Mike Ford’s outfit when they take on Exeter.
Should Bath lose at the Stoop, Sarries will know they can wipe the gap out with a bonus-point win over the Devonians at Allianz Park.
5. Bath
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Bath hold all the aces in the hunt for second place with two games left this season.
They travel to Twickenham to face Harlequins this Friday night and can put clear blue water between themselves and Saracens with a win over a Quins team that has misfired all season.
With Gloucester at home to round off the regular season, they will want to leave themselves with as big a margin as possible over Sarries who will mount up a massive points tally at London Welsh on the final day.
4. Glasgow
12 of 15Glasgow travel to the Liberty Stadium this Friday for a stiff test of their title-winning credentials.
The Warriors have a two-point lead over Munster and know that victory over the Ospreys this week will likely see them face the Welshmen again in the semi-finals.
They have already beaten the Welsh region in February, per the highlights above.
And beating Steve Tandy’s men away will fill Gregor Townsend’s troops with confidence that they can repeat the job on their own patch.
3. Northampton
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The Saints can all but seal top spot with a thumping win over London Welsh at home this weekend.
Having recently had a train christened in their honour, per Northamptonsaints.co.uk, a handsome win will see them arrive safely at their preferred destination of first place in the Premiership.
They are five points clear of Bath and will be confident of extending that advantage with a bonus-point win over the league’s basement club.
After that they have an East Midlands dust-up at Welford Road to round off the league programme. It may be a case of stick or twist for Jim Mallinder in that fixture.
With top spot sealed, he could justifiably rest all his frontline troops before the semi–finals but faces two risks in doing so.
The Tigers will be fighting to get into the play–offs, and if they run riot over a second-string Saints, it could be hard for the champions to re-establish momentum going into the knockout phase which could well see them play Leicester again.
In addition, surrendering the game at Leicester would go down like a lead balloon with the Tigers' closest challengers for that last spot in the top four.
Add to that the fact that no Saints fan would give the thumbs up to a coach who fields a weakened side against their fiercest local rivals, and Mallinder has a tricky selection to make for that final match.
2. Clermont Auvergne
14 of 15Franck Azema’s men could not reach the summit once again.
In 2013, they lost a European final to Toulon they were in command of after two second-half tries.
This time they struck early through Wesley Fofana but could not take control, instead leaking penalties that Leigh Halfpenny gleefully kicked for Toulon.
Then Nick Abendanon committed hari–kari on the stroke of half–time to gift Mathieu Bastareaud a try.
Clermont hit back through Abendanon’s excellent score after half–time but again couldn’t wrest control of the contest and were eventually worn down and undone by Drew Mitchell’s try.
A late rally and the best efforts of replacement Mike Delany could not alter Clermont’s familiar destiny.
They must now aim to avoid the same collapse that befell them the last time Toulon beat them at this stage.
They were booted out of the Top 14 semi-finals by Castres in 2013.
This year, with three rounds to go and Toulouse sniffing blood—and Toulon to face once more before the knockout stages—Les Jaunards need to clear their heads quickly.
1. Toulon
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Toulon scooped a third straight European crown with a 24-18 win over Clermont Auvergne that confirmed them once again as Europe’s best club side.
In between an early scare and a late rally from Clermont, Bernard Laporte’s team had a grip on the game like only they can administer.
Their powerful forwards won the tight exchanges and they ruthlessly capitalised on Clermont errors.
Added to their steely resolve, Toulon have stardust in their ranks, too, and it came to the fore when Drew Mitchell sliced his way through six would-be tacklers to put the result out of the question.
The poser for the rest of Europe is how to catch up with this team.
Next season they welcome Clermont’s Napolioni Nalaga, All Black Ma’a Nonu and Samu Manoa and Salesi Ma'afu from Northampton, with Quade Cooper possibly also to sign.
And they are probably not done spending yet, as they need to replace second-row pair Ali William and Bakkies Botha.
Paul O'Connell, who shows little sign of the wearying effects of age, would fit the Toulon elder statesmen template and has been touted as a possible replacement, per the Irish Examiner.
Reasons to be cheerful for the chasing pack are looking thin on the ground.
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