Ranking Europe's Top 15 Club Teams for 2014-15 Season

Before rugby's focus takes its inevitable swing in the direction of this year's World Cup, Europe's bastions have the opportunity to look back on the work of their 2014-15 campaigns—some with pride, others not so much.

French giants Stade Francais rose to be crowned the final domestic champion on Saturday, joining Saracens and Glasgow Warriors as a victor in one of Europe's top three divisions.

The celebrations don't end with those title holders, though, with Toulon showing their prestige once again, while Clermont finished as runners-up in both international and domestic competitions.

We've taken into account each team's regular season, post-season performance, consistency across the campaign and also quality in terms of money spent to determine a ranking of the continent's top outfits.

Which teams have produced enough results on the pitch to be elected into this season's top 15? Read on to find out if your club has made the grade.

15. Racing Metro

Tony Marshall/Getty Images

The club soon-to-be formerly known as Racing Metro will play under the guise of "Racing 92" from next season, a fresh start for a club hoping to move past this season's disappointment.

Club owner Jacky Lorenzetti won't feel his investment has been repaid in kind after Racing trawled to a fifth-place finish in the Top 14, some 11 points shy of first-place Toulon.

That's despite the fact Racing's spending record in recent years could rival just about any other outfit in the division, and this summer's departures of Johnny Sexton and Jamie Roberts could be damaging.

Dan Lydiate best typified the struggles of those foreigners moving to Paris, seeing his contract terminated last November so that he could return to Wales with the Ospreys.

Only La Rochelle (5) drew more games than Racing (3) this season, each of which came in the latter half of the season and all conceded from winning positions no less.

Fair enough, the club have invested once more to acquire Dan Carter, Yannick Nyanga, Remi Tales, Ben Tameifuna and others, but all that splurging counts for little without the right coaching cohesion.

14. Leinster

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Some solace can be taken from the fact Leinster were the only club to represent the Pro12 in this season's Champions Cup semi-finals, but the mood at the RDS may be nevertheless glum of late.

The 2013-14 champions saw their title defence come to what many will have deemed a premature end, finishing in fifth spot and seven points off the play-offs—a damning indictment of their 2014-15 season.

That's of course compared to the usual Leinster standard, at least, as after winning the Pro12 in 2014 and making the previous five league finals in succession, more may have been expected.

All good things must come to an end, however, and RTE reported of head coach Matt O'Connor's sacking from the club's helm in May, failing to live up to what was expected of him irrespective of prior success.

There is debate to suggest O'Connor's axing was justified and that Leinster's triumph in his first season was largely thanks to the hangover of Joe Schmidt's work at the club.

Whatever the case, Leinster couldn't maintain their previous standards; they scored fewer points while conceding more—in short, a recipe for decline.

13. Ulster

Tony Marshall/Getty Images

The Pro12 hierarchy proved a tough nut to crack this season as the top three teams finished with just one point separating them, but Ulster finished a deserved fourth, five points shy of the Ospreys in third.

Credit is due to the Irish province for taking eventual champions Glasgow to the edge in their play-off semi-final, where the Warriors were saved by a 75th-minute DTH van der Merwe try, but one fine game evidently doesn't save a season.

Again, injuries played their role in destabilising any would-be momentum, but these are the tribulations a top-tier team must tackle, and which ultimately lent a critical hand in the club's undoing this term.

One gets the impression a clean bill of health could give Neil Doak's men the impetus to finally go ahead and end their decade-long wait for another league crown, but that remains mere speculation as Ulster finished off the pace once more.

12. Leicester Tigers

Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

The halls of Welford Road reminds its visitors of Leicester's record 10 English league titles, but Richard Cockerill's side look some way off collecting an 11th based on their most recent campaign.

While the Tigers may have made the play-offs, it was only thanks to a considerably weakened Northampton Saints side that it was them and not Exeter Chiefs lacing up in the post-season entertainment.

Irrespective of that controversy, however, Leicester's current shortfall from the rest of England's elite was made all too clear in the semi-finals, where they lost to Bath 47-10 in what was a sound thrashing.

If that display didn't outline the anomalous nature of their play-off contention, the fact Leicester scored only 453 points during the normal season, while Northampton, Bath, Saracens, Exeter and Wasps each notched well over 600, certainly did.

Cockerill also won't have taken great pride in their Champions Cup challenge, either, mustering just 13 points from their six pool games to finish a long way from qualifying.

11. Exeter Chiefs

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Sandy Park is an exciting place to be right now as Exeter Chiefs' rise through the ranks of rugby's upper-echelon continued in 2014-15, albeit ending on something of a sour note.

As previously discussed, it was a difficult pill for Rob Baxter's side to swallow after failing to make the Premiership play-offs despite looking a far more entertaining team than Leicester and finishing on the same amount of points.

However, the Chiefs did make some history after managing to make their first European semi-final, losing to Challenge Cup champions Gloucester in their final-four collision.

The club's prolific youth academy now has the added benefit of seeing seasoned stars join the club's first team, and forward Tom Johnson told the official Aviva Premiership website his hopes are high for what lies ahead:

"

I think with the people Rob has brought in to strengthen the squad - and with their quality too —then then we can do even better next season. Next season we will have the European Champions Cup, which will test us a lot, but there are players coming in who are used to top-four finishes and playing in the latter stages of competitions.

That experience should help us a lot as a team and see us go one better than last season.

"

Breaking new ground in continental contest and achieving their highest-ever Premiership placement, things are certainly on the up at Sandy Park as long as the current momentum can be maintained.

10. Toulouse

Mark Runnacles/Getty Images

Despite finishing second to Bath in their Champions Cup pool, Toulouse were denied entry to the knockout phases of European competition this season, although it may have ended up a blessing in disguise.

Permitted to concentrate on their Top 14 campaign, Guy Noves' men made it to the play-off semi-finals and boasted one of the best defences in France, leaking the joint-lowest amount of tries with 37.

Noves' appointment as successor to France national team coach Philippe Saint-Andre might give Toulouse brighter hope for the future, considering his 22-year association with the club hasn't ended on the best of terms.

That's according to Rugby World's Gavin Mortimer, and if there's any possibility the lack of cohesion between boardroom and management played a role in on-pitch matters, it may explain some of the season's disappointments.

Nevertheless, a third-place finish in the Top 14 is worthy of praise as far as Toulouse will be concerned, but poor away form ultimately let them down as the club lost eight of their 13 league fixtures outside Stade Ernest-Wallon.

9. Ospreys

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Ospreys, like the aforementioned Ulster, are a team that can rue the mistakes of a glaring opportunity in this year's Pro12 semi-finals, where they just ended second-best to Munster, losing 21-18 in Limerick.

That was despite the fact Steve Tandy's men actually matched Glasgow as technically the joint-most successful team in the regular season, winning 16 and losing five of their 22 league outings.

The Welsh outfit boasted the best defence in Europe's top three leagues, conceding 358 points in total for an average of 16.3 points per game, compared with Clermont's average concession of 17.8 points per game, having played a 26-match campaign.

With that in mind, Tandy can certainly take his share of positives, but the Ospreys fell down in try-scoring prowess and were perhaps over-reliant on the boot of Dan Biggar to steer them through.

It makes for a marked change from 12 months ago, where their 59 tries was the most managed of any Pro12 team in 2013-14, but whereas others excelled in the clutch circumstances, Ospreys just fell shy.

8. Munster

David Rogers/Getty Images

Munster's send-off for 14-year first-team veteran Paul O'Connell wasn't what the club had hoped for after the Irish titans finished as Pro12 runners-up and failed to make the play-off stages of the Champions Cup.

The club's domestic form was, however, imperious for periods, and a six-game unbeaten run leading up to their final fixture against Glasgow showed the winning spirit of the Red Army.

Anthony Foley's first season in charge of his former side showed extreme promise in many ways, not least their effort to play fast, attacking rugby, topping the scoring charts with 68 tries in total.

What's more, a concession of only 31 tries across their 22 league games was the second-stingiest in the Pro 12, ultimately seeing them finish level on points with Glasgow (75)—just losing out on top spot after winning a game fewer than their Scottish foes.

With O'Connell's exit comes the final departure of the hallowed old guard, and only Donncha O'Callaghan now remains as one of those who played a role in the glory days of the decade gone by.

That being said, there is a young staple of stars at Thomond Park who, given more time to progress in big-game circumstances, may be capable of recapturing the success attained by their predecessors.

7. Glasgow Warriors

The rise of Glasgow Warriors this season brought about not only the club's first Pro12 trophy, but the first Pro12 title for any Scottish club in the competition's history.

That landmark achievement was no more convincing than in their finale against Munster, where Gregor Townsend's men ran out as dominant 31-13 victors and outscored the Irish bastions four tries to one.

Those who view the Pro12 as a weaker division right now may, however, be justified in taking that stance after the Scots also failed to make the Champions Cup knockout rounds, finishing third in their pool behind Bath and Toulouse.

The 2014-15 crown was no fluke, though, and after finishing second-best to Leinster in last season's curtain call, this campaign's victory shows the Glasgow train is very much continuing on an upward trajectory.

It also speaks volumes of Townsend's strength in depth that Glasgow held their own during the 2015 Six Nations, losing just one of their four fixtures while the tournament took place, albeit recalling some internationals for parts.

In the likes of Jonny Gray, Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg, Adam Ashe and Mark Bennett, the Warriors have a firm foundation of extremely bright prospects, with the future looking only more promising for the Pro12's in-form outfit.

6. Stade Francais

The old saying that defences win championships more so than attacking units didn't seem to apply in the case of Stade Francais, who claimed their first Top 14 title in eight years despite conceding more points than any side in France's top six.

Gonzalo Quesada's men turned that record around precisely when it mattered most, however, and prevented Clermont from crossing the whitewash during their play-off final fixture at the Stade de France, triumphing 12-6.

France's loaded 26-match season has earned a reputation as being demanding of its players, but the Paris giants won just one game fewer than Toulon, Clermont and Toulouse, the three sides that finished above them during the regular season.

The boot of Morne Steyn got Stade out of many a squeaky situation toward the end of the season after the team struggled to show any particular strength in attack or defence, ending the regular term with a points difference of plus-15.

A home record of 10 wins from 13 outings provided a backbone for their campaign, and despite dipping toward the end of an arduous season, Stade timed their upturn well to come out shining.

5. Northampton Saints

David Rogers/Getty Images

The writing was on the wall that Northampton Saints could be capable of retaining their Premiership throne in 2014-15, and after topping the regular-season standings, coach Jim Mallinder had reason to be upbeat.

Only one point separated Northampton from second-place Bath in the end, but the fact Mallinder's men sealed top spot with weeks in the season remaining illustrates just how successful their campaign was.

The Champions Cup might have been a bigger success, too, were it not for defeats to Racing Metro both home and away before losing 18-15 at Leinster in the quarter-finals.

Running in correlation with Dylan Hartley's disciplinary issues of late, one interesting statistic outlines Northampton as the most volatile Premiership club at home this season, picking up eight yellow cards at Franklin's Gardens.

Stemming the departures of Samu Manoa and Salesi Ma'afu this summer will be a trial as both jet off to Toulon, but the club has enough talent at its disposal to muster another trophy attempt in 2016.

4. Bath

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

It may seem perplexing to pitch Bath above Northampton this season after they finished second and first in the Premiership table, respectively, but such were the paper-thin margins of their separation.

However, the rise of Mike Ford's side is far more impressive after they could only finish fifth in 2013-14, making great use of the talents already at their disposal, as well as adding a few new stars.

Admittedly, Bath looked some way off Saracens' pace at Twickenham as they were beaten 28-16 in the Premiership final. But the mode in which they've played their rugby all year—head upright, options always abound and with entertainment a core principle—has been something to admire.

Only Wasps could match the West Country outfit for try bonus points this season (9), which further details Ford's plan for attack and scoring in great number.

The close loss to Leinster in the Champions Cup quarters may have brought an abrupt end to their continental journey, but one can bet their swiftly maturing squad will be all the more ready to go again next term.

2= Clermont Auvergne

Stu Forster/Getty Images

Clermont Auvergne were forced to live with some agonising disappointment on two fronts this season, finishing second-best in the finals of both the Champions Cup and Top 14 competitions.

While Franck Azema's men may have no silverware to show for their troubles, it doesn't dash away the tireless graft put together over a terrifically long campaign, involving no fewer than 35 games.

That jam-packed calendar would take its toll on even the most elite outfits, a factor certainly worth taking into account for Clermont, who lost by just six points in each of those finals.

The investment on display at Marcel Michelin is certainly having its effect and the likes of Nick Abendanon and Jonathan Davies looked superb when fully fit, and Clermont ended the domestic term with the best defence in France.

The club's world-class quality is also illustrated by the fact they lost just nine league games, the fewest of any Top 14 side, dispatching English giants Northampton and Saracens en route to their Champions Cup final.

2= Saracens

David Rogers/Getty Images

Having lost to the aforementioned Clermont in their Champions Cup semi-final, one may be tempted to dub Saracens worse than the Top 14 titans this season, but the fact that fixture came on French soil complicates matters.

It balances the argument even further to examine the pair's pool-stage clashes, when Saracens triumphed 30-23 at Allianz Park before Clermont won 18-6 in the reverse fixture.

The Aviva Premiership champions did go on to claim their own domestic trophy, however, and doing so after a fourth-place finish almost seems even more impressive, oddly enough.

As the top points-scorers in England this season, Saracens improved upon last season's last-gasp loss to Northampton and showed themselves to have learned from past mistakes.

Between that championship win, claiming the LV Cup and losing their Champions Cup semi by a margin of just four points, Mark McCall's men came close to a perfectly played season.

1. Toulon

Becoming the first team in history to win three consecutive European titles, Toulon's march as rulers of the continental roost was further solidified this season after claiming an illustrious double in 2013-14.

Despite failing to defend their Top 14 crown, Bernard Laporte's side did end the regular table on top of France's first tier with 16 wins to their name.

Not only were Toulon effective, but entertaining, too, as they ravaged their way through the domestic term to score 81 tries and 740 points in total—an average of 28.5 points and more than three tries per game.

With the money owner Mourad Boudjellal has invested in his French expedition, one would like to think Toulon are capable of challenging for silverware on an annual basis.

While a semi-final loss to eventual champions Stade Francais spoiled their Top 14 title defence, Toulon's stacked resource of international stars once again had the desired effect and continue to set the European benchmark.

All statistics come courtesy of Statbunker.