Ranking Europe's Top 15 Club Teams After Weekend of November 27-29

Some major scalps were taken by the away sides last weekend as both Clermont Auvergne and Munster suffered dents to proud home records.

The weather in many parts of Europe made for some stodgy rugby in all three major leagues, but at Twickenham there were plenty of tries piled up by Wasps and Saracens, who take the top two slots in this ranking as their rich form continues.

Connacht make a big move up the field with their history-making win at Munster, as do Toulon for their equally long-awaited victory in the Massif Central.

There is one more round of domestic action ahead before European matters reclaim centre stage for two weeks in which we'll see a host of back-to-back clashes that will give this ranking a significant shake-up.

15. Munster (Last Week 14)

Munster cling on to a place in the top 15 after home defeat to Connacht that has been the talk of Irish rugby this week, coming as the first reverse the Limerick men have suffered at home to the Galway outfit for 29 years.

Anthony Foley's men missed 22 tackles in the first half of their defeat, per the Irish Independent, and although they were vastly improved after the break, they couldn't get the better of an organised, in-form Connacht side who will take some catching at the head of the Pro 12 pack.

Foley has called on his players to react in the right fashion when they travel to face the Dragons this weekend, per the Limerick Leader: "I’m expecting a positive reaction (after the Connacht defeat). I think we’ll get back into it this week and make sure we’re properly refocused after this."

14. Bath (7)

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Bath slumped to their third defeat of the season at Welford Road.

The home of the Tigers is never the place to visit in Baltic weather if you are looking to avoid being brought back down to earth with a thud.

But following their home win over Leinster in Europe, this was to where Mike Ford's men had to travel to try and establish some momentum off the back of that win over the Irish giants. They couldn't do it, despite an electrifying try from Anthony Watson getting them into an early lead.

Bath now languish in eighth place in the Premiership but can at least look forward to the return of England centre Jonathan Joseph before Christmas, per the Guardian.

13. Leinster (15)

A tight, tense 8-3 win for Leinster over Ulster may well signal the start of a recovery for the Dubliners after a harrowing start to their European campaign.

Sean Cronin's try and Jonny Sexton's penalty trumped Paddy Jackson's solitary three-pointer for Ulster and brought them to within a point of third-placed Munster in the Pro 12.

But, as the Irish Independent's David Kelly points out, the three-time European champions may have sealed a few holes in the defence that proved so easy to breach by Wasps; now they need to sharpen up at the other end:

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One chance snaffled from eight legitimate scoring attempts may have ultimately proved enough for victory against a lacklustre Ulster but, with champions Glasgow, a double date with Toulon and an away derby against Munster looming this month, attack and defence must dovetail better.

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12. Scarlets (New Entry)

Scarlets downed a spirited Zebre 20-12 at Parc y Scarlets to move into second spot in the Pro 12 and keep their season ticking along nicely.

Wayne Pivac's side are already behind the eight ball in Europe, having lost their first two fixtures in a difficult pool, and their focus may well now be solely on domestic matters.

With derbies against Ospreys and Cardiff providing the opposition in two of the next three Pro 12 fixtures, the West Walians will be looking to prevail in those local scraps to keep the heat on league-leading Connacht.

11. Ospreys (9)

Ospreys may have got the win in their derby with Cardiff, but they were far from impressive as they took the points with a 13-6 scoreline.

Walesonline's Delme Parfitt wrote:

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While the Ospreys sometimes lack creativity they usually do the basics well. Which is why it was alarming to see them turnover so much possession, particularly in the attacking third. It was a sloppy display by Steve Tandy's men even though they got the result in the end and you have to say they need to buck their ideas up in the Guinness Pro12.

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But there was encouragement for coach Steve Tandy in the performance of rookie No. 10 Sam Davies who came on for the injured Dan Biggar at half-time.

Biggar has yet to nail his colours to the mast for the Swansea-based side as far as his next contract is concerned, and Parfitt pointed out that the composure of the youngster in seeing his side home in this one was at least an indication that, should Biggar opt to try his luck elsewhere, Davies is able and willing to fill his boots.

10. Toulouse (8)

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Toulouse played a full part in a thunderous encounter between two sides with genuine aspirations of going all the way in the Top 14 this season.

They went down 28-13 in the end to Racing 92, who took advantage of a yellow card for Toulouse lock Yoann Maestri to score from a lineout at a crucial point in the game that gave the home side the breathing space to finish Toulouse off.

9. Clermont (3)

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Clermont take a tumble after a thrashing at home to Toulon that enabled the chasing pack to close up on the early-season Top 14 leaders.

This was more like one of Clermont's common away-day capitulations. They have one of the proudest home record in all of sport, which underlines what a turn-up this result was, even with the quality Toulon possess.

It is never a good idea to start question just how the opposition can afford to field so many of the game's stars just after they've given you a severe hammering, but Clermont boss Franck Azema did just that in Midi Olympique, with no regard to the risk that it might just come across as a dose of sour grapes, per Planet Rugby:

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It seems to me that there is a rule where the salary cap is €10 million. Is everyone respecting that? Who checks this? On the surface everything seems normal. Yet when I look at the size of Toulon's squad and the players they have even yet to arrive, I have to smile.

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8. Northampton (5)

Saints recorded a 15-3 win over Gloucester that places them sixth in the table and in sight of the top four, just two points behind Harlequins.

Jim Mallinder's side are not firing on all cylinders this season so far, as the Independent's Chris Hewett explained:

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Northampton... are not obviously in prime condition to mount a meaningful challenge for honours this time around. On the most recent available evidence, they are less than wholly convincing in too many areas for it to be a vintage campaign in the making.

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The Saints' next two Premiership fixtures are away trips to Bath and London Irish, after which they will have a clearer idea as to whether they can prove such predictions wrong.

7. Exeter (10)

Exeter hung on for a 26-25 win over play-off rivals Harlequins in wet, blustery conditions at Sandy Park.

Back-row pair Tom Johnson and Dave Ewers won plaudits from the Guardian's Paul Rees and, in doing so, maintained their second place behind Saracens in the Premiership.

Having retained Rob Baxter after the coach was mentioned amid the speculation around the England job, the Chiefs may well be loaning plenty of their players to England when Eddie Jones names his first squad in January.

6. Leicester (4)

Leicester put six points between themselves and last season's beaten Premiership finalists Bath with a 21-11 win at Welford Road.

In weather described by the Guardian's Rob Kitson as "conditions which would have ruffled a deep-sea trawlerman," Leicester's fabled characteristics as a side with a penchant for gutting it out in such circumstances were rubber-stamped.

Dan Cole, no regular patron of the space beyond the opposition's try line, got the decisive score from short range that helped the Tigers to their fourth league win in five outings and third place in the table.

5. Connacht (12)

Connacht continued their impressive start to the season by ending a 29-year wait to win on Munster's home turf.

The perennial poor relations of the Irish rugby provincial pyramid downed the two-time European champions at Thomond Park 18-12.

And the Irish Independent's Cian Tracy attributed the rise in the Western Irish side's to their successful policy of bringing through their own players.

At the core of the famous victory was a group of young players who have come through the province's academy.

"In the immediate aftermath of their quite brilliant win, John Muldoon, a player who typifies everything that Connacht rugby is about, neatly summed up the province's current state...Of the starting XV, nine players came through or, in a couple of cases, are still rising up the ranks of the Connacht system while six of the seven replacements have followed the same path."

4. Toulon (11)

Toulon made history with their first-ever win at Clermont Auvergne, handing the league leaders their first defeat of the season with the 35-9 shellacking.

Bernard Laporte's side elevated themselves to third spot, just two points behind Les Jaunards, with this win and hop up the rankings as a result.

3. Racing 92 (6)

Racing moved up to second spot with an impressive win over Toulouse in Paris, the perfect welcome to Dan Carter as the All Black great watched his new club from the stands.

Three tries and a powerful forward display saw the Parisians home in a full-blooded encounter that helped them narrow the margin to Clermont Auvergne at the top of the league.

2. Saracens (2)

Saracens continue to set the pace in the Premiership after thrashing Worcester 48-18 at Twickenham.

Charlie Hodgson was in command for Saracens in the No. 10 jersey, with six conversions and two penalties to make it five wins from five in the league and two from two in Europe.

But it was another two Englishmen with a new Red Rose coach to impress who caught the eye of the Telegraph's Mick Cleary:

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The brace of trademark predatory tries were Ashton’s first of the season. Timing is very much part of a wing’s repertoire. Ashton looks hungry and revitalised, looking for work, popping up all over the field. He will be on Jones’ radar as will Maro Itoje who enhanced his growing reputation.

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The Fez Heads have started strongly and already look a safe bet to be in the play-offs.

1. Wasps (1)

Wasps followed up their two wins over stellar Champions Cup opposition with a win over London Irish that lifts them into the top four of the Premiership.

Their 33-15 win included another two tries from new wing Frank Halai, although the Guardian's Gerard Meagher was not impressed with the style of this victory:

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The European swagger of recent weeks was notably absent against a workmanlike London Irish, who remain empty-handed from their first five matches. Elliot Daly showed glimpses of quality but this was not a vintage Wasps performance.

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Perhaps this is a sign of genuine contenders if Wasps can fall off in performance level but still record a bonus point win.