Biggest Winners and Losers in World Rugby for Weekend of January 8-10

Time is running out for those European stars hoping to make a last-ditch run into their national team squad ahead of the Six Nations, and Manu Tuilagi has but a month to impress England coach Eddie Jones.

The centre made his return to fitness for Leicester on Saturday as the Tigers saw off last season's Premiership finalists Northampton Saints with a last-gasp 30-27 victory.

The Champions Cup also made its way back into the continental spotlight, and while some outfits have already sealed their place in the next phase of the competition, others took their leave of the competition.

Read on as we break down the biggest winners and losers from around the world of rugby this weekend.

Winner: Tuilagi's Tigers

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A last-minute penalty from Freddie Burns guided Leicester Tigers to a 30-27 win over Northampton Saints on Saturday evening, and Welford Road was overjoyed to see Tuilagi back in action.

The England centre made his comeback under triumphant circumstances, too, after playing the final 30 minutes of a win that came thanks to Burns' 80th-minute penalty goal.

Speaking after the result, Tigers coach Richard Cockerill called it "unrealistic" to expect Tuilagi to play any role in England's early Six Nations games, per the Shropshire Star:

"

I am not sure how far off full fitness he is in 80-minute terms. He played 25 or so minutes today, and he is remembering how to play rugby again. Hopefully, there will be no reaction to that. He will play next week, and we will build his fitness up gradually. At this point, I am not sure he is ready to play Test match rugby.

He has played 25 minutes in 15 months, and it is a bit premature to be discussing Manu playing for England. He needs to play for Leicester, we need to get him fit and make sure he is 100 per cent right before he starts playing Test matches.

I will speak to Eddie in the next few days. Manu will keep improving, but the start of the Six Nations is unrealistic because we need to make sure he is 100 per cent right.

"

Leicester, fourth, still sit a long way from the summit and are eight points off league leaders Saracens, but the win over Northampton goes a long way in distancing them from their fellow play-off contenders.

Loser: Champions Cup Departures

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We came into this European weekend with Scarlets and Treviso already confirmed as first-round departures from the competition, but Munster and Oyonnax have now joined the duo in failing to make the knockout stages.

Stade Francais may have been reduced to 14 men after Josaia Raisuqe was shown a red card for suspected eye gouging at the end of Saturday's first half, but the Irish outfit still couldn't avoid a 27-7 defeat in Paris.

Head coach Anthony Foley's men were deserved departures, though, as they looked limp and lacking in ingenuity irrespective of Francais' one-man disadvantage, sitting nine points off Pool 4's top two with only two games left.

That was followed by Oyonnax's 24-23 home defeat at Ulster's hands on Sunday, leaving them with just a point to their name after four pool matches and eradicating any chance of progressing in the tournament.

Winner: Up-Front Racing

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Five tries were scored at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in Paris on Saturday as Racing 92 thumped Glasgow Warriors 34-10 in another display of the power they've unearthed this season.

And while a scintillating set of backs were in action for both teams, all five tries were recorded by forwards, not to mention the fact all three of Racing's starting front-row managed to cross the whitewash.

Tighthead Ben Tameifuna was the first to go over, followed by hooker Dimitri Szarzewski and loosehead Eddy Ben Arous in the second period, with lock Manuel Carizza collecting his score in the last minute of play.

Despite all the talent the Paris giants have added to their back line in recent years, it speaks volumes of their pack recruitment that the forwards can dazzle so marvellously in such an important fixture.

Loser: Saracens

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While the aforementioned Leicester Tigers made their climb closer to the Premiership perch on Saturday, leaders and reigning champions Saracens had to settle for a losing bonus point at The Stoop.

Coach Mark McCall's men surrendered a 29-23 defeat to Harlequins as Rob Buchanan, Jack Clifford and James Horwill each went over for the hosts.

Kiwi fly-half Nick Evans hailed the crowd after what he dubbed a "special result," which pulled Quins to within six points of Sarries, while Exeter Chiefs are just three points from the top team after their win against Gloucester.

Winner: Top League Title-Chasers

The 2015-16 Japan Top League campaign edged one step closer to its climax on Saturday after Kobelco Steelers, Yamaha Jubilo, Toshiba Brave Lupus and Panasonic Wild Knights made it to the play-off semi-finals.

They defeated Kintetsu Liners, NTT Shining Arcs, Toyota Verblitz and Canon Eagles, respectively, to advance to the final four, with the semis set to take place next Saturday.

Yamaha Jubilo will play host to Toshiba Brave Lupus while Kobelco Steelers will await the visit of reigning champions Panasonic Wild Knights, who were in confident mood en route to a 46-6 drubbing of the Eagles.