Ranking the Rugby European Champions Cup Semi-Finalists

Rugby’s European Champions Cup reaches its penultimate chapter in England this weekend with two semi-finals that are very difficult to predict.

On Saturday, Saracens and Wasps do battle in Reading, and Sunday sees Racing 92 take on Leicester Tigers in Nottingham.

All four sides won their respective pools, and so despite the high-profile absences of Clermont Auvergne and Toulon, these semi-finalists have proved themselves to be the best four teams in European club rugby this season.

Ranking them is a very tough task, but in this article, each team’s areas of strength and potential weakness are highlighted to provide a pecking order of Europe’s biggest rugby clubs.

4. Racing 92

Racing 92 topped Pool 3 and then beat Toulon 19-16 to make it to the semis. The pack is beefy, and the back-three lightening quick, but they only really have one top-drawer player.

Strength 

The French side can rely on their half-backs. Dan Carter has inspired Racing both in the Top 14 and the Champions Cup—quite simply, having the best fly-half in the world and one of the sport’s all-time greats is transformative.

In Maxime Machenaud, he has a fine partner—although Machenaud’s goal-kicking went very awry in the quarter-final.

Weakness

The pairing of Alexandre Dumoulin and Johan Goosen (who is really a fly-half) in the quarter-final highlighted the gap in quality Racing have in midfield.

And are they too reliant on Carter firing? Answer: Yes.

3. Wasps

Wasps topped the fiendishly difficult Pool 5 but have still lost two of their seven Champions Cup games to date this season.

The team’s brand of rugby is brilliant to watch (see video above), but does Dai Jones’ attacking policy win European semi-finals?

Strength

Wasps have the best back row of the four semi-finalists. Captain James Haskell gets through a mountain of work and is in excellent form.

George Smith remains a great fetcher on the openside, and Nathan Hughes is the most barbaric No. 8 in the last four.

Combining experience, technical ability and raw power, Wasps have a menacing back row, even accounting for the absence of Guy Thompson.

Weakness 

Wasps’ tight five will get a hammering from Saracens at the scrum and the lineout. Hooker Carlo Festuccia in particular will be under pressure because Saracens know his understudy, Ashley Johnson, throws very inaccurately.

Unfortunately for Wasps, the set piece will prevent them making the European final.

2. Leicester Tigers

Leicester Tigers’ renaissance this season has been mightily impressive. After they were dispatched by Bath 47-10 in the Premiership semi-final last season, the change in the respective fortunes of those two clubs this season has been astonishing.

Strengths 

Tigers can count on strength at front row and centre. 

Despite Tom Young’s injury, Leicester have the best front row. Marcos Ayerza is arguably the world’s premier loosehead, and Dan Cole is a set-piece specialist.

In the centre, Jean de Villiers’ injury problems won’t be felt due to the presence of Manu Tuilagi at 12 and the form of Peter Betham at 13. The Australian was exceptional against Stade Francais in the quarter-final, earning the man of the match award despite Vereniki Goneva’s brace.

Weakness

Aside from Ayerza and Cole (and Tom Croft, who will probably be on the bench), Leicester’s pack is unproven at the highest level and has a very green feel to it.

Given last season's performances, Tigers fans should be delighted with a place in the European Champions Cup final.

1. Saracens

Saracens, the only side with a perfect record in the Champions Cup, should win May's tournament final in Lyon. The side are so mentally strong that even when they were outplayed by Northampton in the quarter-final they still won the game fairly comfortably, 29-20.

Strength

In Maro Itoje and George Kruis, Saracens have the two best second-rowers in Europe right now. But even more importantly, they work very well as a pair.

Itoje does the glamorous turnovers and offloads, Kruis the tackles, and they are both phenomenal lineout operators.

Weakness

It's hard to see a weakness, but perhaps inflexibility is Sarries' major issue. Is the pairing of Duncan Taylor and Brad Barritt too one-dimensional? Even that’s clutching at straws.

They are defensively robust, and in any case, Alex Goode is a brilliant second playmaker from fullback.

Saracens are, without doubt, the best team in Europe this season.