Well, after far too much work and severe cases of noses to the grindstone, we managed to briefly come up for air and talk about some rugby. While there has been a lot to mull over in the rugby universe over the past few weeks and since the last time we managed to put pen to paper, we’ve boiled this week’s missive down to three key points that got us the most animated. Tomorrow sees the start of a Tournament we dearly love, but has suffered in the past few years from a rather cumbersome structure, and sadly, this year isn’t really much better. Yes, it’s European Rugby’s version of Football’s Champions League, as the European Champions and Challenge Cups kick off this weekend, with the added spice of South African teams in recent years. As an international competition that brings some of the World’s best and most storied clubs together, it still has plenty of appeal and the potential to produce some thrilling contests.
Of huge interest to all of us was this week’s World Cup draw for the 2027 edition of the global showpiece in Australia. The expanded Tournament now features 24 teams, up from the usual 20, in six groups of four. The 6 best teams in the World at the moment avoid the potential of facing each other in the Pool stages. However, it still means that by the quarters there will be inevitable exits of some very big names, and, as always, controversy is ripe, as it doesn’t seem all that much better than the highly disputed, borderline farcical draw for the 2023 World Cup. We try to break down the ramifications for the six top teams.
Finally, if you, like us, witnessed the horror show in Cardiff last weekend, you would think that Welsh rugby is officially deceased after they were annihilated 73-0 by the World Champions South Africa. The Springboks had a good number of their big guns, as well as a plethora of rising talent. Wales, on the other hand, had to combat the green and gold juggernaut without many of their key players, and it’s been a rough old month for Welsh fans, as new Coach Steve Tandy’s reign has not got off to the most promising start. However, contrast that with the fortunes of Welsh clubs in the URC, and all of a sudden we have to ask ourselves: is the picture really that bleak, and by the time the Six Nations rolls around, could Wales start to think of handing their Wooden Spoon to someone else?
So without any further ado, let’s get into what kept our pints short but frothy.
Will this year’s European Champions and Challenge Cups produce a tournament that holds our interest from the start?
Despite the whole thing feeling a bit flat and pointless last year, this is still a tournament we cherish, as Europe and South Africa’s best clubs will compete over the next two weeks in the first two rounds of Pool matches. Last year, many of the contests were complete mismatches, and there was very little at stake until the knockouts in April, making it hard to generate much interest in the first four weeks of both Competitions. While the Challenge Cup may still suffer the same fate this year, there are enough big games in the Champions Cup during the Pool stages to keep us interested.
A lot of the usual questions remain: will South African sides prioritise this over a Competition like the URC, which they seem to value more? Furthermore, French sides often don’t take it all that seriously until the knockouts, especially those who don’t consider themselves as silverware contenders. With the quality of rugby on offer in England’s Premiership and France’s Top 14 this year, is it ultimately going to devolve into a cross-channel shootout as the knockouts approach, or will South African and Irish sides spoil the Anglo-French party?
We think that some of the answers to those questions will be found in this opening weekend. On Friday morning, two sides who should be doing much better than they are in their respective leagues kick the tournament off in Salford, as Sale Sharks host the Glasgow Warriors. Glasgow Warriors arrive fully loaded, despite only managing to be a mid-table team this year in the URC, after having been URC Champions in 2024. Sale, meanwhile, have some big guns in their ranks that have been key to England’s recent revival, yet they too somehow can’t seem to rise out of the middle echelons of the Premiership. Are both teams prioritising European over domestic glory this year? Looking at Glasgow’s lineup for tomorrow’s match, that would seem plausible, but in Sale’s case, much less so, though for the English side niggling injuries mean that they are without the services of George Ford in the playmaker role.
On Saturday morning, defending Champions Bordeaux make the long trek to Pretoria to face South African powerhouse the Bulls. The Bulls, who have struggled with consistency on the big stage in Europe, will surely be up for the challenge of kicking off their European campaign in style in front of their demanding and devoted fans. French teams are not renowned for their ability to travel well, and Bordeaux themselves have not proven to be the razzle-dazzle team they were last season, despite boasting the talents of France’s hottest try-scoring properties, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud. Once again, though, it’s a case of two teams who should be doing so much better than they are in their own competitions, possibly prioritizing European glory this year.
Perhaps one of the most tasty fixtures of the weekend though is that between Bath and Munster on Saturday afternoon. Bath are dominating the English Premiership this year, while Munster’s traditional grunt and grit have seen them firmly ensconced in the URC’s top three this season. Could Munster be the surprise Irish package of the Tournament and if so, how will that affect Irish selection decisions going into the Six Nations? With Max Ojomoh being one of England’s revelations this Autumn, and a genuinely stacked Bath side it’s going to require every ounce of grit and determination that the Irishmen can muster if they are to start their European exploits with a win.
Sunday also sees some intriguing encounters, with the morning clash between a red-hot Pau and Northampton being the highlight. Northampton made it to the final last year and packs a raft of talent in terms of all that is new, bright, and shiny about England this year. Pau, meanwhile, are lighting up the TOP14 with their pack of relative unknowns this year, and the French outfit is exceptionally dangerous and would love nothing better than to celebrate their promotion to the Champions League with a home win over last year’s runners-up. Northampton have Championship material written all over them this year, and it’s hard to see them not going deep into the knockout stages. Still, Pau will not be daunted by the challenge – let’s face it, they have taken scalps off French giants like Toulouse and Bordeaux already this season.
Finally, Edinburgh find themselves back in Champions Cup action this year on Sunday afternoon. However, their campaign opener at home will not be easy against French side Toulon, who are one of the most successful teams in the competition’s history. European glory means almost as much to Toulon as it does to fellow French competitors Toulouse. However, if Edinburgh can pull off the unthinkable, they may enjoy an extended stay in the competition this year, rather than an early exit stage left once the Pools are concluded.
If some of these games are as good as they promise to be, then this year’s tournament could see a return to the competition’s heydays, where some of the bigger games had a genuine Test match feel to them, especially come the knockouts. We can’t wait to find out, and best of all, the tournament has become so much easier to watch here in Canada through FLO Rugby, along with the usual providers from the past, Premier Sports Asia.
Sale vs Glasgow – Friday, December 5th – 3:00 PM (Eastern) – Premier Sports Asia and FLO Rugby (live and on demand)
Bulls vs Bordeaux – Saturday, December 6th – 10:15 AM (Eastern) – Premier Sports Asia and FLO Rugby (live and on demand)
Bath vs Munster – Saturday, December 6th – 3:00 PM (Eastern) – Premier Sports Asia and FLO Rugby (live and on demand)
Pau vs Northampton – Sunday, December 7th – 8:00 AM (Eastern) – Premier Sports Asia and FLO Rugby (live and on demand)
Edinburgh vs RC Toulon – Sunday, December 7th – 12:30 PM (Eastern) – Premier Sports Asia and FLO Rugby (live and on demand)
The World’s Top Six Teams and arguably the most likely contenders to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy avoid having to face each other in the Pools, but their route from there to the Final is not without its problems and as always decidedly more fraught for some and easier for others.
Well the names have been pulled from the hat and we now know what the Pools for the 2027 World Cup look like. It’s never going to be perfect and striking a balance that works for everyone is next to impossible. However, the gross imperfections of the 2023 edition seem to have been avoided for the most part, unless you ask the current number 1 and 2 sides in the World, South Africa and New Zealand. Therein lies the rub, one of these two teams will be going home after the Quarter-Finals barring a miracle. Despite the top six teams in the current World Rankings all being put in different Pools, based on the current format South Africa and New Zealand look set to clash in the Quarter-Finals and not in the Semi-Finals.
Pool A sees New Zealand as the dominant team, with, in reality, their only potential banana skin being hosts Australia, who they share the group with. Barring the improbable scenario of New Zealand being beaten by Chile or Hong Kong, the All Blacks will go through as either the winners of the Pool or the runners-up. The problem is that if they want to avoid the risk of a potential Quarter-Final exit against the Springboks, they could have to throw the game against Australia in the Pools. Unlikely and a definite gamble given that in Pool B, South Africa might be thinking exactly the same and choose to throw their game against Italy. While it’s unlikely that either would do so, it is nevertheless a scenario, made worse by the possibility that hosts Australia could be thinking the same to avoid a Quarter-Final clash with South Africa and, consequently, let their game against New Zealand slide. It’s a variable set of pressures that, in reality, the tournament could do without. If truth be told, both Australia and New Zealand would arguably prefer to finish second in Pool A and have a much better chance of making it to the Semi-Finals than if they finished first.
In Pool B, South Africa faces very few potential banana skins, so if they were to throw a match as in the above scenario, it would look all the more obvious. Hence, it’s unlikely to happen, but as things stand, they look set to face either New Zealand or Australia in the Quarter-Finals, unless Italy takes them to school in the Pool stages, which would be one of the potential great storylines of the Tournament, but unlikely.
Once we leave Pools A and B, the top teams in Pools C, D, E, and F have a much more level playing field and a route to a potential Semi-Final spot and beyond. In Pool C, Argentina look set to be unchallenged, leaving them to face Ireland in the Quarter-Finals. Given they’ve been Ireland’s bogey side in the past at World Cups, along with Ireland’s now well-documented inability to get past the Quarter-Finals, the Pumas will feel more than content with their lot, and a possible Semi-Final Clash with England.
In Pool D, the Scots will feel aggrieved once more to be drawn alongside their old nemesis Ireland. Ireland, as the top team in Pool D, is also unlikely to be thrilled at the prospect of coming off second best to the Scots in the Pools. If the Scots top the Pool, they have the unenviable task of a Quarter-Final against Argentina, or, if they finish second, a Round of 16 against France. For Ireland, given their apparent psychological stumbling block when it comes to the World Cup, they will be unhappy with either France as Round of 16 rivals or Argentina as Quarter-Final opponents. However, they would probably prefer the South Americans over their Gallic rivals.
In Pool E, France will be feeling relatively positive and comfortable, knowing that, as the top-ranked team in the Pool, they face no real jeopardy and look set to face Fiji in the Quarter-Finals, provided they can get through an awkward Round of 16 encounter against either Ireland or Scotland. Get through that, and then there is the potential nightmare scenario of a Semi-Final with South Africa and all the ghosts of 2023 that come with it. However, till then, it should be relatively plain sailing for France.
Finally, Pool F sees England with arguably the most leisurely ride of them all to the Semi-Finals. The only real variable for them is who their Quarter-Final will be against, either Australia or New Zealand. Given their demolition of both these teams this Autumn, you’d think that, although neither can be taken lightly, the knowledge that they can comfortably beat both teams with the proper preparation will help reduce some sleepless nights.
Look, it was never going to be perfect, and the potential of having either the number 1 or 2 ranked side in the World leaving the party at the Quarter-Finals is less than ideal. However, given New Zealand’s current trajectory, will they still be the number 2 side in the World come 2027? The debate around this will rage on well into many late nights in pubs and bars around the globe until October 1st, 2027, and the opening whistle of a tournament that could be one of the most openly contested versions in years. We can’t wait to find out!
Contrast the dejection of the Welsh national team after their 73-0 mauling at the hands of the Springboks with the feel-good factor in Cardiff in the URC and the Scarlets’ thumping of URC powerhouse Glasgow last weekend, 23-0. Are things really all that bad in the Principality?
The nightmare at the Principality Stadium last Saturday, brought to a close a truly dismal year for Welsh rugby at Test Level. New Coach Steve Tandy’s first four games in charge hardly heralded in a brave new dawn for Wales. Heavy losses to Argentina and New Zealand, and a scrappy and labored one point win over Japan didn’t exactly fill Welsh supporters with a sense of optimism about the future. Even returning superstars like Louis Rees-Zammit couldn’t reverse the tide of destruction wrought on Wales by their opponents and a scoreboard that just kept ticking the wrong way.
That final Test last weekend against South Africa, outside the November Test window, simply should never have been played by a Welsh side bereft of oxygen and big-name talent. With their talismanic Captain and exceptional back rower Jack Morgan out with injury sustained during the first Test against Argentina and their big name players back on Club duty in the English Premiership and elsewhere, Wales sadly never stood a chance. It was a cash grab, plain and simple, and Welsh rugby ultimately looked poorer for it.
However, before Welsh fans go reaching for the nearest stiff drink they can find, we’d argue that all is not lost. The National Team may be on life support, but at the Club level, things don’t look as grim as they could be. Cardiff Blues currently sit in second place in the URC table. Scarlets won their first game of the season against 2024 Champions Glasgow. They didn’t just win, they left the Scots scoreless. Admittedly, the Glaswegians were missing the vast majority of their 1st choice players. However, it was still an impressive victory nonetheless and a much-needed shot in the arm for rugby as a whole in the beleaguered Principality. Even the lowly Dragons gave Irish powerhouse Leinster some genuinely nerve wracking moments last weekend.
This weekend sees Cardiff open their European Challenge Cup account with a trip to Paris and a rather ominous-looking Stade Francais. This could be the start of Welsh rugby’s renaissance if Cardiff can show the Parisians in their flashy pink jerseys that blue is the in color this season. For us, it’s the most crucial game of the opening weekend of the Challenge Cup. Cardiff have an exceptionally challenging Pool stage journey, having to face, in addition to the Men in Pink from Paris, Ulster, Racing 92, and Exeter. If they can keep their URC momentum going and find a route to the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup, then we’d argue the roots of a Welsh renaissance are in the making. It’s still a mountain to climb to make them competitive in time for the World Cup, but Wales need to throw last weekend in the dustbin where it belongs and start to develop a cautious sense of cheerfulness!
Stade Francais vs Cardiff – Saturday, December 6th – 8:00 AM (Eastern) – Premier Sports Asia and FLO Rugby (live and on demand)
Well, that’s it for this week, folks. Probably under the gun again next week with the daily grind, but hopefully, we’ll manage to get some Champions and Challenge Cup musings on to these pages at some point. In the meantime, enjoy what should be a very interesting weekend!
The Lineout 