Pool 1
Oyonnax
Ground Stade Charles-Mathon Capacity 11,400
Coach Olivier Azam League Top 14
There has been a complete change of coaching team, with the former Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam taking over from Christophe Urios, although there are already rumours of unrest among the players. They qualified by finishing sixth in the Top 14 last season and were probably punching above their weight – which is often a disaster for the following year as they won’t have the squad strength to fight on two fronts.Their current Top 14 position of 13th suggests this is a campaign they will want kept away from the TV cameras.
Key man Soane Tonga’uiha
Verdict Will hope to get back to the Top 14 without too many injuries
Saracens
Ground Allianz Park Capacity 10,000
Coach Mark McCall League Premiership
Top of the Premiership thanks to their outstanding defence and they will be in the knockout stage, no doubt at all. Whether their approach is good enough to win it is the big question and history says not. They are an outstanding side and I think they’ll reach the semis. Owen Farrell is hugely important and Marcelo Bosch has had an outstanding World Cup and will be a big player, not least thanks to his 60m kicking game, as Racing Métro found out last year.
Key man Marcelo Bosch
Verdict Will reach the semi-finals
Toulouse
Ground Stade Ernest-Wallon Capacity 19,500
Coach Ugo Mola League Top 14
The new coach Ugo Mola has a big challenge in replacing Guy Novès, who has left after 22 years in charge to coach France. But his side have started the Top 14 well and they are playing good rugby. Toby Flood looks alive under the new regime after appearing heavy shouldered last year. I think there is a good chance that two will qualify from this group. Toulouse went out at the pool stage last season, an embarrassment for the four-times European champions, but this year should be better.
Key man Gaël Fickou
Verdict Could well reach the quarter-finals
Ulster
Ground Kingspan Stadium Capacity 18,196
Coach Les Kiss League Pro12
Les Kiss is the new director of rugby after seven years as an assistant coach with Ireland, but there’s not much change among the players. They need a fast start, and a win at Oyonnax should give them this. But they will struggle with injuries as they are likely to be without Tommy Bowe for the season and his Ireland team-mates Jared Payne and Iain Henderson until Christmas. In their absence Ruan Pienaar becomes even more important to the side.
Key man Ruan Pienaar
Verdict Struggling to get out of pool
Pool 2
Clermont
Ground Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin Capacity 18,030
Coach Franck Azéma League Top 14
In Damien Chouly, Morgan Parra and Camille Lopez they have the best eight, nine, 10 combination in the competition. Their front row is first class and they have signed the South Africa second row Flip van der Merwe to add even more to their pack. They have also added another Englishman to their back three in David Strettle and he will form a real threat alongside the full-back Nick Abendanon. They will be unbeatable at home in the pool and I can’t wait to see them play at Exeter.
Key man Morgan Parra
Verdict Could go all the way to the final again
Bordeaux
Ground Stade Chaban-Delmas Capacity 34,694
Coach Raphaël Ibañez League Top 14
Adam Ashley-Cooper and Sekope Kepu are major signings but this is still a team who may wish they could focus on the league. They qualified by the back door by beating Gloucester in the play-off having finished seventh in the Top 14 and, in a World Cup year, playing every week is brutal for smaller squads. Their first XV, with Lionel Beauxis pulling the strings, is not bad but something has to give and they have little hope of progress.
Key man Adam Ashley-Cooper
Verdict No hope
Exeter
Ground Sandy Park Capacity 12,600
Coach Rob Baxter League Premiership
I’m always concerned about predicting how far they can go as they keep proving me wrong. They are an outstanding side and they look stronger again this season. Much will depend on how quickly Geoff Parling recovers from his groin strain, but the news is encouraging. They open this weekend against Ospreys and I think they are capable of getting a decent result there. With Clermont in the group, it is essential Exeter win away in Wales and at Bordeaux.
Key man Henry Slade
Verdict Must get off to flyer to challenge Clermont
Ospreys
Ground Liberty Stadium Capacity 20,827
Coach Steve Tandy Captain Pro12
They have had a shocking start to the season with two wins out of seven, both against Italian sides, but that’s no surprise with Dan Biggar, Alun Wyn-Jones and Rhys Webb missing during the World Cup. Biggar is crucial and I’m surprised he wasn’t nominated for world player of the year. He has been phenomenal and has held Wales together. Webb’s injury, though, will rule him out of the pool stage. I cannot see them getting anything from Clermont, which they would need to do to get out of this pool.
Key man Dan Biggar
Verdict Will finish third
Pool 3
Glasgow
Ground Scotstoun Stadium Capacity 10,000
Coach Gregor Townsend League Pro12
I’ve had them as my dark horses for a couple of years and they have not quite been able to nail it. Yet they won the Pro12 last season, so maybe this could be their year. Finn Russell is crucial and they have real game changers in the wing Taqele Naiyaravoro, who they signed from the Waratahs, and the Fijian lock Leone Nakarawa. A very tough start as they are away to Racing and I think they will struggle to get out of this pool, but they could well decide which of Northampton or Racing tops it.
Key man Finn Russell
Verdict Could struggle to hit a post-World Cup stride
Northampton
Ground Franklin’s Gardens Capacity 15,500
Coach Jim Mallinder League Premiership
Cannot get things going at the moment but they have dominated the Premiership for the past few years. They have had notable losses in Samu Manoa and Salesi Ma’afu, so I’m not sure their squad will be as strong as it has been, but they are still one of the favourites. All eyes will be on Luther Burrell because of the Sam Burgess situation. Saints have suffered on the road in the past, as we saw away to Racing last year, and this often costs bonus points. I do, though, think their slow start this season is a blip.
Key man Kieran Brookes
Verdict Quarter-finals
Racing 92
Ground Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir Capacity 14,000
Coach Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers League Top 14
The Ireland fly-half Jonny Sexton has gone but he may not be missed as his replacement is Dan Carter, arguably the best ever and fresh from winning the World Cup with New Zealand. They also have Chris Masoe, in from Toulon, Yannick Nyanga and Juan Imhoff, among many big names. The main man is Carter, though, and his ability to quickly settle in Europe will be key to how well Racing do. The group looks like a straight shootout between Racing and Northampton, which will be decided by their back-to-back fixtures in rounds three and four.
Key man Dan Carter
Verdict Semi-finals
Scarlets
Ground Parc y Scarlets Capacity 14,870
Coach Wayne Pivac League Pro12
They are doing well in the Pro12 but I think their Champions Cup efforts will be more about being entertaining than anything else. Scott and Liam Williams are still injured and they will be missed. Gareth Davies at scrum-half enjoyed a very good World Cup but the squad is light on numbers and with two the Williams missing they are struggling for quality. DTH van der Merwe had a good World Cup and is a decent signing from Glasgow but he will need to be scoring regularly for them to have a chance.
Key man Gareth Davies
Verdict Will go out at the pool stage
Pool 4
Treviso
Ground Stadio Comunale di Monigo Capacity 6,700
Coach Umberto Casellato League Pro12
Very weak and their presence means there is likely to be a second qualifier from the pool. We know we need representation from every country but you are guaranteed 10 points from them, which skews the pool stage. Treviso are currently 12th and bottom of the Pro12, having played seven and lost seven, and they have finished 11th in each of the past two seasons. They have not won more than one game in a Heineken or Champions Cup pool since 2005. They will struggle.
Key man Alessandro Zanni
Verdict Complete no hopers
Leicester
Ground Welford Road Capacity 24,000
Coach Richard Cockerill League Premiership
With two Heineken Cup wins to their name, in 2001 and 2002, Leicester are one of three sides in this pool who are historically strong but who are not what they once were. By hiring Aaron Mauger as head coach, under Richard Cockerill as director of rugby, it appears they are trying to move to a more expansive game, but this will take time to fully bed in and it will be tough in Europe. Manu Tuilagi will miss too much of the campaign and some of their quality is not quite where they would want it to be. Treviso’s presence, though, could see them through to the quarters.
Key man Ben Youngs
Verdict Will finish second and could qualify
Munster
Ground Thomond Park Capacity 25,600
Coach Anthony Foley Captain CJ Stander
They have huge pride and pedigree but, particularly since Paul O’Connell went to Toulon, they lack the quality to make a real impact in this tournament. The captain, Peter O’Mahony, who injured his knee playing in the World Cup victory over France, looks likely to be out for the season and will be sorely missed. If he can stay injury-free, the former New Zealand Under-20 fly-half Tyler Bleyendaal could make a real impact.
Key man Simon Zebo
Verdict Likely to finish third
Stade Français
Ground Stade Jean-Bouin Capacity 20,000
Coach Gonzalo Quesada League Top 14
Another one-time big hitter recently reduced. They are back in the Champions Cup after missing out in the play-off against Wasps to qualify for last season’s competition and are the current Top 14 champions. But they sit 11th in the Top 14 table having lost five of eight. Willem Alberts, the monstrous Springboks blindside flanker, has come in and could make a huge impact alongside Sergio Parisse. The Australia scrum-half Will Genia, another new signing, should enjoy playing on the front foot behind those two.
Key man Will Genia
Verdict Quarter-finals
Pool 5
Bath
Ground The Recreation Ground Capacity 13,500
Coach Mike Ford League Premiership
Sam Burgess was always the headline but he was never going to make a dent in Europe, and the addition of David Denton makes Bath a better side. Their problem is that their front five does not quite match their brilliant backline, and it is up front where European games are often decided. Nikola Matawalu, their new Fijian scrum-half, could well be the key man as he could change the balance between the backline and what goes on around the ruck, but I think this pool will be too much for them.
Key man Nikola Matawalu
Verdict Likely to struggle
Leinster
Ground RDS Arena Capacity 18,500
Coach Leo Cullen League Pro12
Jonny Sexton is back and his return to fitness after injury at the World Cup will be important, though his international understudy Ian Madigan, who is also at Leinster, has proven more than able. But I don’t think they will get out of this pool because of Toulon’s presence. It highlights the disparity in quality between the pools, and how it favours sides in weaker pools, as Leinster – semi-finalists last year– will struggle to get out of this one but Leicester could well sneak out of theirs.
Key man Jonny Sexton
Verdict Second and out
Wasps
Ground Ricoh Arena Capacity 32,609
Coach Dai Young League Premiership
Will be delighted to be involved and it will be interesting to see if they have the necessary front-row power. Their backline is exciting, with Frank Halai, Elliot Daley, Charlie Piutau and Christian Wade all capable of opening up a defence, and Jimmy Gopperth will set things running once he is back from his three-week ban. Whether the forwards can provide them with a platform at this level is the question, and I doubt they can – especially in this group.
Key man Jimmy Gopperth
Verdict Tough to see them making it out the pool
Toulon
Ground Stade Mayol Capacity 15,820
Coach Bernard Laporte League Top 14
Quade Cooper, Ma’a Nonu and Duane Vermeulen has to be the biggest shopping spree ever seen in northern hemisphere rugby. When you add those names to a squad that already includes Steffon Armitage, Matt Giteau and Bryan Habana, let alone Drew Mitchell, Mamuka Gorgodze and all the others, this Toulon side are surely unbeatable. The only weakness is that they have lost Ali Williams and Bakkies Botha, and the new signing Paul O’Connell is injured, so their second row may not be that great in the lineout. So that could be a weakness, but we are struggling to find it.
Key man Quade Cooper
Verdict Likely to be winners, again
