So how did that happen? Three Premiership sides in the last four of Europe for only the second time in history, two semi-finals on English soil (one of them on St George’s Day) and the almost unthinkable possibility of an all-English final in Lyon next month. Few foresaw any of this in October when England were being unceremoniously dumped out of the Rugby World Cup in the group stage.
An important distinction, admittedly, should be made from the outset. The multiple “English” triumphs at the weekend owed a substantial debt to the southern hemisphere; a quick glance down the list of influential characters – Charles Piutau, Jimmy Gopperth, Nathan Hughes, Peter Betham, Telusa Veainu, Schalk Brits, Dan Carter, Juan Imhoff, not forgetting the Leicester head coach, Aaron Mauger – shows imported talent is still playing a big part in the European club game. Then again, French chequebooks still pack a hefty punch and only Carter’s Racing 92 have scraped into the semi-finals.
How come? It is certainly an inversion of the recent norm; Top 14 clubs have won four of the last six European Cups while the last champions from the Premiership were Wasps in 2007. Clearly the World Cup has turned this into an unusual season and two all-English quarter-finals made it inevitable there would be plenty of Anglo-Saxon involvement. But is this simply a blip or a sign of a longer-term trend? Time will tell but closer examination indicates a shifting picture.
Take the games between the Premiership and the Top 14 this season. Leicester’s convincing 41-13 victory against Stade Français produced the kind of scoreline once more common in reverse. It was the 17th Anglo-French fixture of this season’s tournament and French teams have won seven. Last season, for comparison purposes, resulted in a precise 50-50 split.
This year, furthermore, only two of the top six Top 14 sides made the knockout stages (Montpellier competed in the Challenge Cup this year but the other five were all involved in the pool rounds). Clermont still topped the table but are not quite the force of old. Toulon were beaten 32-6 by Wasps in Coventry; Toulouse lost 32-7 to Saracens in north London. Aside from the odd Gallic grilling – Racing at home to Northampton, Clermont at home to Exeter – and Racing’s obvious improvement, this has been the least convincing French effort in Europe since 2011-12 (also a post-World Cup tournament).
Add to this the well-documented failure of the Irish provinces to supply even one quarter-finalist – the first time this has happened since 1998 – and the inability of the Welsh regions and Scottish districts to take their place.
It has all helped to fuel the perfect storm now blowing at English backs. The World Cup failure, as host nation, also made a lot of people desperate to make amends and the rise in the salary cap – one marquee player currently sits outside the cap; next season it will be two – has boosted squad depth at just the right time. Having watched France’s international XV drifting around in the Six Nations, there is also a growing suspicion that, Carter and Matt Giteau apart, there are more inspirational leaders and talismen to be found in the Premiership nowadays.
Perhaps most crucial of all, mindsets are finally changing. It is hardly a coincidence the three English semi-finalists in Europe – as well as the unlucky runners-up Exeter – are in the top four of the Premiership as well. Wasps and the Chiefs both play an exhilarating brand of rugby and Saracens and Leicester are a far cry from the stodgy, pragmatic sides of a few season ago. In that respect they are far more closely aligned to the predominant style of rugby at the recent World Cup; how many leading French sides can say the same?
Both directors of rugby and players, in other words, deserve a pat on the back. It is just a question now of who can deliver in Reading and Nottingham – the sparkling Trent will be the backdrop to Leicester’s semi-final rather than the drab old Mediterranean – and then Lyon on 14 May. Those confidently predicting a heavyweight Saracens v Racing final are forgetting Wasps beat Sarries 64-23 at Allianz Park less than two months ago (a weakened Sarries but still …) and have not seen Leicester’s revitalised backs in full cry. A Wasps v Leicester final as in 2007?
Stranger things have happened.
NEW FRONTIERS
Two interesting recent financial news snippets have emerged. The Australian Rugby Football Union has announced annual losses of $A9.8m, following up a deficit of $A6.3m for the previous year.
The hope is that England’s three-Test tour this summer will supply a much-needed boost to the balance sheet but profitability issues clearly still remain. Contrast that with the announcement of a lucrative 10-year deal between World Rugby and the sports arm of the e-commerce company Alibaba to develop rugby union in China.
“We hope to have one million players in 10 years’ time,” said Zhang Dazhong, CEO of the recently formed Alisports. “With one million players it is easier to become a world-class rugby nation.”
Brett Gosper, World Rugby’s chief executive, has described the agreement as “hugely significant” and his member nations will follow Chinese progress with interest. Sevens is certain to be the initial focus but what price China featuring in England’s pool by the 2031 Rugby World Cup?
ONE TO WATCH
Saracens v Harlequins. Sunday’s European Champions’ Cup quarter-final between Sarries and Northampton attracted a crowd of just 8,050. This Saturday around 80,000 are confidently expected to pack Wembley for the club’s Premiership fixture with Quins. There would appear to be some marketing and promotional lessons in there somewhere.
