Six Premiership sides through to Champions Cup knockout stages

Six Premiership sides through to Champions Cup knockout stages

The knockout ties have been finalised and eight Gallagher Premiership Rugby sides are still in the hunt for European glory.

Northampton Saints finished as the only English side to go through the Investec Champions Cup pool stages unbeaten, while Gloucester Rugby matched their perfect record in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

With six sides through in the Champions Cup, the Gallagher Premiership is the best represented league in the last 16, with at least one team guaranteed to progress courtesy of an all-English last-16 tie.

Before the domestic action returns this weekend, let’s take a look at how our teams concluded their European pool stage efforts – and who they will be up against next.

No stopping Saints

There is nowhere else to start this week than with Northampton Saints, who recorded a sensational comeback in Munster on Saturday evening.


With Curtis Langdon sent off and George Furbank sin-binned in a chaotic end to the first half and Saints trailing 15-7 at the break, it seemed the URC champions would end Saints’ hot streak.

But Fin Smith had other ideas, keeping his side in it with three penalties and a drop goal before Sam Graham rumbled over 10 minutes from time to edge Saints into a 26-23 lead.


That was how it stayed and a fourth straight win in Europe and nine in all competitions secured third seed in the knockout stages for Saints, which means a rematch with Munster in the last-16, this time at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens.

Exeter Chiefs finished second behind Saints in Pool 3, losing for the first time in Europe this season as Bayonne earned their maiden tournament victory in a 40-17 triumph.

Despite defeat Chiefs clung onto a home last-16 tie, with Bath Rugby set to visit Sandy Park in April in a tantalising all-English affair.  

Harlequins leapfrog Bath for home knockout

Speaking of Bath, they faced a daunting trip to five-time winners Toulouse knowing that a single bonus-point would have been enough for home advantage in the knockouts.

And while they went down 31-19 and dropped to ninth in the overall seedings they were far from disgraced, fighting back from 12-0 down to make the French champions sweat.

Their slip up allowed Harlequins to climb to second in Pool 2 and fifth in the overall rankings after an entertaining 47-19 win over Ulster.

Louis Lynagh lit up the Stoop with a couple of memorable scores having only been called up to the matchday squad on Saturday morning, while teammates Nick David, Marcus Smith and Danny Care all dazzled.

Quins will now host Glasgow Warriors in a few weeks' time and can approach that clash with confidence after the Scottish side lost to both Saints and Chiefs in the group stages.

Saracens leave it late to progress

Saracens looked on course for a premature exit from European competition when trailing 17-5 at home to Lyon but a second-half fightback rescued a place at the top table.

Maro Itoje's second try kickstarted the recovery and scores from Argentina duo Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti sealed Sarries' progress.

Mark McCall’s side will return to Bordeaux-Bègles in the last 16, with a chance to avenge the record 55-15 defeat suffered in Round 3.

Sarries swooped into the top 16 after Bristol Bears bowed out on Friday night with a 27-10 defeat to Connacht. Defeat saw Bears fall to sixth in Pool 1 and miss out on an EPCR Challenge Cup place.

Tigers in as Sharks drop down

Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks suffered valiant defeat against last season's finalists.

Tigers went down 27-10 to Leinster on Saturday after taking an early 10-0 lead but Ireland internationals Joe McCarthy, Jordan Larmour, Dan Sheehan and Caelan Doris crossed to end Tigers hopes of a home knockout tie.

Tigers can quickly make up for that defeat though, after being drawn away to Leinster in the last 16.

Sharks, meanwhile, will now bid for a third Challenge Cup crown after a 37-24 loss to holders La Rochelle.

Alex Sanderson’s side will travel to Ospreys after the Six Nations – the Welsh side have won three of their four pool matches and currently sit eighth in the URC table.

Investec Champions Cup last-16 ties (seeding in brackets)

(1) Toulouse v Racing 92 (16)
(2) Leinster v Leicester Tigers (15)
(3) Northampton Saints v Munster (14)
(4) Bordeaux-Bègles v Saracens (13)
(5) Harlequins v Glasgow Warriors (12)
(6) Bulls v Lyon (11)
(7) Stormers v La Rochelle (10)
(8) Exeter Chiefs v Bath Rugby (9)

All Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup last-16 ties will take place across the weekend of the 5, 6 and 7 of April.

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