Our final Champions Cup preview takes a look at pool 5 of the competition where Jonathan Sexton’s Racing Metro will be gaining the support of most Irish fans.
Joining French side Racing Metro in the group are 2011 Heineken Cup finalists Northampton Saints, Welsh side Ospreys and Italian minnows Benetton Treviso.
This group is probably the easiest group for two teams to qualify out of owing to the fact that each team is likely to get winning bonus points both home and away to Treviso. Northampton Saints and Racing seem to be in the best position to progress from the group and Irish interest in the group will rest on the French side with both Ronan O’Gara and Jonathan Sexton on the books.
How will the group play out? Continue reading below to find out how it will definitely (possibly) play out…
Top Dog. . .
The top dog in this group would seem to be Northampton Saints who, unlike some English sides, have always had a great interest in European rugby. The Saints, as we mentioned earlier reached the Heineken Cup final in 2011 where they were defeated by an excellent Leinster side.
They’re possible contenders for the competition and they most certainly have a squad capable of reaching the last four at least. They have international quality players strewn throughout their team and they are led up front by the powerful, if sometimes controversial, Dylan Hartley. Their pack has real muscle lurking within it in the form of big hitters Samu Manoa and Courtney Lawes. Their backline is dangerous with counter-attacking Ben Foden at full-back and Luther Burrell rampaging through the middle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6yE9wq9D7Y
Video via Rugby Tributes HD.
The team most likely to challenge them is Racing Metro. While sometimes frustratingly inconsistent, they have the ability to pull off big performances and we just think they may finally pull together a couple of good European performances led by Irish out-half Jonathan Sexton.
Whipping Boys. . .
The worst team in the group doesn’t even need a second thought. Lowly Treviso are the whipping boys of this group and we don’t mean to be harsh on them but the most likely points they will get in this group is points for effort.
They have been truly awful so far this season with no wins in the Pro12 and no sign of a victory on the horizon. They may get on better in the tournament if they focus on not being embarrassed in every game rather than focusing on winning.
Schmidt’s about to get real. . .
This is where we look at which Irish players need to impress to be sure of their spot on the roster for next year’s Rugby World Cup? Well there is just the one Irish player in this group so we think Schmidt is about to get real for Jonathan Sexton.
Now we know that barring injury, Sexton is a shoo-in to make the World Cup squad next year. But we know that Joe Schmidt would like Sexton to have a big year and bring some good form into his future Irish internationals. He struggled for fitness at various stages last season and Schmidt will be hopeful that the arrival of young South African fly-half Yohan Goosen will ease some of the burden on the Irish playmaker.
Sexton is a catalyst for this Racing team and when he performs, Racing inevitably follow suit. This is a important year for the Dubliner…
The ‘Conor Murray come from nowhere to get the Irish number nine shirt at the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 candidate for the most likely unknown player or player with little international experience to make the World Cup squad for England 2014’. . .
Would it not be just the best story ever written if Ronan O’Gara made a shock return.
Video via RTE.
Bending the rules here once again because ROG does have quite a lot of international experience but at this stage he would be a bolter for the squad. But just imagine that god forbid, Sexton, Madigan, Jackson and Keatley were all struck down with injury… who else would you like to have in your squad to nail a last minute penalty than Ronan O’Gara?
Player most likely to have their own Parody Twitter account. . .
We think Courtney Lawes… with the description “I smash small fly-halves when they are looking the other way”.
Prediction. . .
- Northampton Saints
- Racing Metro
- Ospreys
- Treviso
Northampton and Racing both to qualify from this group… and yes we noticed that Treviso are marked as fifth.
