European Champions Cup: Chris Robshaw returns as Quins face up to Leinster bad blood
A look at this weekend's European Champions Cup action
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Your support makes all the difference.Harlequins v Leinster
(Sunday, 3.15pm)
The Leinster team who won back-to-back European titles in the early years of this decade may well have been the finest of the Heineken Cup era: better even than the Leicester of Martin Johnson and the Toulon of Jonny Wilkinson. The fact that the current lot are not quite of the same standard will come as some relief to Harlequins, who badly need to win this game, but there are other forces at work that may not be to the English club’s liking.
No one of sound mind believes that the Dubliners have forgotten the fake blood scandal perpetrated by Quins in 2009 – an affair that might easily have halted the Irish province’s progress to the final, where they beat Leicester to achieve their hearts’ desire. And no one imagines that memories of the brutal political battle over the future of European rugby, instigated by the top Premiership clubs and ultimately won by them, are anything but fresh in the minds of those on the far side of the water.
All things considered, then, this should be on the lively side. Quins have their England contingent – Chris Robshaw, Joe Marler, Mike Brown – back in the starting line-up, but even if those three perform at the peak of their powers, they will be hard pushed to cramp the style of Rob Kearney, Gordon D’Arcy, Jamie Heaslip and company.
Leicester v Toulon
(Sunday, 5.30pm)
Leicester have a pack worthy of the name, especially as the outstanding front-rowers Marcos Ayerza, Tom Youngs and Dan Cole are operating as a collective again. But when it comes to the big names for the big occasion, Toulon hold most of the cards. A spectacular array of Test talent from eight World Cup nations gives the reigning champions the most menacing of looks: only they could stick forwards as experienced as the All Black prop Carl Hayman and the Springbok flanker Juan Smith on the bench.
Inevitably, there will be much interest in the performance of Steffon Armitage, but the visitors have so much clout in other departments, England’s “lost” flanker could play the worst game of his life and still be on the winning side.
Sale v Saracens
(Saturday, 1pm)
It may or may not be significant that Owen Farrell, dropped from the England starting XI a week ago, lines up at inside centre for Saracens rather than outside-half. Maybe the explanation is simple: Charlie Hodgson’s form at No 10 during the autumn Test window was so good, only a crazy man would demote him at this delicate moment in the campaign.
The Londoners will be helped no end by the absence of Daniel Braid and Dave Seymour from the Sale loose combination, and Johnny Leota from their midfield.
Best of the rest
Northampton are hot favourites for a maximum five-point haul against weakened Treviso, even over there at Stadio Comunale di Monigo, hence their decision to leave players as important as Kahn Fotuali’i, Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood on the bench. Wasps, meanwhile, travel to Castres for the clash of the bottom feeders without Christian Wade and Joe Simpson, two of their brightest attacking sparks.
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