Up-and-down form guides make forecasting this weekend’s eight ties fiendishly difficult
was comprised of pools of four, and one of the competition’s defining features was the home and away format. This was particularly true of the traditional December back-to-back rounds.
Home advantage was clearly a factor then, but it isn’t always the case. As Leinster prepared this week to host Leicester in the Aviva tomorrow night, most likely Leo Cullen has referenced the festive back-to-back games of 2013.Henderson’s return a timely boost for Ulster in advance of Montpellier clashLeinster produced their best performance of the season in Franklin’s Gardens when tries by Jamie Heaslip, Eoin Reddan and Brian O’Driscoll complemented a hat-trick by Luke Fitzgerald in a 40-7 win.
Furthermore, no matter how much coaches may forewarn their players, or how much they say it or think it, a team which has comfortably beaten specific opponents might struggle to convince themselves they are not superior just a week later. If nothing else, that fear of defeat may have been diluted, if not eroded. And that’s all it takes.
Results among some clubs have fluctuated dramatically, not least in the Premiership, where the absence of relegation has assuredly contributed to some carefree high scoring. This has even prompted some claims, on TNT Sports of all places, that it’s a shame the Champions Cup is interrupting the Premiership. Wept!
Next is the intriguing rematch between the Stormers and La Rochelle in Cape Town at 3pm. The reigning back-to-back champions have managed only two away wins this season, but they led that pool game in the DHL Stadium by 20-9 and had a couple of tries disallowed before Mannie Libbok’s touchline conversion with the last kick of the game snatched a 21-20 win for the Stormers.
This seemed to signal the end is nigh for the fallen English giants, but two weeks ago they rose to the occasion in front of 80,000 at Twickenham by filleting Harlequins by 52-7. Allowances can perhaps be made for losing six nights later by 41-30 in Northampton.
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