Mike Cooper previews the third round of the Rugby Champions Cup, with predictions for each match. Do you agree?

Pool 1

The early Saturday kick off gives us a rare same-nationality fixture as Sale host Saracens in Salford. Sarries have looked vulnerable of late, failing to defend with the kind of intensity that wins them matches and also looking a bit naive at the breakdown. It’s the kind of form which saw them lose to Exeter last week and to Munster in their last European outing, but they should be boosted by the return of George Kruis, Owen Farrell and, in particular, England’s man of iron Brad Barritt, complete with his increasingly numb face. The three of them add a defensive steel and physical presence which should see them have enough to get the win against the Sharks, despite the hosts building nicely under Steve Diamond and Danny Cipriani continuing to pull the strings with poise and that mandatory sprinkling of occasional genius. Sale will rightly fancy their chances against a vulnerable Saracens’ outfit, but I think experience will just sway it.

There’s also a mouthwatering clash taking place at Thomond Park, with Munster hosting the French giants Clermont Auvergne. It’s well known that – like many French clubs – the 2013 finalists aren’t anywhere near the force they are at home, but with players like Kayser, Bonnaire, Fofana and Guilford in their ranks they still represent a formidable force. But Munster, as they showed against Sarries in the last round, are starting to rebuild their fortress in Limerick, battering and inimidatings sides into submission – exactly the sort of atmosphere that French sides aren’t too keen on.

Sale v Saracens: Saracens by 7.
Munster v Clermont Auvergne: Munster by 2.

Pool 2

Arguably the game of the round takes place in Pool 2 on Sunday afternoon, as Harlequins host three-time winners Leinster. The Irish province have real pedigree in the tournament and are building some momentum after a slow start domestically, picking up a good win against the leaders, the Ospreys, last weekend. With the spine of players these two sides have – the likes of Rob Kearney, Jamie Heaslip, Luke Fitzgerald and Ian Madigan facing up to Danny Care, Mike Brown, Chris Robshaw and Joe Marler, this match is brimming with international quality and should provide us with a similar level of intensity. Add into the mix that both sides like to player attacking rugby, and you have a real cracker on your hands. The visitors though, just seem to be able to control a game a little better than their hosts and I expect them to come away with a win if they can gain a first half lead.

In the other fixture, Wasps visit Castres, who are struggling badly in the Top 14 after several years of challenging for honours – in fact, they sit bottom of the league, unbelievably. The French outfit though do have quality in their ranks and, if they take the tournament seriously, they should have too much at home for the visitors, who should still have enough ambition to take away a bonus point.

Harlequins v Leinster: Leinster by 6.
Castres v Wasps: Castres by 7.

Pool 3

The last fixture of the round, on Sunday evening, probably throws up the most intriguing game as Leicester host Toulon in Pool 3. It’s no secret how badly hit by injuries Leicester have been but the worrying thing for the English club is that, even with big names returning, they seem bereft of ideas or invention in attack. The signing of Aaron Mauger as a coach is a welcome one, but is too late to have any effect on this season, and the Welford Road faithful have become restless with a series of toothless displays with the ball in hand. That said, Welford Road remains a real fortress in Europe and Toulon again do not travel brilliantly, like a lot of French clubs. However, with all the foreign talent that they have in their side they’re not especially French anyway, and they have so many players with so much experience of hostile atmospheres, I expect that they will have too much for the East Midlanders.

Elsewhere, Ulster will be desperate to get their campaign up and running after two losses in their opening two games, against the Tigers and Toulon. The Saturday night fixture time should guarantee a cracking atmosphere at Ravenhill, and in that sort of cauldron it is difficult to see any other winner aside from the Irish province, especially against a side that can blow as hot and cold as the Scarlets do.

Leicester v Toulon: Toulon by 5.
Ulster v Scarlets: Ulster by 12.

Pool 4

The opening game of this weekend’s fixtures sees the in-form Bath travel to Montpellier, a side who are notoriously difficult to turn over at home. The French outfit have been pretty inconsistent in the league – with a reassuringly symmetrical 6 wins and 6 losses in the Top 14 – but good home form has been their traditional fall back point. Bath can go into this game with some confidence though – they have the most dangerous attacking backline in England, Glasgow won in France in the last round and George Ford showed against the Wallabies that he is starting to grow accustomed to high pressure situations. I suspect that a trip to France, though, may just be the final nail in the coffin of a disappointing European campaign for the West Country side.
Pool 4’s other fixture sees this year’s surprise packages, Glasgow, take on Toulouse away from home. This is a far from classic Toulouse side and their form domestically has been sketchy at best, but in Europe they are a different animal and no how to win every game like it’s a knockout match. The Warriors will have turned some heads with their first two results and I expect they’ll fancy their chances in the return fixture, but their hosts will just have too much class and too much experience this weekend.

Montpellier v Bath: Montpellier by 8.
Toulouse v Glasgow: Toulouse by 11.

Pool 5

The big clash of Pool 5 matches up the Ospreys against the star-studded Racing-Metro at the Liberty Stadium. The Ospreys have been in fine form domestically until a couple of recent hiccups have seen them lose their top spot in the Pro 12, but with the return of their not unsubstantial international contingent, they will be a force renewed in Europe this weekend. Racing, for me, are still less than the sum of their parts and, for some reason, seem to struggle for any sort of fluency away from home in Europe – see their appalling display against Harlequins last year as a prime example. They still have danger men, of course, but the Ospreys – with the likes of Biggar, Webb and Wyn Jones back – will be an ominous prospect for any side.

Elsewhere, Northampton travel to Treviso for Saturday’s 1pm kick off and, to be honest, nothing less than a bonus point win will do. The Italian sides don’t provide the guaranteed 80 point blitz that they used to, but they are still comfortably the minnows of the competition and Treviso have been hard done-by in that they lost plenty of quality players after it was originally announced that the region would be withdrawing from major competitions. Saints have their international contingent back and should expect to leave Italy with 5 points in the bag.

Ospreys v Racing Metro: Ospreys by 9.
Treviso v Northampton: Saints by 26.

By Mike Cooper