'Internationals without anthems': Why Europe will be tougher than ever for Premiership sides
Alex Sanderson has had difficulty sleeping this week. On Monday, at an off-site meeting, his Sale Sharks squad watched clips of their endeavours in the Champions Cup over the past two seasons. Its format has been altered and the presence of three South African franchises, with cross-hemisphere travel bringing wildly varying weather conditions, brings an additional element of chaos. But, for Sanderson, the buzz remains.
“The lads know it’s the best competition in the world,” said the 43-year-old, who won the tournament three times at Saracens. “These are internationals, barring anthems. I couldn’t sleep last night,” Sanderson added. “We showed the lads some videos hyping up Europe. And I was up at 12, 2, 4 and 5. That’s through excitement of what this competition brings. It’s brilliant. It’s mega.”
Sale do seem to be developing a special relationship with the Champions Cup. They have reached the quarter-finals two years running, an impressive feat. To do so again, though, would be a remarkable achievement. Ulster and Toulouse are their group-stage opponents. A rather sobering fact is that there has not been a semi-finalist from the Premiership since three seasons ago when Exeter Chiefs won it all and Saracens reached the final four in their last appearance. Mark McCall’s men are back for this campaign and, with Sale and Leicester Tigers, represent the best chances of an English side progressing deep into the knockout rounds.
Saracens face Edinburgh and Lyon. Tigers take on Ospreys and Clermont. Both avoid South African opponents, for now. Harlequins are not so lucky. They begin outside the continent in Durban and the Sharks have loaded up on Springboks. Makazole Mapimpi, Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi all start, having done so for South Africa against England last month.
Sanderson believes that his internationals – Tom Curry, Jonny Hill and Manu Tuilagi – can be “re-energised” by a change of focus. Although the demises of Wasps and Worcester Warriors, and the subsequent scheduling gaps, mean most Premiership players will be fresh, the Champions Cup seems more unforgiving than ever. And that is without factoring in the ripple effects of a reduced salary cap.
Leinster, one of Gloucester’s opponents, are the favourites. Stuart Lancaster has an intriguing assignment in the opening round as Racing 92, his future employers, host his current side. The Bulls and the Stormers are the two other South African teams. Jake White is in charge of the former, and followed Sanderson in comparing the Champions Cup to the Test arena. White, head coach of the Springboks when they won the World Cup in 2007, suggested that his compatriots might be “naive” as to “what lies ahead”. Handre Pollard, another World Cup champion, can spell it out.
The Leicester fly-half, hoping to have returned from injury for rounds three and four in January, believes the South African public will quickly recognise the Champions Cup as “the ultimate club competition in the world”. The free-running franchises might surprise European viewers, too. “It’s going to be interesting,” Pollard grinned. “I’ve said a few times that the weather is going to play a role. Going to South Africa in January, mate we don’t even play rugby in South Africa if we don’t have to. F---, it’s going to be hot, humid, and tough, and then the next week you come up here in the snow!
“It’s going to be very interesting to see how the teams can adjust. I think the South Africa teams will bring a great new flavour to the competition. Lately, in the United Rugby Championship, they have been playing a really nice, attacking brand of rugby. It’s always nice and dry, and at altitude. It’s a nice place to go and play rugby.”
On the back of the autumn series, it is hard to see the victor of the 2023 World Cup coming from outside the leading pack of Ireland, France and South Africa. The Champions Cup, which will feature many of those nations’ stars, is likely to reinforce that notion. A French champion would boost the country yet further as it prepares to play host for the World Cup. Toulouse, La Rochelle, the holders, and Racing 92 seem best equipped. Then again, the Top 14 is extraordinarily tight. Should any Premiership side emerge from the pool stage and keep going, they will have earned it.
Sanderson spoke to his Sale squad this week about the palpable “taste” of the Champions Cup, reflecting on the success they have had to date and what they are striving towards, however tough it may be to attain. “It’s those moments that the lads remember,” he said. “Those on-pitch feelings of the chase.”
