European Rugby Champions Cup: Northampton face uphill battle in Racing Metro

Simon Mail
11 December 2015

Northampton Saints have won their opening two matches in the competition

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Simon Mail previews the third round of the Champions Cup where Northampton have their work cut out to claim a positive result in France...

"The teams met twice last season in the tournament and Racing Metro had the edge after beating Northampton 20-11 at home and winning 32-8 in England."

Racing Metro v Northampton
Saturday December 12, 16:15
Live on BT Sport Europe

Northampton have made an excellent start in this season's Champions Cup after opening with back-to-back wins over the Scarlets and most recently in Glasgow Warriors. The Saints have put themselves in a strong position to reach the knockout stage but Jim Mallinder's side face their toughest game in the pool with a trip to France.

Racing Metro have only played one match so far due to the postponements in Paris last month. But the French big spenders are off to a promising start after easing to a 29-12 bonus-point victory at the Scarlets. Sitting fourth in the Top 14, Racing have a wealth of resources to compete in Europe and could hand New Zealand World Cup winning fly-half Dan Carter his debut this weekend.

The teams met twice last season in the tournament and Racing Metro had the edge after beating Northampton 20-11 at home and winning 32-8 in England. It would be no surprise if the French side were in the ascendancy once more against a Saints side yet to produce their fluent best in attack. Racing are worth backing to halt Northampton's progress and claim a win by under 13 points.

Exeter v Clermont
Saturday December 12, 17.15
Live on Sky Sports 3

Exeter have enjoyed a superb start to the Premiership season which arguably peaked last weekend with a stunning 41-27 win at Wasps. The Chiefs are currently second in the table and Rob Baxter will believe his players can translate this form onto the European stage. Exeter were beaten in their first pool match at the Ospreys but a home win over Bordeaux has put them back into contention.

Top 14 leaders Clermont have consistently challenge for silverware in Europe and are again rated as one of the favourites to lift this trophy at the end of the season. The French giants have been beaten finalists in two of the last three seasons and are desperate to go one step further. Clermont made hard work of their first match but still held on to defeat the Ospreys 34-29.

Exeter were on the end of two drubbings against Clermont three seasons ago, twice conceding 46 points to them, but the English side have made huge strides since then. The Chiefs are improving all the time and will not be intimidated by their opponents. But the visitors have so much experience at this level and canny Clermont are backed to claim another win although it would be a surprise if it is anywhere near as one-sided.

Munster v Leicester
Saturday December 12, 19:45
Live on BT Sport Europe

Munster have an excellent record in the competition with two triumphs in their history but there is the impression the current side is not a vintage edition. Munster come into this clash off the back of successive defeats in the Pro 12 to Connacht and Newport Gwent Dragons. Their only match in this year's tournament so far resulted in a routine home win over Treviso but this will be their first genuine test.

Leicester have made a very impressive start both domestically and in Europe. The Tigers come into this weekend with four consecutive victories in all competitions, having fought back from 17-0 behind to beat Worcester in their last game. Richard Cockerill's side are the only team to have picked up maximum points after two matches having seen off Stade Francais and Treviso already.

There is no doubt that the Tigers come into this showdown with the momentum and also have previous form at Thomond Park. Leicester won 13-6 at Munster in 2007 which was the last meeting between the sides so the visitors will have no fear of their opponents. Preference goes to the Premiership side in a match which is expected to be tight so Leicester appeal more especially with a three-point handicap advantage.

Oyonnax v Saracens
Sunday December 13, 13:00
Live on Sky Sports 3

Saracens have been arguably the outstanding team in the first few months of the season with an unblemished record both in England and Europe. The Men in Black have won all eight matches which has left them ideally placed to challenge for more silverware. In the Champions Cup, Sarries started with a dominant 32-7 win over Toulouse and backed it up by claiming a 27-9 victory in Ulster.

Oyonnax are something of an unknown quantity in Europe and considered rank outsiders against their relentless opponents. The French side are certainly struggling in the Top 14 where eight defeats from their opening ten games has left them bottom of the domestic league. Oyonnax gave a good account of themselves in the first pool match but were beaten 24-18 in Toulouse.

Sarries are in blistering form and it is difficult to see Oyonnax becoming the first team to deny them this season. The Premiership champions appear to have no weaknesses at present and are a short price for victory in France. Saracens are odds-on to win by over 12 points but it is better value to back the visitors to win by 11 to 20 points. This would have paid off in their last European game and is on offer at an appealing price.

Wasps v Bath
Sunday December 13, 17:15
Live on BT Sport Europe

Wasps could not have asked for a better start to their Champions Cup campaign after stunning wins over Leinster and defending champions Toulon. Their opponents have been blown away by the pace and power of the Premiership side. Frustratingly for Dai Young, his team have not matched this consistency domestically and will be looking for a response after their 41-27 home defeat to Exeter last Saturday.

Bath are struggling to match their achievements of last season when they reached the Premiership final and the last-eight of the Champions Cup. Mike Ford's side have yet to get going domestically with their defeat to Northampton leaving them down in ninth position. Bath have at least picked up a 19-16 win over Leinster in their sole European game.

Wasps have already beaten Bath at the Ricoh Arena this season in the league after a 16-9 victory in October and are fancied to repeat this success. But the hosts have won both European matches by at least 20 points which makes it difficult to judge the potential margin of victory this weekend. A better betting option is to back Wasps covering a three-point handicap in the first half. This was achieved comfortably in the previous two matches and stands out again.

Follow Simon's bets on Twitter @watfordtipster