PARIS: Double defending champions Toulon begin the defence of their European crown at home to Scarlets this weekend, while last year’s beaten finalists Saracens entertain French heavyweights Clermont in a revamped competition.
Now known as the European Champions Cup, the tournament has been pared down to 20 teams (seven English, six French, three Irish, two Welsh, one Scottish and one Italian) in five pools, the product of more than two years of political wrangling between the English, French and Celtic nations.
Only the five pool winners and the three best pool runners-up will qualify for the knock-out stage.
It means each weekend throws up must-win matches in some very tough pools, but Toulon captain Carl Hayman was confident his star-studded side could go the distance for a third successive season, with the final slated for Twickenham on May 2.
“It’s within our capabilities to have a hat-trick of European wins,” the former All Black prop told the November edition of Rugby World magazine, with Leicester and Ulster making up a strong Pool 3.
“We have enough in the squad to make the play-offs, but must top our pool to get a game at the Mayol, Nice or Marseille.
“People say ‘It’s the same size field’, but percentages show that home advantage makes a win more likely.”
Hayman is one of a host of international stars playing for the Mourad Boudjellal-funded, Bernard Laporte-coached Toulon side, for whom English talisman Johnny Wilkinson will be missing having retired at the end of last season.
AFP
