Really, will the English Premiership's only representatives be Saracens, come end of January 2019?
With Bath losing to Leinster, Wasps losing to Toulouse, Leicester being thumped by Racing (at home) and Newcastle losing to Edinburgh (again at home), plus Exeter gaining revenge on Gloucester (and thereby cancelling each other out), Sarries win at Cardiff was very unique, and they now appear to be the only English Prem team set to qualify for the Champions Cup QF.
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| Toulouse Champions Cup form has been impressive |
Newcastle will have to beat Montpeliler away (who can still win their group) plus Toulon at home, and hope other results go their way. Wasps, Leicester and Bath are definitely out, whilst Exeter's & Gloucester's chances of being one of the best runners up are slim.
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| Leicester have been shocking all season |
Based on England's renaissance in the Autumn Internationals, plus Wales' unbeaten run, who would have predicted that by end of January, only one club total from both of these countries would make up the 8 x European Champions Cup Quarter Finalists. Scotland should have 2 teams (Glasgow and Edinburgh), Ireland should have 2 or 3 teams (Leinster, Munster and Ulster), France 2 (Toulouse and Racing Metro) and Saracens, with no Welsh representation. Scarlets, who made the final last year, will finish bottom of their pool. Toulouse's great form may mean that Leinster will probably finish one of the best three runners up, as will Ulster and Glasgow, and no group winner will relish having to face one of those sides in the next round.
