Investec Champions Cup News: What's The Toughest Pool And Why It's Pool 3
Investec Champions Cup News: What's The Toughest Pool And Why It's Pool 3
The Investec Champions Cup begins Dec. 6, and a lot can change between now then, but here's our ranking of the best Champions Cup pools.
The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup begins Dec. 6 with Round 1 action, as the best clubs in Europe and South Africa begin their quests for the European Championship, which will be decided at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
Every pool in Champions Cup play is relatively loaded, as they are made up of the best of the best from three major European domestic leagues - the United Rugby Championship, Gallagher Premiership and Top 14 - but not all pools are created equal.
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Last season, Champions Cup Pool 4 included two-time defending champion La Rochelle and the team it beat in both of those matches, Leinster, but it also included the DHL Stormers from South Africa, the Leicester Tigers and Stade Francais from Top 14.
Leinster beat La Rochelle, or Stade Rochelais, in pool play in one of the biggest matches that wasn’t a knockout match.
So what’s the toughest pool in 2024-2025? Well, it seems pretty clear it’s Pool 3. Here’s our Challenge Cup hot take:
Why Investec Champions Cup Pool 3 Is The Best Rugby Pool
The Northampton Saints won the Premiership in England last year and made a deep run in the Champions Cup last season. They headline a pool that includes the best team from the URC last season, at least in the regular season, Munster Rugby.
The other URC representative in the pool is the Vodacom Bulls, who could make the case as being the best South African club in the world the last few seasons.
Saracens is the second team from the Premiership and is one of the most successful clubs from England all-time.
The Top 14 reps aren’t UBB or Toulouse, but Stade Francias and Castres Olympique are tough teams to beat.
Cases can be made for Pool 2 – Leinster, La Rochelle again joined together, along with Finn Russell and Bath Rugby, among others.
Pool 1 includes both Toulouse, which will be the favorite to win it again, along with UBB, which could be the second or third favorite to win it all. The Hollywoodbets Sharks, the defending EPCR Challenge Cup champions and Exeter also are there.
But every match in Pool 3 sets up to be a banger. Munster-Northampton in Round 4? Bulls-Saracens in Round 1? Yes, please.
What Philip Bendon Says Of Investec Champions Cup Rugby Pool 3
From the outset, this pool would appear to be the most open with no real clear pecking order.
Previously, the Northampton Saints would’ve been favorites, given they made it to the semifinal last season and won the Premiership. This season, however, they are sitting in seventh position in the Premiership with two wins and two losses through the opening month of action.
Saracens, on the other hand, has begun its post Owen Farrell life on a great note with three wins through the first four rounds of the Premiership and looks to have its old school nasty edge back, while incorporating an up tempo positive attacking game plan.
Leading the charge is captain Maro Itoje, who is back to his very best and could well be a starting British and Irish Lion secondrow at the end of the season.
For the Top 14 sides, Stade Francais was sensational through last season’s regular season, finishing one point behind Toulouse in second place. Losing by two points in the semifinal against Bordeaux was a gut punch, which seems to still be affecting them, as they sit in 13th position with just two wins from six rounds.
French Rugby’s other representative, Castres Olympique, is a middling team at the moment, with three wins and three loses, but is capable of beating anyone on the right day, including Toulouse in Round 5.
As ever, the Top 14 sides are the great anomalies in this pool. On one hand, if they get hot, they can push toward a deep playoff run. If they lose early, they will switch their focus to domestic action.
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Finally the URC sides. The Vodacom Bulls and Munster both feel like they are out for revenge this season.
Munster saw its URC title hopes disappear at home against the Glasgow Warriors in the semifinal.
In the Investec Champions Cup, they were a non-factor with a huge injury list last season.
Though they have had several early-season injuries again this season, head coach Graham Rowntree was confident of several key players returning before the Champions Cup gets underway.
Adding a new wrinkle to their attack is winger Thaakir Abrahams, who was a star for Lyon last season and has been described as electric by his new teammates.
For the Bulls, losing a second URC final, and this time at home to the Warriors, was brutal, having beaten Leinster just a week earlier.
This season, however, head coach Jake White already has stated he feels his team can win silverware, albeit in the URC, but given the squad, the Pretoria side has assembled, and the fact that they have the Saints at home, don’t be surprised if they are pushing for top spot in this pool.
Predicting this pool is a challenge, but for me, I think things will play out as follows:
- Munster
- Vodacom Bulls
- Saracens
- Northampton Saints
- Castres Olympique
- Stade Francais
Investec Champions Cup Format
Key points of the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup:
- A multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023/24 season
- 24 elite clubs - eight each from the Gallagher Premiership, URC and TOP 14 - in four pools of six
- Sporting jeopardy, with each club playing against four different opponents, home or away, in the pool stage
- Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the Round of 16
- The Investec Champions Cup will be played over eight weekends, with four pool-stage rounds and four knockout rounds, culminating in the 2025 final, which will be staged at Cardiff's Pincipality Stadium on Saturday, May 24.
Investec Champions Cup Weekends
- Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
- Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
- Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
- Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
- Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
- Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
- Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
- 2025 Investec Champions Cup final – Saturday May 24, Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Champions Cup Qualifications
Twenty-four clubs have qualified for the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup as follows:
- United Rugby Championship (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
- TOP 14 (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
- Gallagher Premiership Rugby (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
- If not already qualified, the winner of the 2024 Investec Champions Cup will take the place of the eighth-ranked club in its league.
Investec Champions Cup Qualifiers
- TOP 14 – Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Français Paris, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne
- GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers
- UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks
EPCR Challenge Cup Format
Key points for the 2024-2025 EPCR Challenge Cup:
- A multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023/24 season
- 18 clubs in three pools of six
- Sporting jeopardy, with each club playing against four different opponents home or away in the pool stage
- Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the knockout stage
- Eight weekends, with four pool-stage rounds and four knockout rounds, culminating in the 2025 final at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday, May 23.
EPCR Challenge Cup Weekends
- Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
- Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
- Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
- Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
- Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
- Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
- Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
- 2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final – Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Friday, May 23
EPCR Challenge Cup Qualifiers
Clubs from the United Rugby Championship, the TOP 14 and the Gallagher Premiership that have not qualified for the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup will compete in the 2024-2025 EPCR Challenge Cup.
If not already qualified, the winner of the 2024 EPCR Challenge Cup will secure a place in the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup, replacing the eighth-ranked club in its league.
EPCR Challenge Cup Qualifiers
- UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – Ospreys, Emirates Lions, Edinburgh Rugby, Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma
- TOP 14 – Section Paloise, USAP, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Aviron Bayonnais, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, RC Vannes
- GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Gloucester Rugby, Newcastle Falcons
- INVITED – Black Lion, Toyota Cheetahs
When Does The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup Begin? When Is The Champions Cup Final?
The Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup begin Dec. 6, and the four-round pool play action ends on Jan. 19, 2025. The Round of 16 starts April 4, while the quarterfinals are April 11-13, and the semifinals are May 2-4.
The EPCR Championships weekend is in Cardiff, Wales at Principality Stadium. There are championship games on May 23 (EPCR Challenge Cup) and May 24 (Investec Champions Cup).
What Are The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Pools?
Here are the pools:
Investec Champions Cup:
- Toulouse (Stade Toulousain)
- Bordeaux-Bègles (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
- Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Exeter Chiefs
- Leicester Tigers
- Ulster Rugby
Pool 2:
- Leinster Rugby
- Clermont Auvergne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
- La Rochelle (Stade Rochelais)
- Bristol Bears
- Benetton Rugby
- Bath Rugby
Pool 3:
- Northampton Saints
- Munster Rugby
- Vodacom Bulls
- Stade Français Paris
- Saracens
- Castres Olympique
Pool 4:
- Glasgow Warriors
- Racing 92
- Sale Sharks
- DHL Stormers
- Toulon (RC Toulon)
- Harlequins
EPCR Challenge Cup
Pool 1:
- Cardiff Rugby
- Connacht Rugby
- Toyota Cheetahs
- Perpignan (USAP)
- Lyon Olympique Universitaire (Lyon O.U.)
- Zebre Parma
Pool 2:
- Montpellier Hérault Rugby
- Pau (Section Paloise)
- Newcastle Falcons
- Dragons RFC
- Emirates Lions
- Ospreys
Pool 3:
- RC Vannes
- Black Lion
- Bayonne (Aviron Bayonnais)
- Scarlets
- Edinburgh Rugby
- Gloucester Rugby
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