The 25 Best Rugby Clubs In The World On March 26 | FloRugby Rankings
The 25 Best Rugby Clubs In The World On March 26 | FloRugby Rankings
Professional rugby heats up! Check out FloRugby's latest power rankings, as top clubs battle for dominance. See who's leading and who's falling behind.
The bases are loaded, it’s the bottom of the ninth inning and now is the time for professional rugby’s top clubs to stand up!
In the Northern Hemisphere, the drab winter months have been bid adieu with the crisp spring air bringing a renewed vigor to the season.
There's dry pitches, sun on the faces of spectators and a real sense of jeopardy, as teams jostle for playoff positions.
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Down south, the action is equally scorching, with Super Rugby Pacific six rounds deep and, as such, a true pecking order has begun to emerge.
Taking all of the available date thus far into account, we have crunched the numbers with our FloRugby power ranking formula. Taking into account a wide range of factors and weighting them appropriately to produce ranking points, our formula removes the emotion from this exercise.
So, without further ado here is our FloRugby Power Rankings for March 26:
1. Union Bordeaux-Begles
Displacing previous top dog Toulouse with a 32-24 victory over said rival, UBB laid down a clear marker that without Antoine Dupont, there is a power shift in the Top 14.
2. Toulouse
Dropping a key fixture Toulouse would’ve liked to win against UBB, the former No. 1 team slides from first place in our rankings for the first time this season.
Without Antoine Dupont, Toulouse remains a formidable outfit but has come back to the chasing pack somewhat.
3. Leinster
Losing its first fixture of the season courtesy of an 85th-minute penalty concession away to the Bulls hardly is a major disaster for Leo Cullen’s side.
Sure his squad will be disappointed to have lost its unbeaten record, but in reality, the team put out, at best, a second team in Pretoria.
4. Chiefs
Quite clearly the team to beat this season, the Chiefs have beaten the reigning champs, the Blues, twice this season.
In Round 6, they put the hurt on Moana Pasifika, notching 50 points.
5. Crusaders
Super Rugby’s greatest franchise has come roaring back into contention over the past two weeks.
Thumping the Western Force in Round 5 and completely shredding the Blues in Round 6, the Crusaders are the real deal once again.
6. Bath
Picking up right where it left off before the international break, there is no doubt the West Country side is head and shoulders above the rest this season.
All but assured of the top spot this season, Johan van Graan’s side is the heavy favorite to pick up a first Premiership title since 1996.
7. Toulon
Getting back on the horse in Round 19, RC Toulon smoked Perpignan with a power game its rivals simply couldn’t match.
Still a step behind UBB and Toulouse for us, Toulon still is a live option for a title this season, should things break its way.
8. Glasgow
Squeaking by a heavily rotated Munster side at home was far from what Franco Smith would’ve envisaged heading into Round 13.
Still, his team's international stars showed why they are such a top club, as they swung a significant deficit in the final 20 minutes to pick up five valuable log points.
9. Bristol
Sticking to their guns, the Bears are leading a group of teams looking to knock Bath off its perch.
Downing a young Exeter side 52-38 last time out was about par for the course for Pat Lam’s side.
10. Bulls
Continuing their trend as Leinster’s bogey team, Jake White’s men will have gained huge confidence from their Round 13 victory.
White was mixed when discussing his team’s performance, admitting they were somewhat fortunate that Leinster bumbled its way out of a winning position.
11. Reds
Australia’s big dogs have been stirred from their slumber and are hellbent on reminding their countrymen who’s boss.
Annihilating the Waratahs in Round 5, before beating the Highlanders in Dunedin, the Reds reaffirmed their status as serious title contenders this season.
12. Leicester Tigers
For us, the Tigers are the most likely side to derail Bath this season.
They possess a grizzle squad that is packed with big game players, namely double World Cup-winner Handre Pollard.
Michael Cheika’s side trounced arch-rival Northampton on the road 33-0 last time. The result was doubly sweet, as it all but ended the Saints' season and catapulted the Tigers into the top 3.
13. Harlequins
If the Tigers' win was sweet, then the Harlequins' win was like pouring sweet nectar straight from a fountain.
Few rivalries in club rugby are as bitter as Quins vs Sarries, and this time around, it was the South West Londoners who smoked their North London foes.
Doing it on the grand stage in ‘The Showdown’ at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium added a little cherry on top of the win.
14. Hollywoodbets Sharks
Meh, that’s about all we can say to sum up the Sharks' performance in Round 13.
Waiting until the dying minutes to beat Zebre at home is far from a tone-setting win.
On their day, the Springboks-laden Sharks are as good as any team on this list. When it’s not their day, they don’t belong on this list. That level of performance variation likely will sting them later this season.
15. Sale Sharks
Staying below sea level, Manchester’s Sale Sharks drowned the Newcastle Falcons with ease on their return to action.
Similar to their Durban-based namesake, Sale has a really strong squad packed with international talent. While they are less prone to complete no-shows, they still are a tick or two behind the big sides on this ranking.
16. Bayonne
French Rugby’s surprise package this season.
It is fair to say that fourth-place Bayonne is punching above its weight in the Top 14.
Capitalizing when opportunities present themselves, Bayonne still is walking a tightrope overall with a -22 points differential despite netting 11 wins.
Nevertheless, Bayonne has shown plenty of gumption to sit amongst rarefied company so far this season, and long may it continue.
17. Waratahs
The Waratahs are recovering from the bloody nose their noisy northern neighbors left them with while walking away in a fit of laughter.
The Tahs got their turn to be the noisy northern neighbors with a first win over the Brumbies in yonks.
Still awaiting the return of star signing Joseph Sua’ali’I, the Tahs clearly are a well-coached and well-rounded unit under Dan McKellar, with plenty of room for growth as the season progresses.
18. Lyon
Working its way methodically up the table, Lyon is one of the teams that possesses enough fire-power to match the likes of UBB and Toulouse.
Where Lyon falls down is on its ability to consistently deliver big results.
Lyon, however, is getting better as the season progresses, so don’t be shocked if this team makes a run to the final.
19. Gloucester
Slipping out of the top 5 on the Premiership table in Round 13, the cherry and whites still have it all to play for as the season hits its home stretch.
Currently joint on 36 points with Quins, George Skivington’s side will face several other playoff contenders, including the Londoners on the run-in.
20. Castres Olympique
Nigh on unbeatable at home, Castres logged some valuable road points with a 12-12 draw against La Rochelle over the weekend.
This result ensured that Castres sits in the top 6 and in striking distance of the top 4.
Facing third-place Toulon at home in Round 20 presents a huge opportunity to both claim another scalp and move further up the rankings.
21. Ospreys
The Ospreys are set for a showdown with the one Welsh side that sits higher than them on the URC table when they host Cardiff in Round 15.
The Ospreys have a real shot at both locking in back-to-back playoff appearances and being the top Welsh side.
Before that clash is a matchup with another Welsh rival in the Scarlets on the road.
22. Munster
Munster was shocked to the core in Round 12, roundly shown up at home by Edinburgh.
The Season 2 champions recovered enough to log two valuable points, albeit they will be frustrated it wasn’t five.
A round later, against another Scottish opponent in Glasgow, Munster was on course for a huge road win, only to see it all unravel in the final 20 minutes.
Pondering what could’ve been for a moment, Munster should be sitting with at least nine more log points.
Had the team done so, it would be just a long point behind the Sharks and firmly in the running for a home quarterfinal. Instead, Munster almost certainly will be on the road.
On a positive note, Munster has welcomed back its Irish internationals and has heaps of players returning from injury.
23. Stormers
Surging when it matters, the Season 1 champions came out of the blocks at the same pace as an over-50 400-meter sprint.
Letting slip several winnable matches, John Dobson’s side appeared to be heading for calamity.
Instead, the Stormers are back in the top 8, and with a favorable run into the end of the season, they are one of the sides we feel most comfortable to emerge from the cluster of teams battling it out for spots 4-8.
24. Western Force
Super Rugby’s early-season darling endured a wobble with a three-game losing streak from Round 2 to Round 5.
In Round 6, the Force bounced back in emphatic fashion with another high-scoring thriller, this time against the Fijian Drua.
In short, this side is so much fun to watch, with its ability to score tries, but does anyone know if they have a defensive coach? Until that side of the ball is sorted, they are not contenders.
25. Brumbies
The Brumbies are seething from a loss that could’ve been a win in what arguably was one of the worst refereeing performances we have seen for quite some time.
Parking the officiating issues, the Brumbies still made enough mistakes to allow the Waratahs easy points.
Next up is a home clash with the Highlanders, which is the perfect opportunity to get back on track against a tough but beatable opponent.
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