‘There appears little prospect of change at the top in Europe. That should be a concern to all’

Northampton Saints will be hoping for a smoother passage in their Champions Cup quarter-final against Castres on Saturday than the rest of their English counterparts managed with the four other Premiership sides displaying the navigational skills of a French parachutist coming in to land at Le Stadium de Toulouse. Oops. Who put an overhanging roof there? Oops. Who allowed opponents with class and verve and backbone into the competition?

The botched landing of Captain Yannick Trouillet did at least have an element of the unexpected about it. The humiliating exits of the other English clubs across the weekend, however, could not be described as a shock. That’s how far the stock of the Premiership has fallen. The almost total wipe-out was predictable. Euro thrashed.

And yet we found ourselves nodding in sympathetic agreement with the post-match comments of Mark McCall and Alex Sanderson, both of whom had taken pride in the battling performances of their respective Saracens and Sale teams. Is that what it has come to? European knockout rugby and there is merit to be had in just getting stuck in, causing a few flutters of anxiety in the opposition before collapsing in a metaphorical heap on the scoreboard? Yep, that’s about the sum of it: 215 points conceded collectively by Sarries, Harlequins, Leicester and Sale and it’s not even earth-shattering news. This was on the cards.

Quins’ loss was ignominious, a stain on their record for the simple fact of not troubling the scorers one jot. The others, though, had a different tale to tell. There was seemingly some mitigation there. Is it right to point the finger at coaches and players? That’s a tough call. However, unless it is done the scenario will be repeated. This should be considered some sort of crisis moment, otherwise what is the point of being in an elite European competition if it ends with barely a whimper?

There has to be more jeopardy and uncertainty invested in the tournament than what seems at the moment an inevitable shakedown towards a Leinster and Toulouse final

It is a far cry from when the English and French clubs muscled up a decade or so ago to revamp the competition in what they believed was to be their favour. It was a disastrous move, notwithstanding the short-term success of Saracens with their three titles and Exeter in 2020, the last time that a Premiership club came close to troubling the trophy engravers. Commercially, the deal never delivered. With three English clubs, Wasps, London Irish and Worcester Warriors, going bust that much is obvious.

Also, the new arrangement set in train (and, yes, admittedly, Covid was also a ruinous factor) a sense of entitlement among the club powerbrokers that they could, should even, mess and meddle with anything they so wanted, notably the format and the calendar around it. That, at least, offers partial explanation for this particular English demise with Saracens opting to travel under-clubbed to Toulon as they prioritised their Premiership goals. Leicester, to a lesser extent and for other reasons, were also underpowered for their trip north to Glasgow.

Of course, this focus on the plight of English clubs triggers cries of sour grapes from Ireland, France and Scotland. Fair enough. There was little complaint in Anglo quarters when they were flying high with five Premiership sides making the 2016 quarter-finals, along with three of their confrères from France. And, yes, the Welsh teams have been suffering for what seems like forever, never providing a winner and now nothing more than a filler on the fixture lists. News that Cardiff, one of the great names in world rugby, are heading for administration is dispiriting. Welsh powers-that-be should be put in the stocks for their mishandling of the game.

It’s a measure of how loaded the dice appears to be in terms of the quality and depth of squad of the two principal contenders that Northampton, or Munster for that matter (Castres anyone?) have not entered the conversation as possible champions

The Champions Cup should be the pinnacle of the club game in Europe (and South Africa, but let’s gloss over that geographical misnomer for now). There has to be more jeopardy and uncertainty invested in the tournament than what seems at the moment an inevitable shakedown towards a Leinster and Toulouse final, with the occasional interruption to that thread from upstarts like La Rochelle. Bordeaux Bègles can hardly be considered outliers, even if they were thumped in last season’s Top 14 final by Stade Toulousain. They, too, with their booming attendances, are a class apart.

It’s a measure of how loaded the dice appears to be in terms of the quality and depth of squad of the two principal contenders that Northampton, or Munster for that matter (Castres anyone?) have not entered the conversation as possible champions. Again, for a tournament that likes to trade as the greatest in the world game, that can’t be right. The quarter-finalists should, more or less, be in the mix for claiming honours. That is far from the case.

Saints’ followers, of course, will retain the faith. And, fair play to them, they have every reason to cling on to that hope following their decisive Round of 16 win over Clermont Auvergne. Les Jaunards may not be the force they once were but every French team carries with it clout that has to be quelled and that is precisely what Northampton managed, enabling Tommy Freeman to then do his own impressive stuff with a hat-trick of tries.

Like so many of the Premiership sides, Saints have been a mixed bag, at best, this season. The defence of their title has been underwhelming. That they lie eighth at this stage, with last year’s beaten finalists, Bath, the only Premiership team to play with consistent conviction, is a reflection on the flux-like status of the league. Bath are way ahead of the pack yet they didn’t even make it through their Champions Cup pool.

‘Feeling a bit jaded old boy? Let’s send on a replacement. Oh, what have we got here. J Barrett, All Black. On you go.’

And here’s the kicker. Is the thrill-a-minute attacking style of the Premiership, with tries galore across every weekend, a boon in itself or a hindrance to competing with Europe’s finest? There have been times, the recent Bristol v Exeter (52-38) game being the stand-out example, when defence has appeared an optional extra, so militating against those teams who come up against a Toulon or a Toulouse in full attacking spate.

There are, of course, many factors in play in all this, the salary cap differentials being a notable one with Leinster and the French heavyweights able to stockpile their squads with high-end talent. ‘Feeling a bit jaded old boy? Let’s send on a replacement. Oh, what have we got here. J Barrett, All Black. On you go.’

It’s not a level playing field, they cry. Well, it never has been. And it never will be. It is also too easy a cop-out to claim that the likes of Leinster and Toulouse are mere rich kids showing off their wares. Both clubs, in fact, have fabulous academy pathways through to the first team.

As, indeed, do Northampton Saints. Their backline (with a little help from cash-ravaged Worcester) has thrived as a young cohort has grown together. Throw in fine, sensitive coaching from the likes of Chris Boyd, and now Phil Dowson, Sam Vesty and the like, and there you have it. Northampton are in with a good shout of once again making the semi-finals of the Champions Cup. If there were an open draw thereafter, then who knows? As it is, with Saints slated to travel to Leinster’s lair in Dublin, there appears to be little prospect of change at the top in Europe. And that should be a concern to us all.