Current European format failing to land old punch

Round two of the Champions Cup provided some contrasting results last weekend.

There were some heavy defeats – Toulouse being the standout team with their demolition of Exeter – while there were also close encounters with Toulon edging Glasgow in a thriller at the Stade Mayol and Benetton catching a rotated Bath team late on.

I'm not normally one to pine for the past, but the current format of the tournament is an inferior product compared to what we had in the classic Heineken Cup days.

Back in the day the six pool games, playing sides home and away, brought a better flow than four pool games where you play each side just once.

I appreciate that six pool games is a lot in the current calendar. French domestic rugby, for example, has always been very challenging. However, that is offset by healthy budgets and the depth in their squads.

The URC welcoming South African teams into the domestic league has been a strong move, but it comes with its logistical challenges.

With the lucrative nature of Test rugby and such a focus on the Autumn International Series, a reduced Champions Cup format was the consequence.

There have ben some well-placed misgivings.

When you consider the added knockout round of 16, then the net result is really only one game less in the current structure.

Two thirds of the teams progress to the knockout stages, so the tension that made the old format such compelling viewing has been watered down significantly.

With an easier qualifying pathway, we’re seeing far more player rotation, which spells trouble for the integrity of the competition.

It’s supposed to be a tournament for the strongest teams in Europe and South Africa, yet we’re seeing teams being chopped and changed on a constant basis.

Undoubtedly the