New Champions Cup format brings fresh dynamics to knockout stage

Innovation in rugby tends to divide people into two camps. The purists prefer their game to remain gloriously unchanged while casual fans are more open to proactive experimentation. Rare indeed are those “unicorn” moments when both tribes are happy and something feels so immediately right it should have happened years ago.

European club rugby, either way, is entering a new era. This weekend will bring the introduction of a two-leg “round of 16” in the Champions Cup and, as yet, there is barely a dissenting voice to be heard. Because if you are, for example, a Munster fan, the best of both worlds awaits: a tantalising away trip to England followed by the thunderous hum of a major Thomond Park rematch a week later. Looking forward to it? Of course you are.

In the case of Bordeaux and La Rochelle a spicy triple‑header is already under way. On Saturday, Bordeaux’s head coach, Christophe Urios, had a touchline spat with his La Rochelle counterpart, Ronan O’Gara, and was quoted in the French press as using the word “unbearable” to describe the Irishman. Let’s just say the pot is already bubbling furiously with another two parts of the trilogy still to unfold.

Football has been following this model for years. Judging by the profile of the Champions League, it would seem to be working pretty well. The only potential snag, the curse of further Covid disruption aside, is rugby’s scoring system. If a home team go down, say, 31-21 to an 80th-minute interception try in an otherwise tight first leg, clawing back a 10-point deficit on away soil the following week will be a daunting assignment.

But think of the array of possible scenarios. Let’s say Exeter are leading Munster by a point this Saturday with 10 minutes to go. What do they