Just this past week, I visited the EPCR’s Champions Cup online portal, hoping to find the kick-off schedule for the Round of 16 matches. To my surprise, I discovered rather baffling misalliances between teams and their respective logos; for example, Bath was dubbed with La Rochelle’s famed sea vessel emblem whilst Leinster’s renowned Harp of Tara was replaced by the Bordeaux insignia. Moreover, Leicester Tigers, the esteemed team, oddly bore the Saracens crescent moon logo next to their name.
This puzzling mix-up was seemingly unintended and has now been resolved. However, the competition’s structure persists in being intentionally flawed. Indeed, it’s factually accurate that if Munster, who only had a single victory at the pool phase –and were strangely branded with the Leicester Tigers’ logo earlier this week–, should come out victorious against Northampton, who, incidentally have managed to win all their four pool games – and somehow had Leinster’s emblem next to their name– then the Irish team will advance to the quarter-finals.
Even the most staunch Zombie-singing member of Munster’s Red Army brigade would concede that the system would appear unjust if Munster was undefeated yet risked being knocked out by a one-win team.
Munster’s situation is shared by others. Racing 92, despite having just a lone victory to their name, can potentially oust the undefeated Toulouse. Leicester, afflicted by two pool stage losses, has the chance to knock out Leinster, victorious in all their pool matches. In a controversial twist, teams that couldn’t excel in the pool rounds now have a chance to knock out successful clubs that have taken the Champions Cup group stages seriously.
Prior to the enforced Round of 16 in European Rugby, quarter-finalists were determined over six pool games. Consistent performance at both home and away games was crucial. Securing a home quarter-final typically required six wins. A lone loss could relegate teams to an away quarter-final.
The preceding six matches demanded high standards, resulting in the quarter-finals always presenting a feast of elite rugby, thereby making it the most exciting weekend of the season.
Teams such as Leicester, Toulouse, Munster and Leinster, as well as recent addition La Rochelle, have all mastered the distinct mindset needed to secure success in European rugby. Beyond physical prowess and strategic acumen, these clubs cultivated a winning culture right from the first game in October, sustained it through eight matches, and ultimately hoisted the trophy in May. This special understanding of the European stage is a defining element differentiating the champions from the rest.
However, this starkly commendable journey has been reduced to a rather watered-down version, now featuring just three pool games before going into the impending Round of 16. This adjusted format means that clubs could potentially make it to the quarter-finals with a mere two victories and a modest winning record of only 50 per cent. Under the previous arrangement, such a record wouldn’t have meant a sniff at the knockout stages.
The introduction of the Round of 16 has paved the way for teams who aren’t performing up to par to gain an unfair route towards success. The once-believed concept of the competition being a meritocracy before reaching the quarter-finals has thus been discarded.
It’s a system that leaves room for imperfection, as teams with as low as a 33 per cent success rate across the pool stages are rewarded with a spot in this weekend’s playoffs. At first, the Round of 16 was seen as a temporary band-aid solution to ensure the continuity of the game amidst the Covid-induced travel limitations.
The need to adjust the classic schedule was comprehended by the rugby fraternity, until realpolitik stepped in.
We don’t need to amble amidst conspiracy theories to recognize that both the English Premiership and the Top 14 clubs find the current arrangement more than satisfactory. They anticipate fewer European confrontations and a greater potential for profit-making.
The opportunity to trim down the pool games from six to three was seized by the French and English clubs, enabling them to concentrate their efforts on their taxing domestic matches.
Substantiating this arrangement, the 14 knockout matches that took place in the Round of 16, the quarter-finals and semi-finals last season were all clinched by the home teams. From this lopsided statistic, it can be inferred that many teams that made it to the Round of 16 were essentially not equipped to secure a win in Europe.
Institutions foster behaviours which they allow. Presently, the EPCR condones clubs that undermine the integrity of the Champions Cup pool rounds by opting for second-rate teams. Instead of penalising these entities for selecting teams that deny paying patrons the joy of a spirited matchup, the EPCR, in turn, rewards these very entities by giving them a chance to gain financially from the mockery that is The Round of 16.
Leo Tolstoy famously said, “A wrong does not become right simply because the majority partake in it.” As bureaucrats persist in their attempts to defend The Round of 16, I urge you to see beyond their propaganda and perceive The Round of 16 for what it truly is.
A concocted money-spinning scheme that has enabled avarice to overshadow the time-honoured sports principle of meritocracy.