To an extent, the stars were out for Bordeaux Bègles in their Champions Cup clash with Connacht on Friday night. Headline acts Mathieu Jalibert and Damian Penaud appeared in the backline, but others were missing.
France World Cup regulars Yoram Moefana and Louis Bielle-Biarrey were not in the matchday 23, nor was former Leinster and Australia lock Kane Douglas. All three have started Bordeaux’s previous two Top14 matches. This was by no means a complete second-string XV, but nor was it as strong as it could have been.
For many a year, there has been a perception that European competitions simply aren’t a priority for some French and English clubs – not all, as La Rochelle and Saracens can attest. For the most part, Irish provinces line out in Europe with a full-strength XV.
The opinion on this island is that the Champions Cup is sacred. Thoughts abroad dwell on the URC not being as competitive as the Premiership or Top14; Leinster or Munster can indulge in tactical rotation there, whereas French and English clubs cannot do so in their domestic leagues.
EPCR, custodians of European rugby, are no mugs. “There’s a recognition and that’s something we’ve spoken about as a board,” acknowledges chairman Dominic McKay of the differing attitudes.
“What I would say, from the owners’ point of view, and I spent quite a bit of time with the French owners recently, there is a growing affection towards the competition which I think perhaps had dissipated a bit a few years ago.
“We have got a set of tournament rules that we want to try and enforce, which encourages the best players to be available for every single match. Ultimately it’s the director of rugby and the head coach that makes those calls.”
McKay’s comments highlight EPCR’s participation agreement for the Champions and Challenge Cup, which is signed by all teams: clubs must put forward their best possible XV. Allowances are made for injury and reasonable rotation.
These rules haven’t led to sanctions in some time, despite teams testing the waters.
In 2010, Montpellier failed to register French internationals such as François Trinh-Duc, Fulgence Ouedraogo and Julien Tomas for their Challenge Cup campaign outright, let alone pick them for an individual match.
The punishment was a fine of €5,000, small change for the Top14 club. Nothing since then.
Covid muddied the waters significantly as to what constituted reasonable rotation. An outbreak in the Montpellier camp saw them send a side featuring academy players to the RDS in 2022. An exception was made despite the shambolic 89-7 scoreline.
Yet the political issue is arguably the most pertinent.
Following the coup of French and English clubs in 2014 that prompted the restructuring of European rugby, EPCR is more closely attached to the individual leagues: the URC, Premiership and Top14. Previously, EPCR’s former headquarters in Dublin led to a belief that it was more wedded to national unions. With leagues now the closer partner, it is politically more difficult to discipline teams in those competitions.
The competition’s format has also played a part. Last season, Gloucester took an understrength side to face Leinster and were duly dispatched 57-0. Yet the format, changed during the Covid era to reduce pool matches and introduce a round of 16, allowed a side such as Gloucester to lose two of their four pool games and still progress. They could afford to rotate for Leinster away, a game they were unlikely to win even at full strength.
EPCR could hardly sanction clubs for not taking matches seriously when they still qualified for the knockouts. However, action could be taken if a head coach publicly acknowledged such tactical ploys.
“My sense is we have tinkered with the competition a few years ago and that wasn’t to its advantage,” says McKay of the move from six pool games to four. “That was done for very sensible reasons, I’m sure, during Covid, but that was disruptive.”
This year, the format has changed. Pool stages are back, but there are still only four fixtures in the first round. The domestic TV rights demands on French and English clubs have not left EPCR with a lot of space to work with in the calendar.
Despite the tinkering, the reality is that after 48 Champions Cup pool matches, just eight of 24 teams will be eliminated. The jury remains out on whether the structural change will lead to full-strength XVs every week.
In all likelihood, team selection will still push the boundaries of the participation agreement. Recent history suggests nothing has made it any easier for EPCR to clamp down.
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