Challenge Cup Preview: Harlequins and Sale face tough French tests
Harlequins and Sale both face major semi-final tasks on Saturday in a bid to maintain English clubs’ impressive European Challenge Cup record.
Every Challenge Cup final since 2013 has been contested by at least one Premiership side, while Quins have won the tournament three times and Sale on two occasions.
But they will arrive in France this weekend with it all to do as Quins face Clermont Auvergne and Sale tackle La Rochelle.
Competition favourites Clermont are currently second in the Top 14 behind runaway leaders Toulouse, and their Stade Marcel-Michelin cauldron will be full to the brim for Quins’ visit.
And Sale, boosted by Chris Ashton and James O’Connor returning from injuries, face a team that reached last season’s Champions Cup quarter-finals.
A lengthy Quins injury list means they are without the likes of scrum-half Danny Care, lock James Horwill, centre Joe Marchant and wing Nathan Earle, but hooker Rob Buchanan returns after more than 18 months out due to shoulder trouble.
“Rob has shown incredible resilience and strength of character to be back playing elite rugby,” Quins’ head of rugby Paul Gustard told the club’s official website.
“He is a hugely popular member of the squad, as well as being a very talented player, and his availability is a positive boost for the team as we enter the last couple of months of the season.
“This is our first semi-final in three years, and we are relishing the opportunity to go out and perform against Clermont at their home.
“Stade Marcel-Michelin is an awesome place to play, and it will be an experience to savour.
“We are under no illusions of the challenge and quality they will put forward, but behind all the noise, all the hype, all the current form are two teams on a piece of a grass with some sticks and 80 minutes between them and a spot in a final.
“We will go into the game as big underdogs with the chance to make our own history. This is what European rugby is all about, and we are really looking forward to the contest.”
Sale, Challenge Cup winners in 2002 and 2005, welcome back wing Ashton for his first appearance since suffering a calf muscle injury during England’s Six Nations campaign.
And O’Connor, who partners Sam James in midfield, returns after three weeks out in a team captained by Jono Ross.
Ross replaces injured Scotland international Josh Strauss, with Curry twins Ben and Tom filling the flanker positions, but backs Byron McGuigan and Janse Van Rensburg are both sidelined.
PA
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You forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time.
Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
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