The Pool phase of the 2018/19 European Rugby Champions Cup will come to a conclusion this weekend.
The Pool 4 and 5 – Round 6 European Rugby Champions Cup action promises to be thrilling with top spot in both of the pools still up for grabs as we head into the final set of Pool phase games.
Edinburgh v Montpellier
Friday 18 January
Murrayfield
To Win (80 Mins)
Edinburgh 11/20
Draw 20/1
Montpellier 15/10
We kick things off with a Pool 5 top of the table clash with first-placed Scottish outfit Edinburgh playing host to second-placed side Montpellier. The hosts have been on a terrific run of form in the competition and registered their fourth win from five games as they beat Toulon by 11 points out in France last weekend.
Montpellier also enjoyed a solid showing Round 5 as they racked up an impressive 45-8 win over the Newcastle Falcons. That was the French outfits third win of the Champions Cup Pool phase with their other two victories coming against Edinburgh and Toulon at the Altrad Stadium.
Verdict: Edinburgh 11/20
The ‘Scots have been absolutely flawless in recent weeks registering some historical wins in the PRO14 and following those victories up with a memorable win over Toulon in France. I can’t see Montpellier stopping them here.
_______________________________________________
Newcastle Falcons v Toulon
Friday 18 January
Kingston Park
To Win (80 Mins)
Newcastle 1/3
Draw 20/1
Toulon 24/10
Next up we have something of an exhibition match with English outfit Newcastle taking on fallen French giants Montpellier. Both teams are out of the running for qualification to the next round and find themselves in dire straits in their respective leagues, so we are likely to see two very weakened sides take to Kingston Park this Friday.
In terms of the two sides fortunes in Round 5, Newcastle went down 45-8 to Montpellier out in France, while Toulon lost 17-28 to Edinburgh on home soil.
When the two sides met earlier in the tournament, Newcastle managed to edge the game by the narrowest of margins beating Toulon by a solitary point out in France.
Verdict: Newcastle 1/3
Toulon have been nothing short of shocking this term and I can see them losing yet another game this Friday evening. My money is on the hosts taking it by seven points or more.
_______________________________________________
Racing Metro 92 v Scarlets
Saturday 19 January
Pais La Defense Arena
To Win (80 Mins)
Racing 1/14
Draw 30/1
Scarlets 7/1
We shift our attention over to the Pool 4 action and the first of the two games will see the third-placed Scarlets travel to France to take on pool-toppers Racing. The hosts are all but assured qualification to the next phase of the tournament but need a minimum of two bonus points to ensure they secure top spot on the pool and the easier draw that comes with it.
The visitors, on the other hand, are out of the running for a spot in the next round but head into this one off the back of their first victory of the campaign a 33-10 home win over bottom-placed side, the Leicester Tigers.
Verdict: Racing 1/14
The French outfit should have far too much firepower for what is likely to be a weakened Scarlets teams. My money is on the hosts taking the spoils by 10 points or more.
_______________________________________________
Leicester v Ulster
Saturday 19 January
Welford Road
To Win (80 Mins)
Leicester 31/20
Draw 20/1
Ulster 52/100
We close out the preview with a look at the Anglo-Irish affair between Leicester and Ulster. The hosts currently sit at the foot of the pool and have no chance of advancing to the next phase of the tournament while Ulster lie in second and could overtake Racing Metro to top spot should the French side do the unthinkable and fail to claim more than a solitary point from their clash with the Scarlets.
In terms of last weekend’s results, the hosts head into this one off of a 33-10 defeat to the Ospreys, while Ulster caused a massive upset as they beat Racing Metro 26-22 at the Kingspan Stadium.
Verdict: Ulster 52/100
The Irish side will be extremely fired up headed into this one with the carrot of top spot in the pool dangling right in front of them. I can see the boys from Ireland edging his one by no more than five points.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets
