Murrayfield in May next year is the target of the 20 clubs from six nations which will begin their campaign in the European Champions Cup this weekend.
Teams from England, France, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Italy have been seeded into five pools of four with sides playing each other home and away to determine the quarter-final line-up with the knockout stages beginning in the new year.
This is the third year of the new format which replaced the Heineken Cup, Europe’s premier tournament for 19 years after the advent of professional rugby union. France, with seven clubs, and England, with six, get more places than the other nations under a criteria based on finances. That’s not really fair but rugby union is not the only sport in which money talks nowadays and it will be a surprise if the winner doesn’t come from one side or another of the English Channel.
Saracens are the defending champions and also won the Aviva Premiership last season. They look worthy favourites at Boylesports’ 3/1 as they’ve made a solid start to the new campaign and have yet to welcome back England’s Owen Farrell from injury. Farrell’s boot is usually worth a dozen points per game and Sarries are going to be even stronger when he comes back alongside Mako and Billy Vunipola and Maro Itjo.
Saracens trounced Aviva Premiership title rivals Wasps at the weekend to put down a marker and you could cash in as Boylesports offers all its new customers £20 in free bets.
When you open an account, deposit and place a qualifying bet of £10 or more at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater. You will get 4x £5 free bets, making a total of £20!
Boylesports have a wide portfolio on which you can bet – from Greyhounds, Golf, American Football, Boxing, Rugby Union, Baseball, Basketball and Tennis to lesser known sports such as, Cycling, Darts, Ice Hockey, Motor Racing, Pool, Snooker, Speedway and many more.
Boylesports’ free bet offer operates on a next day basis whereby should you place a bet today the free bet bonus will apply tomorrow but, like many other sites, should you win with the free bet offer the original stake will not be returned. Terms and conditions apply, please see full detail directly at Boylesports.
Wasps are a best 8/1 and last year’s losing finalists Racing 92 are 11/2 with several bookmakers to go one better but early-season form points to Clermont-Auvergne being the strongest French challenger. Clermont currently lead the Top 14 having lost just once so far this season. Boylesports have priced up Franck Azema’s team at 8/1 and that has to be better value than the 6/1 available for Toulon, who are poor travellers.
Those looking for a run for their money at bigger odds may want to consider Leinster. The Irish province are a general 33/1 yet could easily end up topping Pool 4 if they can emerge relatively unscathed from their head-to-head games with Northampton. Montpellier and Castres are both beatable and Leinster are a tempting 3/1 with Boylesports to win their section.
Rugby European Champions Cup Latest Odds
Saracens (3/1), Racing 92 (11/2), Toulon (6/1), Clermont Auvergne and Wasps (8/1), Montpellier (16/1), Toulouse (20/1), Leinster and Exeter (33/1), Leicester and Ulster (40/1), Northampton (50/1), Glasgow and Munster (80/1), Bordeaux and Castres (150/1), Sale (250/1), Connacht and Scarlets (300/1), Zebre (5000/1)
