Montpellier vs Harlequins
10th April 2022 – Kick Off 1300hrs
Rugby – England – Heineken Cup
Pick Home Win
Bookmaker William Hill
Odds: 8/13 odds taken 16:58 GMT on April 9th, 2022
It is a tricky away match for Premiership champions Harlequins in the Round of 16 in the Heineken Cup.
They pay a visit to Montpellier and go there as the underdogs for a first-leg advantage.
Will Montpellier be able to open up enough of a cushion to defend in England in the return fixture?
Table of Contents
Montpellier Preview – Will French side win first meeting?
There has not been a meeting before between Montpellier and Quins in the Champions Cup.
But they do know each other well from the Challenge Cup.
Those meetings in the European Challenge Cup went very well for Montpellier.
The most recent meeting that they had was in the 2016 Challenge Cup Final which Montpellier won.
In the match outright, Montpellier are 8/13 for the win* (odds recorded 16:58 GMT on April 9th, 2022 at William Hill).
They bring some reasonable current form to the table with them.
It’s been seven wins in their last ten matches in all competitions (D1 L2).
Dialling that into just their home form, it’s been nine straight wins.
That includes a big effort by them in the pool stage of this season’s Heineken Cup against English opposition.
Montpellier beat the Exeter Chiefs 37-26 earlier this year and looked strong.
This is just their second match in the knockout stage of the competition.
Their previous one ended in a defeat against fellow French side Clermont.
But Montpellier have won two-thirds of their previous nine home matches against English teams in the Heineken Cup.
The one concern is that they conceded more points in the pool stage than any other team.
Harlequins Preview – Can Quins defy the odds?
This is a tough first leg on the road for Quins who need some good game management to stay in touch.
One positive for Harlequins is that they do hold a decent record in France.
Quins have won 6 of their 10 trips to France.
But they are the 11/8 underdogs in the match outright for rugby betting on the weekend* (odds recorded 16:58 GMT on April 9th, 2022 at William Hill).
Harlequins have played only four Heineken Cup knockout stage matches before.
They lost those previous four, the heaviest defeat in the sequence happening in France against Stade Toulousain.
Their current away form in Europe is pretty good, however.
Harlequins have won three of their last four away games in Europe, despite trailing at halftime in each.
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Premiership Cup matches aside, Harlequins do have some good current momentum behind them.
It’s been a five-match winning streak by them in Premiership Rugby.
Quins did win all four pool matches this season, including two victories over Castres.
This is a much tougher proposition however and will need to be at their best.
Montpellier vs Harlequins Betting Advice
Montpellier may well just have the edge in this first leg at home and the Montpellier -4 at even money is the first pick* (odds recorded 16:58 GMT on April 9th, 2022 at William Hill).
They have a good home record against English opposition.
Their overall current home form is good as well, winning each of their last nine on the spin.
Key Facts – Montpellier vs Harlequins Betting Tip
- Montpellier are in just their second knockout stage match
- Montpellier have won their last nine home matches in all tournaments
- Harlequins have won 6 of their last 10 trips to France
Harlequins have a good record in France from recent exploits there, but their mentality will probably be managing the game to get back to the Stoop.
They have been losing at the half trim break in three of their last four European road games.
Quins have scored more points than any other team in the final 20 minutes of Heineken Cup matches this season.
But this is a tough test to pass so the Montpellier 1-7 winning margin is the pick at 3/1* (odds recorded 16:58 GMT on April 9th, 2022 at William Hill).
The best betting odds for Montpellier vs Harlequins
Montpellier to win: 8/13 at Bet365
Draw: 20/1 at Bet365
Harlequins to win: 11/8 at Bet365
