Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall has admitted that his club will have to prioritise their fight for Premiership survival over the defence of their Champions Cup title this season following the 35-point deduction imposed by Premiership Rugby for salary cap breaches.
Sarries have won the Champions Cup for the past two seasons and are only a best 7/2 with Betway to complete the hat-trick but bookmakers may need to reconsider their outright betting market taking into account McCall’s words.
The pool stages of this year’s competition get under way this month with 20 teams bidding to make it through to the last eight and the knockout stages.
Pool 1
| Team |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leinster Rugby | 1/10 | 1/10 | 1/10 |
| Northampton Saints | 9/1 | 9/1 | 7/1 |
| Lyon OU | 12/1 | 12/1 | 12/1 |
| Benetton Treviso | 66/1 | 66/1 | 66/1 |
Pool 2
| Team | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter Chiefs | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Glasgow | 5/1 | 5/1 | 5/1 |
| La Rochelle | 7/1 | 7/1 | 5/1 |
| Sale Sharks | 6/1 | 6/1 | 12/1 |
Pool 3
| Team | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Clermont Auvergne | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/4 |
| Ulster | 15/2 | 15/2 | 7/1 |
| Harlequins | 10/1 | 10/1 | 10/1 |
| Bath | 10/1 | 10/1 | 10/1 |
Pool 4
| Team | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Saracens | 8/11 | 8/11 | 4/9 |
| Munster | 9/4 | 9/4 | 9/4 |
| Racing92 | 10/3 | 10/3 | 7/2 |
| Ospreys | 100/1 | 100/1 | 66/1 |
Pool 5
| Team | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Toulouse | 4/9 | 4/9 | 1/3 |
| Gloucester | 10/3 | 10/3 | 6/1 |
| Montpellier | 8/1 | 8/1 | 5/1 |
| Connacht | 10/1 | 10/1 | 18/1 |
(Betting Odds were taken from betfair, Paddy Power & Betway on November 11, 2019 at 2.30pm)
Without even taking into account Saracens’ troubles on the domestic front, the English champions have probably been handed the toughest draw possible against Munster and Racing92. The likes of Leinster and Clermont Auvergne should easily won their respective pools and secure a home draw in the quarter-finals.
Champions Cup Rugby Union Betting at BetVictor
Champions Cup Previous Winners
1995-96 Toulouse
1996-97 Brive
1997-98 Bath
1998-99 Ulster
1999-00 Northampton
2000-01 Leicester
2001-02 Leicester
2002-03 Toulouse
2003-04 Wasps
2004-05 Toulouse
2005-06 Munster
2006-07 Wasps
2007-08 Munster
2008-09 Leinster
2009-10 Toulouse
2010-11 Leinster
2011-12 Leinster
2012-13 Toulon
2013-14 Toulon
2014-15 Toulon
2015-16 Saracens
2016-17 Saracens
2017-18 Leinster
2018-19 Saracens
LEINSTER, winners in 2018 and losing finalists last season, are a stand-out 11/4 with Betvictor. Leo Cullen’s side also won the old Heineken Cup three times so their European pedigree is not in doubt.
France have produced five of the 10 finalists in the Champions Cup era and CLERMONT AUVERGNE, beaten finalists twice since 2015, are 7/1 with Unibet. Les Jaunards have never been European champions but were Top 14 champions in 2017 and runners-up last season.
TOULOUSE won the first-ever Heineken Cup and were successful a further three times up until 2010. They pipped Clermont Auvergne to the Top 14 title last season so the good times may have come around again and Le Rouge Et Noir are a best 8/1 in the Outright betting.
EXETER CHIEFS are 14/1 with Unibet even though they were almost on a par, domestically, with Saracens last season. Given subsequent findings, you could argue that Rob Baxter’s team were moral winners of the Premiership but they have not started the new season in the best of form and Pool 2 looks one of the more open sections. Indeed, the 11/2 about GLASGOW in that group with Unibet is quite tempting.
European Champions Cup Current Best Odds
Leinster 11/4
Saracens 7/2
Clermont Auvergne 7/1
Toulouse 8/1
Exeter Chiefs 14/1
Munster and Racing92 25/1
Montpellier 33/1
La Rochelle 40/1
Gloucester 50/1
Glasgow 66/1
Northampton 80/1
Bath, Harlequins, Sale Sharks and Ulster 100/1
Lyon OU 125/1
Connacht 250/1
Ospreys and Benetton Treviso 500/1
(Odds correct at 2.30pm November 11)
