This past weekend, we saw the end of the PREM teams involvement in European rugby, as Bath were knocked out in the Semi-Finals after a 38-26 loss to Bordeaux Bègles, in France. The last time a PREM team won the Champions Cup was in 2019/20 when Exeter Chiefs beat Racing 92 31-27.
French Dominance
French teams have dominated this trophy since its inception in the 1995/96 season, when Toulouse beat Cardiff 21-18, in Cardiff. Since then Toulouse has won it a further five times, and French teams have won the trophy a total of 13 times. There has been at least one French team in 22 of the 30 finals, with six all-French finals.
There was a period in the 2000’s when PREM sides made six of the 10 finals. Bath were the first PREM side to win the trophy, beating Brive 19-18 at the end of the 1997/98 season. Northampton Saints picked up their only European Champions Cup when they beat Munster in a tight game, winning 9-8 in 1999/2000. Leicester Tigers went back-to-back the next two years, beating Stade Francais 34-30, and then beating Munster 15-9.
Wasps have also won the trophy twice – beating Toulouse 27-20 in 2003/04, and then beating Northampton Saints 25-9 in 06/07. Saracens won three titles in four years, from 2015/16 season to 2018/19 season, beating Racing 92 by 21-9. They then beat Clermont 28-17 the following season. Finally, they beat Leinster by 20-10. The following year, 2019/20 season, Exeter Chiefs became the last PREM team to win the trophy when they beat Racing 92 by 31-27. Northampton Saints reached the final last year but were beaten by Bordeaux 28-20. So why is it that French teams are able to cope with the pressure of knockout rugby?
So why aren’t the PREM sides winning?
Why is it that French sides cope with knockout rugby, yet when it comes to English teams, they struggle. In my opinion, and that is all I have to go on, is that the pressure on PREM sides, being one of the premier leagues in the World, let alone Europe, is so great that they crumble.
In the Semi-Final this weekend, Bath, who are second in the PREM, were losing by 12 points to Bordeaux at half-time. That is a huge gap to overcome at anytime, let alone away in a Semi-Final. Bath were the sole representatives of the PREM left in the tournament. Exeter Chiefs lost to Ulster away in the European Challenge Cup, Rugby’s equivalent to the Europa League.
So the only explanation I can give is this: As the PREM is one of the best leagues in the world, there is a lot of TV coverage, which will mean that sides will have a lot of tape to break down sides’ weaknesses and strengths. TV money is a huge reason why the league is the best so it’s a vicious circle. However, I am not sure what can be done to change the stranglehold French teams have on this competition.
