Tom O’Flaherty of Exeter; Dan Robson of Wasps and Jamison Gibson-Park of Leinster; Richard Cockerill, the head coach of Edinburgh — Tom O’Flaherty sums up Exeter’s despair; Dan Robson of Wasps battles Leinster’s Jamison Gibson-Park for a high ball; Richard Cockerill, head coach of Edinburgh, shouts instructions. Composite: Inpho/Rex/Shutterstock

Rugby union: talking points from the European Champions Cup

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Dan Robson’s display is silver lining for Wasps, Tadhg Beirne outmuscles Exeter while Saracens look Leinster’s biggest threat

Pool 1: Robson offers Wasps some consolation

Dan Robson’s performance for Wasps was one of the few shining lights on what was a difficult day for the home side, even if they avoided the thrashing they received in Dublin. He looks back to the kind of form he began the season in before the injury that denied him a first cap in autumn struck.Robson’s try, selling Andrew Porter a fine dummy before racing to the line, was a demonstration of what he can bring, most likely off the bench, for England and Eddie Jones, who was watching in the stands. Bath can take heart from their performance in a scrappy match at Toulouse, even if the French side may have had a reason to avoid pressing for the bonus points. Both English sides have much to do in the Premiership, though, so will be somewhat relieved that forgettable European campaigns are over. Gerard Meagher

Leinster cruise past Wasps and train sights on Ulster

Irish clubs have strength in depth but Saracens can reach European final | Robert Kitson

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Pool 2: Exeter find Europe a tougher nut to crack

Eddie Jones remarked last week that rugby tended to oscillate between eras of contest and continuity, with the former currently in vogue. Exeter have based their success in the Premiership on being able to retain possession for long periods but have struggled to make the same impact in Europe where the breakdown is more of a contest. Their latest campaign came to grief at Thomond Park in a match that was unsparingly physical and played at a furious pace. Exeter were on the front foot for long periods but were undone by Tadhg Beirne at the breakdown. Munster’s victory made it eight wins in nine for Irish sides over the Premiership ahead of Leinster’s win at Wasps. Paul Rees

Carbery helps Munster kick Chiefs out of Europe

Pool 3: Saracens look likeliest to down Leinster

Saracens matched the pool tally of their first European title in 2016 with 28 points out of 30, a figure also achieved by Clermont and Harlequins in 2013. Only Biarritz have registered more, 29 in 2007. Second to them that season were Northampton, whom they drew in the quarter-finals. Northampton beat them. Second to Saracens here are Glasgow whom they play in the quarters in late March. Glasgow now are better than Northampton were then. Still, a Glasgow win would register as a significant upset. Saracens look the team best equipped to challenge Leinster. The Blues flickered but too fitfully. Lyon played the role of uninterested French team. Michael Aylwin

Saracens into last eight as top seeds after beating Glasgow

Tempers boiled over between players who will be reacquainted in March. — Tempers boil over between players who will be reacquainted in March. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/INPHO/REX/Shutterstock

Pool 4: Ulster show Welsh teams how it’s done

For both Scarlets and Leicester to end up losing five of their six pool games is a sign of the European times. The Tigers have now failed to finish in the top half of their pool for three successive seasons; there is also no Welsh representation in the last eight of either of Europe’s two competitions this season. Scarlets, gallant 46-33 losers in Paris in round six, scored the same number of pool tries as Ulster but the Irish province won no fewer than five matches en route to the quarter-finals. A free-wheeling Racing side are proving a spirited exception to the rule but, for the most part, a resilient set-piece and a tight, well-marshalled defence are key to success in the modern Europe. Robert Kitson

Robert Kitson: Irish clubs have depth but Saracens can reach final

Pool 5: Edinburgh highlight Cockerill’s credentials

There would rarely be a dull moment if Richard Cockerill were appointed England’s next head coach. It remains an unlikely proposition but Cockerill’s work in the Scottish capital cannot be overstated. Montpellier have a hulking pack but Edinburgh scrummaged them off the Murrayfield park and responded superbly to going behind early in the second half. They advance top of the pool and earn a home quarter-final to boot, a fine achievement considering the pool contained the three-times winners Toulon and a Newcastle side who won their first two matches. The Falcons slipped to a narrow defeat but there were signs of recovery for the Premiership’s bottom side. Gerard Meagher

Edinburgh sink Montpellier to qualify for quarter-finals

Quick Guide

Champions Cup verdict

Show

Team of the weekend

15 Johnny McNicholl Scarlets

14 Simon Zebo Racing 92

13 Garry Ringrose Leinster

12 Brad Barritt Saracens

11 Duhan van der Merwe Edinburgh

10 Finn Russell Racing 92

9 Ali Price Glasgow

1 Pierre Schoeman Edinburgh

2 Stuart McInally Edinburgh

3 Tadhg Furlong Leinster

4 Maro Itoje Saracens

5 Tadhg Beirne Munster

6 Peter O’Mahony Munster

7 Don Armand Exeter

8 CJ Stander Munster

Quote of the weekend

"Considering the number of concussions I have suffered, and above that the amount of time it takes to shake off the symptoms afterwards, it is better to avoid the risk of further head injuries. We have tried rest, medication, neck treatment, jaw treatment, eye rehabilitation, multivitamins, and now I am to avoid any strenuous exercise and sports that require contact" – Pat Lambie, the South Africa and Racing 92 fly-half, explains his retirement with immediate effect at the age of 28

Three figures don’t add up

Not one but two centuries chalked up in the final round of pool stage matches in the Challenge Cup, with both Northampton and Bristol hitting three figures. Such one-sided matches are not a good look for anybody and raise a number of questions, not least over player welfare. The two teams on the receiving end – Timisoara Saracens and Enisei-STM – were the two two qualifiers from the Continental Shield, a tournament struggling to get enough teams to take part.

Artificial pitches point up contrast

Four matches this weekend took place on artificial pitches and yielded 30 tries, six more than were scored in the other six on grass. It is too simplistic a view to put that statistic entirely down to the playing surface – Munster versus Exeter was hardly going to be a try-fest – but it is not completely coincidental either. In English rugby’s recent injury audit it emerged that players are at more of a risk on artificial surfaces, a concerning trend indeed, but the benefits are also clear.

By Gerard Meagher

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