Concentration of Ireland rugby talent leaves English trailing in Europe

The Premiership goes into the final round of the European Champions Cup group stage this weekend hunting a first victory over an Irish province in this season’s tournament. Its clubs have three opportunities: Ulster travel to Leicester, Leinster are away to Wasps and, in the one contest that has an outcome for both teams, Exeter have to become the fourth team to topple Munster at Thomond Park in the competition.

The Chiefs’ task is even more demanding because of the bonus point Munster secured at Gloucester last Friday. It means Exeter not only have to win but deny their opponents a bonus point, unless they score at least four tries. For all the impact they have made in the Premiership in recent seasons, reaching the last three finals, they have yet to find the formula in Europe where a gameplan based on retaining possession is more hazardous because of the extra latitude given to the defending side at the breakdown.

Wasps are looking for their first group victory in a campaign that started with a resounding defeat in Dublin. Their director of rugby, Dai Young, believes English clubs start with a disadvantage against teams in Ireland and France because of the salary cap. He pointed out that Leinster, for instance, are able to replace internationals who are injured with Test players.

“We do not,” said Young. “The Premiership is an attritional league and you pick up injuries. Leinster win in the Pro14 with half a team most of the time. Their top players feature in the derbies and Europe; that’s it really. English players are probably asked to do a lot more. Everyone can see that is the way it is.”

He has a point, but it was only three seasons ago that Wasps routed Leinster home and away. Saracens won back-to-back European Cups before Leinster toppled them last season and, for all their greater purchasing power, the Top 14 has supplied only one winner since 2010: Toulon. Newcastle were doubled by Edinburgh last month and both sides won in Toulon.

The salary cap is less relevant than another numerical difference. There are 12 teams in the Premiership, never mind the desire to increase the number to 13 and close the door on relegation, compared with four Irish provinces. Talent is spread more thinly. Were Leinster one of 12, they would not be able to stockpile so much talent.

Were England’s European contingent reduced to four, there would be a considerable hike in the salary cap, stronger squads and no league in which, as Bath’s director of rugby, Todd Blackadder, remarked last weekend, teams smash each other up so hard that they are almost too tired to have a proper crack at the European Cup.

Which again overlooks Saracens who became the first team to qualify for this season’s quarter-finals when they subdued Lyon in France. The Premiership champions had 13 internationals in their starting line-up, most of them current with one of the few out of favour, Alex Goode, again excelling at full-back. He is one of a number of players whose club form has not persuaded the England head coach, Eddie Jones, to make them part of his plans. But with full-back one of the more marginal positions in his side, Mike Brown dislodged from the position but Elliot Daly yet to establish himself fully in the position in the absence of the injured Anthony Watson, Goode’s continued absence appears more a reflection of the way England are looking to play than him.

Saracens hiccupped in Europe last season, losing home and away to Clermont Auvergne, who themselves failed to qualify for this season’s tournament, before falling to Leinster in Dublin. But they have shown in winning in Glasgow, Cardiff and Lyon in the last three months the ability to make crucial moments count. Most of the English contingent can dazzle but often end up blinding themselves.

The Champions Cup is an unequal tournament in the sense that Scotland have only two teams who can qualify while Ireland and Wales have four. England have 12 and France 14, reflecting their far greater playing populations but meaning there is less concentration of their nation’s current squad in their sides.

The system works for Ireland now, and Scotland with Edinburgh and Glasgow on the verge of making the last eight (Wales are struggling to keep up financially), but that does not mean that it always will. Ulster are making an impact in Europe again after an underwhelming few years and Munster are getting closer to where they were a decade ago after seasons of falling short.

It is Leinster who are pre-eminent, the side Joe Schmidt left to join Ireland. They are making the most of their catchment area through their academy, a system that sees Ireland score over England where teams tend to be grouped in clusters: England, the Midlands and the West Country. Sale and Newcastle are exceptions, along with Exeter who have Devon and Cornwall to themselves.

The Six Nations starts in just over a fortnight. Ireland’s encounter with England in Dublin looks the pick of the opening weekend but the three Anglo-Irish encounters this weekend are more self-contained than dress rehearsals. Exeter will not be given much more of a chance in Limerick than England will at the Aviva Stadium, but it is the opportunity they have been yearning for.

Exeter are different from England, who took the power route in November, but a common denominator is Henry Slade, the playmaker whose importance for England has risen with the demotion of George Ford. For all the relentless grind of the modern game at the top and the incessant collisions, such players as Slade make a difference, as Leinster and Saracens have long appreciated. More are coming to feel the noise.