The Champions Cup launch at The Stoop, home of Harlequins, resembled a quotes buffet as the captains and coaches from the relevant Guinness Pro12 and English Premiership clubs, providing 13 of the 20 tournament constituents, exchanged pleasantries.
The French Top 14 clubs have been given a launch of their own next week in Lyon, the host city for both the 2016 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals at which EPCR will announce another associate sponsor for the tournament.
It won’t be of the same magnitude in terms of a global brand as Turkish Airlines, whose three-year sponsorship deal was unveiled in London, expanding their portfolio of sports interest for the first time into rugby.
Clubs are scrupulously polite in talking up pool rivals but there were topics that captured the attention, not least Munster coach Anthony Foley's reaction to a story that Simon Zebo is being courted by Toulouse, amongst other interested parties, as his provincial contract – rather than central Irish one – is up at the end of the season.
Been briefed
The concise version is that Munster want to keep him, the IRFU’s Performance Director
David Nucifora
is the negotiator-in-chief in discussions with the player, a process that began before the end of last season, and that the province’s hierarchy has been briefed on all relevant conversations.
“We’re about holding onto our best players, they’ve come through (our system) and we want them to play with Munster for as long as they can,” said Foley. “Everybody wants the same thing for Irish rugby, not just in Munster, but across all provinces. We all want the best Irish players t be playing in Ireland. If we can get that, we are all happy.
“If clubs like Toulouse are lining up Simon Zebo then Simon Zebo is a good player. It’s a lot of credit to Munster for creating a player like that. It also shows the level we are at and we want to keep him because we want to win trophies.
“Hopefully that is achieved. If not we will cross that bridge when we come to it but hopefully we won’t have to cross the bridge. It goes on in every province, in every club . . . ”
The Munster coach said he was happy for Nucifora to conduct the negotiations. “I think it is the way forward. It has worked in other countries. I think it is important that if we can have positive outcomes everyone will buy into it.”
When asked whether he would have liked to have seen Zebo get more game time at the Rugby World Cup, Foley chuckled and asked his inquisitor, ‘would that be as an Ireland fan or as Munster coach?’
“I think Simon against Romania was the spark out on the Wembley turf. It was a pity that the try that was disallowed wasn’t awarded. In some respects we probably wouldn’t hear the end of it. He has that skill, that ability, something different; I am happy that he is back playing with Munster is probably the most politically correct answer. He’s fit and well.”
While Munster are looking to retain their prized assets it was a player that Leinster let go during the summer, Jimmy Gopperth – he joined their Champions Cup pool rivals, Wasps, albeit before the draw was made – who has made some unfortunate headlines.
The New Zealander was handed a three-match suspension following a disciplinary hearing at which he admitted to striking Leicester Tigers fullback Matthew Tait during a league match at the weekend. Referee Tim Wigglesworth showed the player a yellow card at the time.
Wasps are going to appeal the ban, which would rule Gopperth out of Champions Cup matches against Leinster at the RDS on Sunday week and Toulon the following weekend as well as a Premiership game against Gloucester on Sunday.
Yellow card
The London club’s head coach Dai Young said: “It’s really disappointing for him if he doesn’t play because the kid’s not even had a yellow card in his whole career and he’s not that type of player. He’s really upset about it.”
Young is pleased with the impact that Gopperth has made since joining the club.
“His leadership ability through his experience of playing in quality environments like Leinster has helped us because we’ve still got quite a young squad. So to have Jimmy come on board and (former Wallaby) George Smith and people like that are only going to help develop us.”
For another one of Leinster's pool rivals, Bath, the Sam Burgess issue is a hot topic. Coach Mike Ford is adamant the player's future lies with the west country club and not his former employers in rugby league, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and that unlike England, he sees Burgess as a blindside flanker.
“He knows he’s a back rower, especially the way we play at Bath. We always said it was easier to go back as a centre but we just want Sam to be Sam, that’s carrying football and making tackles and we believe he does more of that when he’s at six.
“We want Kyle (Eastmond) and Ollie Devoto at 12; that’s the way it suits Bath Rugby. There are some really juicy fixtures coming up for us. Toulon, Leinster, Leicester and Northampton then Wasps home and away in the Champions Cup. I think knowing Sam as a competitor, he’ll want to play in those games and play well and I think he will.”
