In 2011-12 Saracens were the only English team to reach the quarter-finals but since then the Premiership has always had multiple teams in the knockout stages. On two occasions, there have been no Premiership representatives in the last eight – in the very first tournament in 1995-96 and in 1998-99 – but both times the English clubs did not enter. Anthony Watson double sinks Toulon in Champions Cup to take Bath top Read moreThe brightest note of the weekend, however, was the return of Manu Tuilagi in Leicester’s defeat. Leicester next face Saracens on Christmas Eve and while O’Connor conceded that Tuilagi’s workload will have to be managed, he expects the centre to make rapid improvements with more game time. “There are no issues with his quality, we just have to keep him on the field,” said O’Connor.

Source: The Guardian December 17, 2017 22:07 UTC