Of the eight matches between English and Irish teams in the 2015-16 Champions Cup seven were won by Premiership sides. However, the Leinster and Ireland second-row Devin Toner takes no encouragement from this. “The record of the Irish sides against the English in Europe this season does not matter this weekend,” he says. English and French clubs had succeeded in making the Champions Cup a tournament that was run by clubs rather than unions, with participation based on merit rather than geography. Standing in Lancaster’s and Leinster’s way will be a former Ireland international, Mark McCall, Saracens’ director of rugby.

Source: The Guardian March 31, 2018 21:00 UTC