European Champions Cup: free rugby tips | Pool lowdowns and best bet

Free rugby tips and best pool bet for the European Champions Cup

Best bet

La Rochelle to win Pool Two
1pt 7-1 Betfair, Paddy Power
Back this tip with Paddy Power

Pool previews

Pool One
1-7 Leinster, 9 Northampton, 12 Lyon, 66 Benetton

This looked straightforward for Leinster when the draw was made but rivals Northampton and Lyon have made strong starts to their domestic campaigns.

Lyon have had only one European campaign and they lost every match that season, while the Saints have suffered some heavy defeats on the European stage in the last two seasons.

Leinster have lost just one pool match over the last two campaigns - by a single point in Toulouse - and are six out of six against Premiership opposition in that run by an aggregate margin of 188-72.

Pool Two
4-9 Exeter, 5 Glasgow, 7 La Rochelle, 12 Sale

After six European campaigns Exeter are yet to master Europe and have only one quarter-final appearance to show for their efforts.

They are a short price to finish above Glasgow, La Rochelle and Sale, and if the French side take it seriously they could be the value.

Les Corsaires’ powerful, forward-driven style will make them hard to beat in winter conditions and although they are new to the European scene, they reached the knockout stage on their Champions Cup debut two years ago and reached the Challenge Cup final last season.

Pool Three
1-4 Clermont, 15-2 Ulster, 10 Harlequins, 11 Bath

It’s no surprise to see Clermont long odds-on to top this section. They missed out on qualifying for the Champions Cup last season but coasted to victory in the Challenge Cup and boast one of the strongest home records in the tournament.

Bath and Quins are struggling in the lower reaches of the Premiership while Ulster have suffered heavy defeats in their last five trips to France since squeezing out Oyonnax by one point in 2015.

Pool Four
8-11 Saracens, 9-4 Munster, 7-2 Racing, 100 Ospreys

This is a real pool of death as heavyweight trio Saracens, Munster and Racing 92 have ten final appearances between them.

Holders Saracens make no appeal at odds-on and backing Racing at 7-2 looks a decent alternative to taking a chance on them going all the way.

Pool Five
4-9 Toulouse, 6 Gloucester, 8 Montpellier, 25 Connacht

Odds-on favourites Toulouse are the only French club to have a winning record away from home and that should stand them in good stead for tricky trips to Kingsholm and Galway’s Sportsground.

The French champions have lost twice to Connacht but are the only team in the mix with the proven consistency to come out on top.

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport