Investec Champions Cup: Who will qualify for the knockout stages?

Ciaran Frawley kicked an injury-time long-range penalty to seal a vital victory for Leinster over La Rochelle

The third round of pool matches in the 2023-24 Investec Champions Cup gets under way on Friday with teams jostling to secure their places in the knockout stage.

All eight Premiership sides could make the last 16, with Bath, Northampton, Exeter and Leicester leading the way with two wins from two.

Saracens, Bristol, Harlequins and Sale have all won once and will be looking to boost their chances.

Ulster and Glasgow have work to do with one win each while Cardiff - who face Harlequins on Saturday - have yet to register a win.

Leinster remain on track in their pursuit of a fifth European Cup star, but defending champions La Rochelle need to overcome Leicester to avoid a surprise early exit.

Nothing is won in the pool stages but momentum is key in lifting the Champions Cup.

The top four from each of the four pools will qualify for the knockout stages, meaning only two sides from each pool will fail to reach the last 16 in April.

But with the top two sides in each group securing home knockout games, where teams finish could be crucial.

Last season's finalists Leinster and La Rochelle both finished top of their pools, which resulted in them playing all their fixtures at home before the final.

Pool 1 - Can Saracens chase down Bordeaux?

Bordeaux Begles have recorded two bonus-point wins and are in control of Pool 1. However, they face difficult remaining fixtures, hosting Saracens on Sunday before travelling to South Africa to play the Bulls.

Three-time champions Saracens will hope the Bulls can do them a favour in the final round, with top spot up for grabs if they can win at Bordeaux this weekend.

Bristol host the South African side on Saturday knowing a victory will help their chances of securing a top spot with bottom side Connacht, who are at risk of not reaching the knockouts if they lose away at Lyon, being their final game.

Pool 2 - Toulouse and Bath decider?

Racing 92, who recruited South Africa's double World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi and England wing Henry Arundell, face a difficult trip to in-form Bath on Sunday, knowing a win is essential to keep their European dream alive.

Bath have been the pick of the Premiership sides so far, scoring 76 points with two bonus-point victories. Summer signing Finn Russell has helped unlock their dangerous backs Ollie Lawrence and Joe Cokanasiga, who have four tries in Europe between them.

• Bath face their 'biggest European challenge'

Antoine Dupont's Toulouse, who also have maximum points, travel to Belfast to face Ulster on Saturday before hosting Bath in what could be a pool deciding fixture.

However, Ulster, after an impressive home win over Racing, will look to shake up Pool 2 by beating the French side.

Cardiff host Harlequins on Saturday, with a positive result the only realistic outcome for their qualification hopes. However, one win could be enough to qualify under the new format.

Pool 3 - Premiership dominance

Aside from Saracens and Exeter, Premiership clubs have struggled to make a notable impact on the competition in the last decade.

But strong starts have offered optimism they can compete against the French powerhouses of Toulouse and La Rochelle who, alongside Leinster, are the only sides to feature in the last three finals.

Exeter won the competition in 2020 and despite losing key players Jack Nowell, Stuart Hogg and Luke Cowan-Dickie have rejuvenated their squad with youth.

The Chiefs are on nine points after wins over former champions Toulon and Munster, and host Glasgow on Saturday, aiming to put themselves in a strong position for a home knockout tie.

Henry Slade's injury-time conversion sealed victory for Exeter away at Toulon

Equally impressive have been 2011 finalists Northampton Saints, who became the first team to book their spot in the knockouts after hammering Bayonne.

The result means they have reached the knockout stages for the first since 2020, when they lost to eventual champions Exeter in the quarter-finals.

Bayonne host Exeter next weekend, when they will hope a win is enough to sneak into the knockout stages.

Toulon are in hot water after losing their opening two games. They host Munster on Saturday in a must-win game for both sides as the Irish province are also winless in Pool 3.

Pool 4 - La Rochelle in danger

Defending champions La Rochelle, who are looking to win the title for the third season in a row, are in danger of missing out on the knockouts after losing their opening two games against Leinster and Stormers.

Manie Libbok's injury-time conversion snatched a win for Stormers against Ronan O'Gara's side to heighten the effect of losing their titanic opener with Leinster.

It means victory against Leicester on Sunday is now crucial.

The Tigers have won their opening two games but will come up against the daunting task of facing La Rochelle and Leinster in their remaining two fixtures.

Four-time champions Leinster won their opening games against La Rochelle and Sale, and face Stade on Saturday in their chase for a top spot.

Stade Francais have also yet to register a win and will look to produce a miracle in Dublin to stay alive in the competition.

Sale Sharks, who beat Stade in their opening match, travel to South Africa to play Stormers. Both sides would likely secure a spot in the knockouts with success.

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