Last year Leinster’s Johnny Sexton saved us when pipping Munster’s Ronan O’Gara for the top pointscorer honours by a single point and having not backed Leinster for the title or even their pool this time, we just have to side with the brilliant fly – half once again. Known for his superb talent both striking and using the ball, Sexton has won the title both times Leinster have done so and if they’re to do so again, he’s sure to be at the heart of everything that they do. Having such a tough pool may be off putting but a heavy forward duel with Clermont (especially in France) should bring his talents to the fore before the pool stages even finish, and we all know the role that goalkickers play in the latter stages.
A heavy forward pack is the backbone of any players’ chances in this tournament so it’s no surprise to see that Johnny Wilkinson has been put in as joint favourite with Sexton. Touloun have the easiest pool of them all too, but this has been reflected in the fact that we’ve backed them for their pool and the tournament, so he can be left alone with ease.
With Morgan Parra and Brock James potentially taking points away from eachother for Clermont (although James looks very big at 25/1) and Luke McAllister’s Toulouse having a tough pool task, better value seems to lie with two players who are the heartbeat of their side’s European chances. Ronan O’Gara* is the leading points scorer of all time in this competition and was pipped to the post by Sexton despite his side going out at the quarter finals. With Munster having a pool they’re more than capable of winning, he looks like generous value at 12/1 for the four places.
The term ‘forward dominated side applies more to none other than Saracens, and if they’re to go far them one would have to assume that Charlie Hodgson or Owen Farrell would be at the heart of things. Farrell is very much the future of the club but Hodgson has been given the games of late and as such gets the vore at a giant price.
Advice
4 pts Jonathan Sexton top Tryscorer (7/2 Paddy Power)
1 pt each/way Charlie Hodgson (25/1 Paddy Power)
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