Heineken Champions Cup – State of Play

• 13 Jan 2020

After the full-time whistles around Europe brought the curtain down on Round Five of the Heineken Champions Cup, Glasgow Warriors know exactly what’s required in order to reach the last eight of the competition for the second successive season.

Dave Rennie’s men travel to the AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday evening still very much in the mix for a place in the quarter-finals, knowing that a win is the absolute minimum required in order to progress from Pool Two as one of the three best-placed runners-up.

Here’s what to look out for ahead of what is set to be a rollercoaster weekend of European action:

Glasgow Warriors bonus-point win

Should Rennie’s side secure a bonus-point victory over Sale Sharks on Saturday, the club will finish on 17 points from their six Heineken Champions Cup pool matches.

That total will be enough to secure a quarter-final berth should two of the following three results also occur this weekend:

• Northampton Saints fail to beat Lyon at Matmut Stadium.
• Saracens fail to beat Racing 92 at Allianz Park.
• Gloucester fail to beat Toulouse at the Stade Ernest Wallon.

Glasgow Warriors win, but no bonus-point

If the Warriors get the better of Sale Sharks but are unable to record a try bonus-point, the club will conclude their pool stage fixtures with a total of 16 points.

Qualification is still possible in this instance – once again, two of the following three results will also be required in this outcome:

• Northampton Saints pick up no more than two match points against Lyon at Matmut Stadium.
• Saracens lose to Racing 92 at Allianz Park with a maximum of one bonus-point.
• Gloucester lose to Toulouse at the Stade Ernest Wallon with a maximum of one bonus-point.

For a more detailed analysis of the state of play ahead of this weekend, visit @topofthemoongw on Twitter.