A third of the way in and all appears rather rosy for Guinness PRO14 sides in Europe, with four teams sitting top of their pools and three in striking distance. Leinster are, perhaps unsurprisingly, the standard-bearers so far and the Champions Cup favourites chalked up the most eye-catching result with an away win at Lyon on Saturday. Ulster and Munster can also be happy with their starts, underlining the strength in depth across the Irish Sea. In the Challenge Cup, Dragons and Edinburgh are top of their respective pools and look genuine contenders. Here’s how the land lies: Champions Cup Tipped as favourites before the competition began, the pressure is very much on forLeinster but they have proved just why they are so fancied in the opening two weeks. Leo Cullen’s side dismantled domestic rivalsBenetton Rugby in Round 1 but it was their gutsy win at Lyon that really caught the eye. Josh van der Flier was electric, Johnny Sexton deadly from the tee and Leinster’s defence watertight as they secured a potentially defining win. Another week another win for @leinsterrugby yesterday💪🏼Max Deegan rolling over on his first European start too 👏🏼pic.twitter.com/IbA2Gr2ZQy— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) November 24, 2019 Northampton Saints’ equally fast start means the two sides are both on nine points ahead of an exciting double-header in December. Dropping into Pool 2 andGlasgow Warriors have work to do. There is no shame in losing at Exeter Chiefs – indeed Sandy Park is as big a fortress as anywhere in Europe – but they are now six points back from the beaten Premiership finallists. That defeat opened the door for Sale Sharks – who Warriors beat in Round 1 – and they walked right through it to move second in the pool. Warriors now face a double-header with La Rochelle, who must win both to maintain their hopes of reaching the last eight. There are no early concerns forUlster, who secured a morale-boosting 18-13 win against Clermont Auvergne in Belfast to take top spot in Pool 3 on eight points. Munster’s home draw with Racing 92 is a slight worry though. In a Pool 4 that also contains defending champions Saracens and fellow PRO14 sideOspreys, Johann van Graan’s side can ill-afford to drop points at home. They sit second, level on points with Racing 92 and two clear of Saracens In Pool 5,Connacht are already five points off a rapid-starting Toulouse, following their defeat in France. Challenge Cup Dropping into the Challenge Cup and things look equally prosperous. Dragons have been the most eye-catching, with 80 points scored across two games and a maximum ten points in the bank. They are top of Pool 1 ahead of an intriguing double-header with Worcester Warriors, who sit five points back. With an impressive display on the road, @dragonsrugby are sitting pretty at the top of Pool 1️⃣ 🐲Could they make the #ChallengeCupRugby knockouts this season?? pic.twitter.com/K7wF0DxwhE— Challenge Cup (@ERChallengeCup) November 24, 2019 Fellow Welsh sideScarlets were cruelly denied victory at Toulon, with Charles Ollivon scoring a try in the last minute and Anthony Belleau converting for a one-point win. However, that is arguably Scarlets’ toughest game of the pool out of the way and they now face Bayonne in a crucial double-header. Pool 3 looks as tight as a drum, withEdinburgh on top courtesy of points difference over Bordeaux-Begles, while Wasps lurk dangerously two points behind. In Pool 4,Zebre already have a mountain to climb following two straight defeats that leaves them bottom of the pile, while in Pool 5Cardiff Blues’ home defeat to Leicester Tigers pushes them three points off the pace.
