HERE’S WHY ENGLAND’S CLUBS ARE EURO FLOPS

THE relentless slog of the Premiership and England’s highintensity training camps have been identified as factors behind the faltering English challenge in this season’s Champions Cup. With two rounds of pool fixtures left in Europe’s premier club tournament, only Bath of the seven-strong Premiership contingent are well-placed to qualify for the knockout stages. Results over the past two weekends have significantly damaged English hopes, with a collective return of just two victories in 14 matches. The Irish provinces, who rest stars from less-demanding Pro14 games, offer a stark contrast. Careful management of their top players has allowed Leinster, Munster and Ulster to mount a charge towards the quarter-finals. All three won both their latest pool matches, as did Connacht in the second-tier Challenge Cup. In all, Irish teams had 14 wins and a draw in 16 European ties. On Sunday, Leicester’s home defeat by Munster exposed the Anglo-Irish balance of power. Tigers captain Tom Youngs suggested that Leicester’s England players were short of energy after their time with the national squad. ‘Returning from an international to playing here — it’s tough. You go from playing at a massive stadium to playing in a park. It takes a while to adjust. They are a bit weary. ‘That needs looking at. It is very strange how every English team seem off their game a little bit.’ Asked if having a week off after the autumn series had benefited Irish Test players, he added: ‘Mentally, it probably does. You freshen up and become a bit more hungry after a week off.’