Selection planning, knockout messaging and constant learnings - Investec Champions Cup through a coach’s eyes
- EPCR Media
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Sale Sharks’ Alex Sanderson and Northampton Saints’ Phil Dowson discuss juggling player selection plans and the highs and lows of knockout rugby.
The tournament’s playmakers and try-scorers may grab the headlines on the field but behind the curtain is often a season-long tactical mastermind.
The Investec Champions Cup’s head coaches must balance squad rotations amidst international selections, domestic demands and unpredictable injuries.
It often requires a meticulous, season-long approach so that the best players can shine when it matters most.
“We plan our workloads season-long, with high and low weeks,” said Saints’ Dowson.
And for Saints, balancing player availability now forms part of a much bigger plan - one that may see them go all the way this year.
“We try and do the best thing for the club based on what’s happening next week, next month, next year and in 10 years’ time,” Dowson explained.
Reaching the final stages of the Investec Champions Cup brings with it more high-pressure games in quick succession but that’s a privilege to relish for the Saints’ coach.
“It’s a massive blessing (to have more games),” he started.
“You could see it as a curse but the Investec Champions Cup is so romantic.”
As well as the chance to explore new places, Dowson insisted that away trips to new grounds help his coaching team gain a vital edge later down the line.
“We already know what to expect from PREM teams but we didn’t know much about Section Paloise, for example. We got to know their players, tactics, coaching group … It’s really interesting.
“You can take from it too - if they do something well, how can we incorporate that now or in the future?” he said.
In what is a head-to-head between the two best sides in English rugby at the moment, Saints travel to Bath Rugby for a spectacular quarter-final on Friday night. Another PREM side to make the final eight was Sale Sharks after they impressed on the road last week.
The Mancunian outfit have made a name for themselves away from home this year, overcoming French side ASM Clermont Auvergne away in the pool stage too.
And amidst domestic challenges, Director of Rugby Sanderson realises just how important the run in the competition has been for the club this season.
“The Investec Champions Cup is the best competition, isn’t it?” he said.
“We’ve got some forever memories of going through to the last stages, like we are now.
“We’ve had some ups and downs in the PREM but this has given us a new lifeline to understand what we are as a club,” he explained.
Like Dowson, Sanderson can be hand-tied with player selections but he is adamant Sale are precisely where they need to be, thanks to the coaching staff’s precise planning.
George Ford was as reliable as ever from the tee last Saturday and Luke Cowan-Dickie grabbed a score too as the England pair both started after obligatory Six Nations rest.
“We’ve now got one of the strongest squads that we’ve been able to field all season,” he said.
“It bodes really well for the next couple of weeks – we believe we can do something special.”
For a coach personally, tweaks to their messaging are essential to get the most out of their players, especially when faced with back-to-back knockout tests.
“You need to shift semantics, theme and intensity,” Sanderson explained.
“It’s as close to international rugby as you can get.
“They’re one-off games. Teams tend to hit a little harder and the ball is in play for longer,” he said.
Sale have another tough trip on the road this weekend when they travel to Leinster Rugby, and with the likes of Jamison Gibson-Park, Dan Sheehan and Rieko Ioane all poised to make an impact, it’s certainly Test rugby in club colours.
QUARTER-FINALS
(Pool stage rankings in brackets - all kick-offs local times)
Friday
Quarter-final 4: Bath Rugby (4) – Northampton Saints (5) @ The Rec (8pm)
Andrew Brace (IRE)
Premier Sports/beIN Sports/SuperSport/FloRugby/EPCR TV
Saturday
Quarter-final 2: Glasgow Warriors (2) – RC Toulon (7) @ Scotstoun Stadium (3pm)
Karl Dickson (ENG)
Premier Sports/France TV/beIN SPORTS/SuperSport/FloRugby/EPCRTV
Quarter-final 3: Leinster Rugby (3) – Sale Sharks (11) @ Aviva Stadium (5.30pm)
Pierre Brousset (FRA)
Premier Sports/beIN Sports/SuperSport/FloRugby/EPCR TV
Sunday
Quarter-final 1: Union Bordeaux Bègles (1) – Stade Toulousain (8) @ Stade Chaban-Delmas (4pm)
Matthew Carley (ENG)
France TV/beIN Sports/Premier Sports/SuperSport/FloRugby/EPCR TV
Semi-finals – 1/2/3 May
Semi-final 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 4
Semi-final 2: winner QF 2 v winner QF 3
2026 Investec Champions Cup final: Saturday 23 May; San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao (3.45pm)
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