Champions Cup: What to look out for as Gloucester host Connacht and Sale Sharks take on Exeter Chiefs

By Marc Bazeley

Image: Sale and Exeter go head-to-head in one of Sunday's Champions Cup clashes

The third round of matches in this season's European Champions Cup concludes with three games on Sunday, including the all-English showdown between Sale Sharks and Exeter Chiefs.

It is Pool 5 which dominates the action on the day, though, with Gloucester and Connacht facing off in a match which is key for both teams followed by Toulouse tackling compatriots Montpellier later in the afternoon.

Sale's match at home to Gallagher Premiership rivals Exeter is an intriguing clash in Pool 2 as well and we take a look at what to watch…

Gloucester vs Connacht, Kingsholm (1pm)

Image: Gloucester were edged out away to Montpellier two weeks ago

Match overview: The clash between French powerhouses Toulouse and Montpellier at 3.15pm might be the headline-grabbing clash in Pool 5 on Sunday, but the match-up at Kingsholm has plenty of significance attached to it as well.

Gloucester go into the game having falling victim to Toulouse fighting back from 20-9 down at half-time to win 25-20 on the opening weekend of this season's tournament and then being beaten 30-27 away to 14-man Montpellier.

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Despite the defeats, however, there were several encouraging signs for the Cherry and Whites from the performances and picking up losing bonus points in both of those encounters has ensured Sunday's hosts still have some hope of making the knock-out stages.

Image: Connacht suffered a defeat against pool leaders Toulouse last time out

Connacht, meanwhile, head to Kingsholm aiming to rebound from the 32-17 defeat away to Toulouse after opening their 2019/20 European campaign with an eye-catching 23-20 win at home to Montpellier.

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They have been in fine form in the Guinness PRO14 as well, sitting second in Conference B following last weekend's 24-12 win at home to the Southern Kings, and victory against Gloucester would certainly keep the heat on the pool's French contingent.

Key match-ups: Joe Simpson has been inspirational for Gloucester at scrum-half since making the switch from Wasps in the off-season, including when he started against Toulouse and came off the bench against Montpellier in their two Champions Cup games so far.

Image: Joe Simpson has made a flying start to his Gloucester Rugby career since joining from Wasps

But Connacht have their own dynamic No. 9 in Caiolin Blade, who played a starring role in their win over Montpellier and will be aiming to make them tick again at Kingsholm this weekend.

Bundee Aki handed Connacht a boost by signing a new contract last week and is firmly established as one of the province's key men. He lines up at outside centre, while wearing the No 13 shirt for Gloucester will be Mark Atkinson - a player who can test defences with his ability to spot gaps.

Up front, Gloucester have handed Jake Polledri a recall to the starting line-up at openside flanker after featuring on the blindside against Montpellier. Meanwhile, keep an eye on Connacht's No. 7, Australian Colby Fainga'a, who was last season's players' player of the year at the club.

Sale Sharks vs Exeter Chiefs, AJ Bell Stadium (3.15pm)

Image: Sale scored a bonus-point win at home to La Rochelle

Match overview: Exeter may have established themselves as one of the premier teams in the English domestic game, but Rob Baxter's men have yet to make their presence truly felt in European club rugby's top competition.

The Chiefs' director of rugby could hardly have asked for a better start to this season's Champions Cup though, having seen them record impressive bonus-point wins away to La Rochelle (31-12) and at home to Glasgow Warriors (34-18) in the first two matches in Pool 2.

Last Saturday's 38-3 demolition of Wasps in the Premiership ensured last season's runners-up continued their strong start to the league campaign as well and another victory this week would take Exeter a step closer to reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2015/16.

Image: Exeter made it back-to-back bonus-point wins with the victory over Glasgow

Sale, meanwhile, have been making steady progress so far this season, reaching the semi-finals of the Premiership Rugby Cup after going through the pool stages unbeaten, sitting fifth in the league and second in their Champions Cup pool.

The latter of those came after they responded to being edged out 13-7 away to Glasgow on the opening weekend with a 25-15 bonus-point win over an ill-disciplined La Rochelle side at the AJ Bell Stadium two weeks ago.

The Sharks were boosted by the return of their South African and English World Cup stars for that match, although they could not prevent them slipping to a 20-13 defeat to Worcester Warriors in the Premiership last week. The Chiefs have international talent in their ranks as well though.

Image: Chris Ashton has maintained his prolific scoring in a Sale shirt

Key match-ups: Former international Chris Ashton and current England star Jack Nowell both provide dangerous attacking outlets on the wing for their respective sides in this contest.

Ashton extended his try tally in all European rugby to 55 with his score against La Rochelle, while Nowell is aiming to get back to his best after a World Cup campaign which was disrupted by injury and illness.

Up front, the match-up of hookers Akker van der Merwe and Luke Cowan-Dickie promises to be one to keep an eye on both at the scrum and the line-out.

Tom Curry was Sale's star man with his tireless work in the back row last time out in Pool 5, carrying on where he left off with England on his return to club action. But Exeter have plenty experience at blindside flanker in Dave Ewers, a long-established senior member of the squad.

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