On the starting line, they are the most numerous.
Five of the sixteen clubs involved in the final stages of the Champions Cup are English: Leicester, Harlequins, Gloucester, Exeter and Saracens.
Far ahead of the French clubs (Toulouse, La Rochelle, Montpellier), the Irish provinces (Leinster, Munster, Ulster), the three newcomers from South Africa (Stormers, Bulls and Sharks) and the only Scottish representative (Edinburgh) and Welsh (Ospreys).
However, this massive presence is not synonymous with success for Her Majesty's subjects.
Quite the contrary.
It is indeed the third consecutive year, since the introduction of the round of 16, that there are five Premiership clubs at this stage of the competition.
Balance sheet?
No title since Toulouse in 2021 and La Rochelle last year were crowned.
More worrying for the English, skimming is done very quickly: there were only two clubs in the quarters in 2021 and 2022. And none in the semi-finals!
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