I was a little unsure where to head last week but I have seen enough power from Sale. There is more than enough of their injured international contingent returning to action and I know they can seriously incinerate any attack with their blitz defence.

I just don’t think Bristol can defend at the level needed to push for honours. Their system collapses under the slightest pressure, and it was painful to watch at times against Northampton last week.

Verdict: Sale 

Toulouse v Ulster

Ulster must be wondering who they have offended in a previous life. Unbeaten in the pool stages, with four wins from four, they would have been licking their lips at the prospect of playing a struggling mid-table French or English team that had scraped through. Then, from nowhere, the fixture secretary tells them they have Toulouse in the round-of-16. 

Toulouse had two games cancelled, were battered at Wasps, and just an opening round win away in Cardiff to their name. They scraped through as results went their way in the final round of pool matches. All Toulouse need is a chink of light, though, and the door has been left ajar. We know what they can do, and the superstars are back on the bus.

Ulster had some great days out in the pool stages. Top of the list must be a win at the Stade Marcel-Michelin of Clermont. That is a victory you cherish long after you have stopped playing. They can rough it out with the big boys up front and happy to dance with the ballet dancers on the flanks. Ulster are a potent mix.

But I can’t help think they have been dealt an absolute stinker here. Antoine Dupont walks on water, Julien Marchand does what he wants at breakdowns – if he has overcome his neck injury – and Romain Ntamack at 10 looks like he is playing in a smoking jacket.

Ulster have to come away from the South of France less than 10 points behind. If they do that, Belfast will have a special night in the second leg no matter the final result. Their players and fans deserve that.

Verdict: Toulouse

Stade Francais v Racing 92

Two Parisian sides who were at opposite ends of the qualification scale: 19 points for Racing 92 aided by two default wins; seven points, the lowest of any qualifier, for Stade Francais, with a points difference of -32. 

Stade needed results to go their way and had to come back from 20-31 behind to Connacht with 15 minutes to go and had to kick a last-minute penalty to have a one point better points difference than Cardiff to sneak through.

It tells me they are a resilient bunch, but it also tells me they are on borrowed time. Why? Because Racing 92 are a Rolls Royce of a team who can tear you apart all over the field. They only played two games in the pool stages, both away from home, and both were comfy wins. 

That tells me a lot about how this team now believe they belong in the last four of this competition every year and their mindset to the tournament is one of “let’s win it” rather than in the bad old days when the competition was a nuisance. 

They started this season’s campaign by going 23-0 up at Franklins Gardens in 20 minutes. Scrum power, Gael Fickou and Virimi Vakatawa all over the Saints, and Finn Russell pulling rabbits out of hats. They are a truly glorious team to watch.