From star signings to Cullen’s last dance: six to watch in European rugby this season

Glasgow have made strides in the Champions Cup, reaching the quarter-finals last season and pushing Toulon all the way, and if they are to do similar this campaign Tuipulotu will need to be firing on all cylinders.

He is the talisman for Glasgow and, you could argue, Scotland. When he is at his best he is a genuinely world-class midfield operator. I’m not sure that he has been able to reach those levels on a consistent basis since the chest injury that put his place on last year’s British & Irish Lions tour of Australia in jeopardy.

But the signs were promising during Scotland’s summer fixtures when Tuipulotu captained them to an impressive win over Argentina and a defeat full of positives against the Springboks, before helping them over the line against Fiji.

Glasgow are a side that were ahead of the curve when it comes to exploiting the laws to use their maul to impressive effect. If they can stay there they can go deep into the competition again.

Tommaso Menoncello, Toulouse

Staying in the centres, the signing of Menoncello by Toulouse is one of those moves that just stops you in your tracks and makes you think of the endless possibilities. It reminds me of Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid – a supremely gifted midfielder arriving at the club that boasts the most impressive record in European history. I saw a try that he scored recently from 40m out on the opening weekend of the season and, as he tends to, it took the breath away.

It was not so long ago that Pita Ahki was a mainstay of the Toulouse midfield. He has moved on now but in Menoncello, Toulouse have acquired an upgrade and that is saying something about the Italy centre’s talents. You only have to watch the try he scored in Italy’s first victory over England in March to see how devastating he can be.

Tom Willis, Bordeaux

I’m fascinated by how Tom Willis will go for the back-to-back champions. There are countless players I could have selected from the Bordeaux squad – Louis Bielle-Biarrey or their captain and spiritual leader, Maxime Lucu – but all good champion sides do not rest on their laurels, they keep adding. And in Willis, Bordeaux have brought in an imposing figure.

While Bordeaux are capable of scoring some remarkable tries, the bedrock of their game is physicality and Willis has that in spades. It’s no surprise that he has hit the ground running because the way he plays the game makes him easy for supporters to love.

The Willis name means a lot in France. Tom is living up to it and if he can perform anything like his brother, Jack, does for Toulouse he’ll be an instant hit. He can give a platform for Bielle-Biarrey to run riot.

Fin Smith, Northampton Saints

If I were to look into my crystal ball, this is shaping up to be a very big season for Smith. It feels as if the debate around who England’s fly-half will be through to the World Cup has been settled and that is testament to Smith, who came off the back of the Lions tour of Australia out of form and soon found himself out of the England side.

He fought his way back and the jersey is his now and there is nothing better as a player than having assurance about your position. He’s at the top of his game, as shown in the way he played during Northampton’s 71-48 victory over Bath, and what impresses me most about him is that he’s never satisfied, he’s always looking for improvements. That bodes well for England in a season that culminates in the World Cup.

Cheslin Kolbe, Stormers

Take a look at the Stormers squad and it feels a bit like Avengers Assemble. Cheslin Kolbe is back in South Africa after a stint in Japan and he is joined in Cape Town by Siya Kolisi. Throw in Wilco Louw for good measure and the fact that Springboks such as Damian Willemse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cobus Reinach were already there and it is a star-studded group of players.

It is no coincidence that as we get into the final season before the World Cup, the Springboks’ best players are headed home and as a result it is high time that the South African sides proved themselves in this competition. There are, of course, logistical hurdles to overcome but this is the fifth season they have been included. On paper, the Stormers squad should mix it with the very best and in Kolbe they have the best winger of his generation and someone who knows the importance of this competition, having won it with Toulouse.

Leo Cullen, Leinster

I’ve opted for Cullen rather than any Leinster players because it has been announced that it is his final season in charge after 12 years as head coach. In short, then, it is his last chance at Leinster’s drive for five titles, having captained them to the first three and then coached them to No 4.

Eight editions of the competition have gone by since Leinster last lifted the trophy and five finals have been lost in that time, including last season’s in Bilbao. Logic would dictate that the French behemoths will still prove a hurdle too great to overcome this season but the emotion of Cullen’s final crack at the competition will help. There is no marquee signing from New Zealand this summer and they have lost James Lowe’s experience but Leinster will always be in the mix. Taking the final step remains the hardest challenge.