21-1-19 EUROPEAN RUGBY
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
GROUP 1
WASPS 19-37 LEINSTER
CRONINS CONTROL
Garry Ringrose shows superb footwork to race under the
posts. Ross Byrne adds the extras to put the visitors in control.
Leinster take full advantage from the lineout as Sean Cronin
drives over the line for the second try. Ross Byrne's conversion makes it
20-0.
Wasps' improvement in the second half is rewarded with a try
as Nathan Hughes forces his way over the line. Lima Sopoaga adds the extras
from the kick
Wasps concede a penalty in their own half and Leinster
kick to the corner as they go in search of their first points of the half. The
visitors take full advantage as they drive over the line with Sean Cronin
scoring his second of the game. It's also his sixth in the tournament this season!
Ross Byrne adds the conversion
Brilliant opportunism by Dan Robson as he picks up the ball
and races through the Leinster defence to score. Lima Sopoaga adds the
conversion
Leinster secure the bonus point with a brilliant fourth try.
A series of offloads set up Noel Reid and he touches down.
MY
OPINION
Leinster showed they have the
control to win a match when they seemed to get the rough end and show that
there is I strength in depth in the Ireland squad and whether they would like
to look at a few new Leinster players. This was too easy.
TOLOUSE 20-17 BATH
DEADLY DUPONT
Veteran Toulouse lock Tekori opened the scoring, flopping
over from the back of an innovative driving maul set up in the loose after 13
minutes.
The hosts would not be denied again. As the clock ticked
past the half hour, scrum-half Dupont finished a move his break round the
fringes of the breakdown had started.
When a try eventually came, just after the hour, it was at
the other end of the field, as Dupont made a mess of a rather hopeful hoof up
field just in front of his line. Rokoduguni had the simple job of picking up
the ball and falling over the tryline.
Mercer's industry all game was finally rewarded with a
converted try five minutes from time to set up a nervy finish.
MY
OPINION
This shows the quality that
French rugby has and what a difference that one result can make as it put them
in5to the quarter finals of the Champions Cup. I think that Toulouse could make
things difficult for any side when they are on top form but this was the result
that got away
GROUP 2
MUNSTER 9-7 EXETER
CLASSIC CARBERY
Pressure from Munster leads to another penalty while CJ
Stander rips Jonny Hill's shirt off! Joey
Carbery takes advantage of Munster's second penalty to kick the home side into
an early lead.
Exeter win their first penalty after Munster did not release
the ball and the visitors kick to touch. The Chiefs are just in front of the
tryline and Don Armand grounds the ball to give the Premiership side the
lead. Exeter add the conversion through Joe Simmonds to extend their lead
to four points.
Munster win a penalty for offside and Joey Carbery fires
over the three points to reduce Exeter's lead.
Munster win a penalty at the lineout and Joey Carbery kicks
his penalty between the posts to fire them ahead with time running out.
MY
OPINION
This game was ridiculously close
where there was never a point where you could say one side was definitely going
tom win it. It was a bit of a ding dong battle but the boot of the kid made the
difference and he should get game time in the 6 nations in case Sexton is out.
CASTRE 24-22 GLOSTER
VALELLE VICTORIOUS
With both teams already eliminated, Gloucester scored early
tries through Henry Trinder and Ben Vellacott.
But they were pegged back by a pair of Florian Vialelle
scores for Castres either side of the interval.
Owen Williams restored Gloucester's lead, but they could not
hold on as Vaipulu ploughed over on the last play.
MY
OPINION
This was a battle that can
really only help both teams league form as both sides were already out of the
Champions Cup. I think that it shows the quality sometimes tat French Rugby has
over English but both sides know they can learn a lot from this game
GROUP 3
BLUES 33-19 LYON
SUPERB SUMMERHILL
Wing Aled Summerhill scored a double with further tries from
Owen Lane, Tomos Williams and Lewis Jones clinching a bonus point win.
MY
OPINION
I think that a result like this cannot
help Lyons cause as it does feel like this was too much of a step up in class
for the French side as they did not get a point from this campaign. There must
be a sense of disappointment for the blues as they should have thought they
could reach the last 8 as they could compete with Glasgow
SARACENS 33-19 GLASGOW
ICE ITOJE
Saracens made an ominous start by racing 10-0 ahead,
scrum-half Ben Spencer scoring all the points with a penalty and conversion of
his own try.
David Strettle was the architect of the touch down, although
he was aided by poor defending as he slipped between Grant Stewart and Adam
Hastings before offering Spencer a simple run-in.
Glasgow issued a dynamic response when superb hands from the
line-out sent Tommy Seymour galloping over and they surged ahead when a charged
down kick fell kindly for Ali Price, who darted across the whitewash
The frantic pace of scoring continued with Vincent Koch
finishing off a line-out drive and then Wilson picked a good line to touch down
from short range.
The 58th minute when mass shoving broke out after the
English champions had been shunted backwards at a scrum.
Alex Lozowski was wide with a long-range penalty attempt but
the decisive blow finally arrived in the 70th minute when a counter attack
developed down the right side for Itoje to cross after input from Will Skelton
and Billy Vunipola.
Skelton then forced himself over to further disfigure a
scoreline that was harsh on Glasgow.
MY
OPINION
I think that Saracens look to be
unstoppable at the moment and are on top of the table for a reason. This looks
to be a hard team to beat as the Scots have shown in their big match. Glasgow
knew they were through to the quarters beforehand which might have changed
their thinking
GROUP 4
RACING 49-33 SCARLETS
ZIPPY ZEBO
That early score spurred the hosts into action, and a clever
kick through from Finn Russell had the Scarlets cover in trouble. After
Chavancy hacked through, Imhoff was on hand to touch down.
Racing quickly hit back with their forwards making inroads
from a lineout drive which opened up enough space infield for centre Chevancy
to drive over.
Scarlets started the second-half in blistering fashion, with
Evans finding space out wide before kicking through for full-back McNicholl to
gather and touch down just before the dead ball line.
However, the hosts hit back almost instantly with a long
pass from Russell giving wing Zebo enough room to score in the corner, which
Macheneud converted.
They quickly added a bonus-point try with centre Vakatawa
running a smart line to power through the tackle of Jones to the line, and with
Machenaud again slotting the extras the Parisians were back in front.
Replacement Iribaren touched down for a fifth Racing score,
which Russell converted before Zebo then found acres of space out wide for a
sixth and secured the win.
Scarlets still had one last score in them - McNicholl
smartly found space on the wing to restore some pride to the scoreline before
Iribaren kicked the final penalty of the game for Racing.
MY
OPINION
This was too easy of a win to
learn anything for Racing as it was a bit of a demolition match for them and
they look like a team that no one could beat on this type of performance. I
think the Welsh side have to learn from this if they are going to progress.
LEICESTER 13-14 ULSTER
It took 32 minutes for the game's first score. Lock
Henderson was caught off his feet at the ruck - with Ford adding the three
points from a comfortable range for the England International
The Tigers added further points on the cusp of half-time
after Ford - impressing at fly-half in the midst of Owen Farrell's Six
Nations injury scare- grubber-kicked accurately with Matt Toomua slamming down
for the try.
However, Ulster soon clicked into gear to mount their
comeback. They edged their way back into contention after a string of close
attempts, and eventually found their reward when Moore peeled off the side of a
driving maul to score - with John Cooney drilling the conversion.
Ulster - and their strong away support - were buoyed by the
breakthrough and minutes later took the lead. Burns chipped to the wing and a
charging Baloucoune collected before sprinting behind the posts.
Cooney kicked to put the visitors ahead - a kick which ultimately
sealed their fate.
MY
OPINION
I think that Ulster managed to
get away with a win here more so than anything else and that they were very
lucky to win the match. I think that Leicester put up a massive performance
considering the fact they had nothing on the game for themselves and that is an
honourable quality.
GROUP 5
EDINBURGH 19-10
MONPELLIER
GREHAM GASPS
Two straightforward penalty chances were the reward and
stand-off Van der Walt’s reliable boot opened
up
an early six-point lead. Jacques
was the next Montpellier player to transgress with a high tackle on WP Nel,
which gave Van der Walt another chance to stretch the lead.
It was from a similar distance but straighter than the
previous missed opportunity and there was no mistake this time from the home No
10.
An elongated appraisal from the TMO finally determined that
Jacques
du Plessis had
got the try,
Ruan Pienaar
converted
Edinburgh started the second half on the front foot but
their momentum stalled and Montpellier won a 46th-minute penalty which Pienaar
converted to put his side in front for the first time.
A teasing kick to the corner from Van der Walt forced a
lineout 15 metres out and referee JP Doyle judged that the subsequent Edinburgh
maul had been illegally halted. The home stand-off stood and delivered to nudge
his side back in front.
Edinburgh got the opportunity to move the ball through the
hands with penalty advantage as the clock ticked towards the hour-mark and
another lineout in the French 22 saw the home maul on the march again, forcing
the visitors into desperate defence before Henry Pyrgos’s pass to the right
wing saw Graham float in unopposed at the
corner.
Van der Walt’s majestic touchline conversion meant Edinburgh
had hauled back the nine-point lead surrendered either side of the half.
MY
OPINION
This match defined the group and
Monpellier knew a loss would put them out on Friday and this was a battle at
certain points but the Scots had the quality to kill off the French side a few
years go few would have saw this result coming.
NEWCASTLE 24-27 TOLON
CARBONEL CLINCHES IT
The Falcons scored a well-worked early try from Josh
Matavesi, but tries from wings Daniel Ikpefan and Filipo Nakosi put Toulon
clear at the break.
An error-strewn second half burst into life in the final 10
minutes as Nemani Nagusa burrowed over and Michael Young darted in to put
Newcastle ahead.
But replacement Bastien Soury barged over to snatch victory
for Toulon.
MY
OPINION
There could have been a lot more
on this match if Newcastle had the win last week but they seem to be out of
sorts at the moment and you could see this against the French super force which
would consider this season a massive failure.
CHAMPIONS
CUP QUARTER FINALS
QF 1: Saracens v Glasgow
Warriors, Allianz Park
QF 2: Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Rugby, Murrayfield
QF 3: Leinster Rugby v Ulster Rugby, Aviva Stadium
QF 4: Racing 92 v Toulouse, Paris La Defense Arena
QF 2: Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Rugby, Murrayfield
QF 3: Leinster Rugby v Ulster Rugby, Aviva Stadium
QF 4: Racing 92 v Toulouse, Paris La Defense Arena
CHALENGE
CUP QUARTERS
La Rochelle v Bristol Stade de
Marcel
Clermont Auvergne V Northampton Stade
Marcel Michelin
Worcester v Harlequins Sixways
Sale v Connacht AJ stadium
29/30/31
MARCH
Comments
Post a Comment