16-12-19 CHAMPIONS CUP RUGBY
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
POOL 3
QUINS 10-34 ULSTER
COONEY COLAB
In a drab first half, Ulster made a poor start as the early
concession of a penalty, a serious-looking shoulder/pectoral injury to out-half
Billy Burns (from which he recovered to play on), Cooney failing to find the
mark with a penalty touch-finder and a Burns knock on within his 22 all
combined to put them on the back foot inside the first five minutes.
Harlequins seemed invigorated by such a moment of defence,
and responded by carving out two line-breaks into the Ulster 22 almost
immediately - both via lock forward Stephan Lewies. The second of those forays
forced a penalty against Ulster for holding on, which centre James Lang then
dispatched for 3-3.
Upon receiving a Stuart McCloskey pass within the 22 off a
defensive scrum, Cooney's half-back partner Burns scythed through the Quins
line for the initial break before offloading to Jacob Stockdale. The full-back
sprinted forward and found wing Faddes, before the Kiwi stepped in off the wing
to feed Cooney, who sprinted clear to just reach the line.
Ulster would make Quins pay dearly, when at the other end a
superb McCloskey grubber kick was latched upon by centre partner Marshall, as
he proceeded to power over for the Irish province's second try on 47 minutes.
On the hour mark, Ulster had a third try on the night, and
again it was Cooney - this time all of his own making. With the visitors
attacking in the 22, the scrum-half kicked in behind the defence, before
kicking forward for a second time, regathering and scoring in a wonderful piece
of skill.
Two minutes later, Harlequins finally did have their first
try of the evening as second row Lewies stretched out to score after a maul had
previously gone to deck.
MY
OPINION
Ulster look very good in Europe
this season but know they will need 2 wins for a home quarter. They seem to be
picking up these wins quite easily and I am very impressed with what they have
done this season a home quarter anything possible
CLERMOUNT 52-26 BATH
RAKA RELEASES
Clermont led 40-14 at half-time as Alivereti Raka and George
Moala both touched down twice after John Ulugia and Damian Penaud had got the
scoreboard moving.
Camille Lopez and Jake McIntyre grabbed Clermont's
second-half efforts while Morgan Parra kicked five conversions and Greig
Laidlaw added one.
Bath had something to smile about as they claimed a bonus
point courtesy of tries from Jack Walker, Ruaridh McConnochie, Tom Dunn and Josh
Bayliss.
With just four minutes on the clock hooker Ulugia crashed
over from a driving line-out and Parra added the extras.
MY
OPINION
Clermont are definitely one of
the teams to watch out for in this pool and the match between them and Ulster
in France is going to be such a big
match as the French side could get dumped out with a loss here. |I think that
the French side do look unstoppable for a bit of time during every match and
that must be seen as a worry.
POOL 4
RACING 40-27 OSPREYS
IMHOFF INTENSE
Luke Morgan's try had put Ospreys ahead and a brace from
Lesley Klim, as well as Luke Price and Shaun Venter efforts, ensured the Welsh
side took home a bonus point for scoring five tries.
Ospreys still have just one win to their name this season,
but they showed plenty of character in the final half an hour to finish
strongly.
A young Ospreys side made a positive start and in the eighth
minute, the visitors took a shock lead. Superb hands down the back-line saw Cai
Evans send wing Morgan flying into the corner for a tremendous score.
Marty McKenzie could not convert and Racing hit straight
back through Dupichot who had oceans of space to pick up and finish out wide
after Cedate Gomes Sa had chased onto a loose ball.
McKenzie's kick had been charged down in the build-up to
that try and the Ospreys fly-half then had a floating pass intercepted by
Imhoff who raced to the line, with Machenaud converting.
Imhoff then had his second as Ben Volavola and Dupichot
combined brilliantly in midfield, with the Argentina speedster scoring between
the posts, and Machenaud could not miss the conversion.
Ospreys were unable to make the most of a fine chance for a
second as Lloyd Ashley's awful pass gave Sam Cross no chance of collecting with
the line at his mercy.
There was still time for Racing to cross for a fourth before
the break. Imhoff was again involved and Machenaud's pass found Zebo, who
sprinted in.
MY
OPINION
This was a match that the French
side were expected to win and win well and that was what the ospreys did look
like they had something at the start of the game which should be seen as a good
thing for them but for the French side there was nothing to be concerned about
Ospreys now have the chance to experiment in the last 2 matches
SARACENS 15-6 MUNSTER
VICIOUS VUINIOPLA
It was 3-3 at half-time and Munster made most of the running
in the third quarter, JJ Hanrahan kicking the visitors into the lead early in
the second half.
Tensions were rising and every victory on the pitch was celebrated
wildly by players and fans alike and in the 66th minute Saracens made the
breakthrough as reward for a sustained barrage on the whitewash.
Mako Vunipola then delivered the killer blow when he used
his strength to power over from close range, ending Munster's resistance
MY
OPINION
One silly decision could cause
Munster a large headache as if they went for the kick and got it it would have
sealed a losing bonus point which could be the difference between them getting
out of this group or not a massive decision that I think they made the wrong
way
POOL 1
BENITON 25-22 LYON
LOVINGLY LAZZORINI
Wingers Leonardo Sarto and Monty Ioane both
scored early tries for the hosts, but converted scores for Liam Gill and Rudi
Wulf put Lyon 14-12 ahead at half-time.
Former London Irish player Keatley then kept Benetton in
touch, before Pierre-Louis Barassi’s try gave the French Top 14 leaders hope –
but a late converted try from Marco LazzaroIi saw the Italians through to
a first Champions Cup win since 2015.
MY
OPINION
Two teams that seem to be
learning how to win in this year’s Champions cup and both sides look like as if
they are a way off from executing on that promise I think that the French side were
a surprise package this season but the Italians know that they can improve
LEINSTER 50-21
NORTHAMPTON
RINGROSE RUNS RINGS
A Ringrose brace inside the opening five minutes set the
hosts on their way to a 35th-minute bonus point.
Tadhg Furlong and Dave Kearney also touched down, with the
twin threats of man-of-the-match Jordan Larmour and James Lowe consistently
posing problems for Saints.
Dan Biggar converted his own try, while Ollie Sleightholme
and Ahsee Tuala also crossed the line but Northampton fell short of their
bonus point aim.
Further scores from Lowe, Ringrose and Caelan Doris, with
Ross Byrne and Ciaran Frawley kicking 15 points between them, steered Leinster
to a half-century of points.
MY
OPINION
Leinster being the first side to
secure a quarter final spot and another win should seal a home quarter final
but for Northampton they must take solace in the fact that they nearly got a
try bonus point.
POOL 2
GLASGOW 7-12 LA
ROCHELLE
BOITIA BURST SCOTS
BUBBLE
The hosts took an early lead with a smartly executed lineout
drive for hooker Fraser Brown to touch down, with Adam Hastings converting.
La Rochelle kept on their shoulder with a try from winger
Jules Favre and took the lead five minutes from the break when centre Levani
Botia touched down, with Brock James converting, after good work by scrum-half
Alexi Bales.
MY OPINION
The scots have shown in this
match that they have got a sense of pride when they were disallowed a try in
the second half that could have changed everything in this group and I think
that this wa one of the things that did change everything
EXETER 35-10 SALE
SIMMONDS SCALES
The opening try arrived after sustained period of pressure,
the Chiefs sending their big ball-carriers charging up the middle off a
line-out, with Sam Simmonds dotting down after 11 phases.
Sale, who lost Cameron Redpath and Ben Curry to injury
during the opening half-hour, briefly threatened late in the half when Byron
McGuigan released Denny Solomona down the left, but the England wing shanked a
kick out on the full when he had passing options on either side.
The visitors had Curtis Langdon sin-binned on 50 minutes for
not rolling away and Exeter crossed for two tries in his absence.
A series of pick and drives sucked in the Sale defence and
that allowed Nic White to send Joe Simmonds over, while Sam Simmonds then
chalked up his second try from a driving maul.
MY
OPINION
I think that this is a real
chance for Exeter to make a mark in Europe something that they have not done
yet as a club and for bigger teams abroad to take them seriously it is
something tey need to do but it might take a bit of time
POOL 5
CONNACHT 27-24 GLOSTER
DELAHUNT HUNTS
GLOSTER DOWN
Needing a win to stay in with a chance of reaching the
quarter-finals, Connacht could ill afford any mistakes and their task was made
harder when Eoin McKeown was shown a 10th-minute yellow card by referee Romain
Poite for preventing a quick tap penalty attempt by Lloyd Evans
Nevertheless, it was the hosts who grew into the game
quicker following a close-fought opening and went ahead through Fitzgerald's
penalty five minutes later.
It then needed an immense defensive effort from Gloucester
to survive 16 phases in their own 22 to keep Connacht out, followed by the TMO
ruling a possible try out when Blade was judged to be offside when ripping the
ball from opposite number Callum Braley's half on the visitors' try-line.
The home side were able to keep the pressure on though,
which eventually told when French official Poite sent Todd Gleave for 10
minutes on the sidelines following a litany of successive infringements by
Gloucester.
And there was no danger of scrum-half Blade being denied
when he got over again in the 24th minute, burrowing his way through from close
range after Connacht's forwards had been hammering away at the line from a
five-metre scrum.
The Cherry and Whites were swift to respond despite them now
having a temporary numerical disadvantage, however, and were back within
touching distance six minutes before the break when Grobler took a superb
offload to score, followed by Billy Twelvetrees converting.
Right on the stroke of half time, McKeown was held up over
the line by Gloucester's defence and it was the away side who struck first
after play resumed.
A break from Ollie Thorley after being sent racing away by
Matt Banahan's offload took Gloucester into Connacht's 22 and although the home
side managed to turn the ball over, Atkinson was alert enough to intercept as
they tried to go wide and cantered over for a simple try on 55 minutes.
Twelvetrees missed what seemed a relatively simple
conversion though and then when the visitors infringed close to their try-line
it allowed Fitzgerald to kick his side back in front - which was compounded
when the Gloucester centre was pinged for being offside from the restart.
But they rebounded when a break down the right wing from
Louis Rees-Zammit took them deep into Connacht territory, before he managed to
get the ball away for Braley to take and set up flanker Ludlow for a converted
try.
MY
OPINION
I think this was an epic
encounter that went one way and the other and either side could win it in the
end and maybe home advantage did suit in the end as Connacht were able to take
this massive win and give real quarter final hope
MONPELLIER 18-26
TOLOUSE
ALLOW ARNOLD
The hosts dominated the early stages, but Toulouse went ahead
after 15 minutes following a flowing move. Six players handled the ball before
Sebastien Bezy fed Romain Ntamack, who went over.
Montpellier flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo was awarded a try
after a lengthy TMO investigation four minutes later and the hosts went ahead
through two Johan Goosen penalties.
However, it was Goosen's mistake after 34 minutes that
allowed Toulouse to snatch a 14-13 half-time lead. The fly-half put a foot in
touch as he fetched the ball from close to his own line and then failed to prevent
a quick line-out which sent Rory Arnold over.
Arnold crossed again seven minutes after the interval and
again Montpellier were architects of their own downfall as Bismarck du Plessis'
pass was intercepted and Arnold went over from 30 metres unchallenged.
Winger Nemani Nadolo got Montpellier within three points
with a try on the hour-mark and Thomas Ramos hit the post with a penalty at the
other end moments later, before Lucas Tauzin sealed a bonus point for Toulouse
with a last-minute try.
MY
OPINION
I think that Toulouse are back
now to where they once were a few years ago and I think this team is back as a
real contender for this trophy. They look to have the class to make a point
against any side right now and that is a good thing
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