1. The beginning of a golden era?
They’ve been amongst the best in domestic rugby for the last five years but now may just be the time that Saracens grip engulfs Europe. It may not be the rugby purists’ stuff of dreams but Saracens were effective and precise in everything that they did as they beat Racing 92 and finally added their name to the list of European champions.
The men from North London never looked out of control in any situation and the way they managed the game and territory during the full 80 minutes shows just why they were finally crowned champions.
The squad is losing a few old faces over the summer but with players like Maro Itoje, George Kruis and the Vunipola brothers still with plenty of time on their hands, the legacy being built brick by brick at the Allianz could span more than just this one generation.
2. Heart over head isn’t wise on rugby pitch
If you have worked tirelessly all season to orchestrate your team’s passage to the Champions Cup Final then of course you would want to play at all costs, but Dan Carter’s inclusion in the starting line-up for Racing 92 at the weekend had such a detrimental effect on the team that when he went off the attacking confidence of his backline had already been drained.
It was obvious from the first minute that the All Black legend wasn’t 100% but when the world’s best player isn’t taking kicks at goal and just being used to link the scrum half with the second receiver then the question needs to be asked as to why he is on the field in the first place.
As a professional rugby player of that stature he will obviously tell coaches that he is fine but they should have known that he wasn’t. Even a rugby great like Carter can’t win games with one leg.
3. Sunwolves on the charge
The first year in Super Rugby for the Japanese franchise has been emotional to say the least but just as it looked like the storm clouds were settling in, their season has taken.
Four weeks ago the Sunwolves were licking their wounds after the Cheetahs had savaged them with 92 points and being written off as a nothing more than a commercial gimmick, but they have responded in just the appropriate manner.
A week after their South African nightmare they beat fellow debutants Jaguares and then put in a gallant performance against the Force at home. The 22-40 score line from that match flattered the Force as the Sunwolves’ defensive frailties were outshone by their brand of free flowing, attacking rugby.
They saved their best performance for the weekend just gone, though. But for a late Vincent Koch try that saved the Stormers as they claimed a draw in Singapore, the Sunwolves would have run out thoroughly deserved winners as their defensive patterns held up against the team top of the South African conference.
4. Botica’s brain freeze will not have impressed White
On the face of it Ben Botica helped his future employer win the Challenge Cup on Friday night but when looking at the bigger picture, Montpellier’s coaching staff, including Head Coach Jake White, may well be slightly concerned that the Kiwi would be joining them this season.
Needing a converted try from the last play of the game to drag the game unexpectedly into extra time, Harlequins were deep in their own half when Botica inexplicably pumped the ball 40 metres down field to effectively end the match.
Last minute nerves have got the better of Botica before when he kept the ball alive in injury time against Northampton Saints only for Ben Foden to score under the post for Saints and snatch the victory.
His decision making under pressure may be the focus of his first training session in France.
5. 7s at the Olympics will be a showpiece event
The World Rugby 7s series has a very different feel to it this year as teams are building towards making a return to the greatest show on earth. Most teams are trying lots of new players whilst we have also seen many a 15-a-side international player cut their teeth in the chaotic world of the 7s circus.
What it has created is healthy competition as we have seen five different winners over the nine legs so far. Samoa surged back in Sunday’s final in Paris to snatch a tournament victory from favourites Fiji meaning that they and Kenya have unexpectedly won the last two legs.
It just shows how quickly a match can twist and turn and the speed of the sport should also attract a greater audience. Brazil’s inclusion in a couple of the legs of the series so far can only be a positive move as well.
6. Choose your stadium music wisely
Music has become a large part of sporting events in recent years with the T20 cricket tournaments leading the way as loud music blares out every time a ball crosses the boundary rope but in rugby we should be more careful.
When a try is scored then it is acceptable to hit the play button on some Queen or Kings of Leon, but when a player is lying prostrate on the floor with what looks like a serious neck injury, it is not really on.
The atmosphere at the Velez Sarsfeld for the Jaguares’ home games has been one of the high points of the season so far, but as Jean Deysel of the Sharks was lying motionless on the ground, the party songs that blared out of the speakers were totally misplaced.
By Andy Daniel
(@scrum5ive)
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
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“As a professional rugby player of that stature he will obviously tell coaches that he is fine but they should have known that he wasn’t. Even a rugby great like Carter can’t win games with one leg.”
Disagree here. As a professional rugby player of his stature, he should not be telling the coaches he is fine, if he is not.
A newly blooded player in search of as many caps as possible he is not…As a professional player probably looking to retire in the next few years he should be experienced and responsible enough to put up his hand and say, “this one is too soon for me”, regardless of the occasion, in order to prolong his career (and health!).