Toulouse snatch elimination from the jaws of qualification in a weekend of shock Champions Cup results
Four English clubs progressed to the knockout stages of Europe’s premier competition – their best return four eight years – although each one has an away quarter final and, in many of their cases, their progression is tinged by the knowledge that they could have put themselves in a stronger position.
Starting with probably the least eventful Pool of the round, Pool 1, the only game with anything at stake was Saracens’ trip to Clermont – and even that was only to determine who went through as group leader and who would progress as a runner up. The French giants proved typically impossible to beat at home and dominated large swathes of the match with some power-packed forward play, without being able to really cut loose. The excellent Nick Abendanon and Vincent Debaty crossed for the only tries of the game in an 18 – 6 win, but the real concern for Sarries – and England – was the fact that Owen Farrell had to leave the game with a nasty-looking knee injury after twisting it awkwardly in a tackle. In the other game, Munster destroyed Sale in a dead-rubber, scoring seven tries in belatedly their best display of the campaign.
If Pool 1 was a bit of a non-event, Pool 2 was anything but. After last week’s results, Harlequins knew that they needed a win away at Castres to have a chance of qualifying. They did everything they could, scoring seven tries in awful conditions, but they were un-done by an unlikely result in a thrilling game at the Ricoh Arena. Wasps confirmed their return to Europe’s top table by hosting Leinster in a winner-takes-all encounter – and one that got off to the worst possible start as Ashley Johnson was sin-binned in the first play of the game for taking out Dave Kearney in the air, potentially removing the winger from Ireland’s six nations plans.
Leinster dominated the half and led at half time 20–6, thanks to scores from Fergus McFadden and Isaac Boss, but James Haskell and co fought back magnificently after the break, scoring two tries of their own to haul themselves back level. With Ian Madigan missing kick after kick, the game was tied with the perennially unfashionable Andy Goode given the chance to drop a goal to confirm Wasps’ place it the last eight… but he sliced it horribly. The agony of the crowd and the English side slowly transformed to ecstasy as other results began to come in over the weekend, but Leinster have the advantage of a home quarter final, and, although they are not the side of three years ago, they are still a force to be reckoned with.
Pool 3 was again a bit of a contrast to the pant-wettingly tense excitement of Pool 2, but there was at least something at stake in one of the games. Leicester travelled to Ulster knowing that only a bonus point win could (and, as it would transpire, would) see them through the group…but Ulster slammed the door swiftly shut on that hope, with Darren Cave scoring a hat-trick in a 26 – 7 win. The contrast between the two sides was incredible – although both sets of forwards could look after the ball reasonably well, Leicester’s inability to create space or fool the opposition was incredible. Ben Youngs and Freddie Burns both made opportunities through speed of thought but the lack of creative game-plan for the once-great Tigers is there for all to see. Ulster, on the other hand, belatedly put in their best display of the tournament and were ruthless and clinical throughout; much like Toulon, who cruised to a 26 – 3 victory over the Scarlets in Llanelli to top the pool and continue their march towards a third successive semi-final.
There was more high drama in Pool 4, as Toulouse snatched elimination from the jaws of qualification by losing away in Montpellier in a topsy-turvy encounter that signals the hosts’ resurgence under Jake White, with the four-time champions going down 27 – 26. Before last weekend, Toulouse had daylight between themselves and the chasing pack but now, they’re going home early. All that was left was for Bath or Glasgow to take advantage of the French giants’ slip up, and the visitors really took it to the West Country side at the Rec. In an enthralling game, it was Glasgow who played the more incisive rugby, scoring superb tries though Alex Dunbar and Richie Vernon, but the Bath pack has been a renewed force this year and – although we didn’t see much of the ‘total rugby’ that was on show in France last weekend – raw power in the set piece allowed the hosts to claim a 20–15 win thanks to two penalty tries, and in doing so claim the honour (joint with Wasps, coincidentally) of being the first side in European competition to qualify for the knockout stages having lost their opening two games.
Pool 5 then saw England’s last real hope for a home quarter-final, Northampton Saints, slip up spectacularly against the notoriously talented but inconsistent Racing Metro. The French side are not known for their prowess away from home, but a brutally physical and clinical performance saw them plunder four tries, a bonus point and top spot in the group from the Premiership Champions during a 32 – 8 win. Jamie Roberts, in particular, was magnificent and will have caused Stuart Lancaster some concern that the man likely to be charged with standing up to ‘Desperate Dan’ in a fortnight’s time at the Millennium Stadium, Luther Burrell, finished the game with stats of seven tackles made, six missed. In Italy, in the dead-rubber that was Treviso v Ospreys, the Italian side claimed their first win of the competition thanks to a last gasp penalty try.
Champions Cup Star Man: Jamie Roberts
Home Nations Dominate Challenge Cup Line-up
If the French are looking ominous in the premier tournament, they’re nowhere to be seen in the secondary one, with the quarter final line-up made up from four English clubs, two Welsh, one Scottish and one Irish. Gloucester and Exeter in particular have been impressive and they confirmed their places atop of the standings with a win away against Brive and a thumping of Bayonne respectively. It was, however, the Welsh clubs who really caught the eye with results over the weekend, with the Blues claiming a superb bonus point win away at Grenoble, with a late try from Josh Navidi sealing the five points. The Dragons also raised a couple of eyebrows with another win against established French opposition, powering their way to a 30 – 19 win over the Parisian side at Rodney Parade, thanks largely to the unerring boot of Tom Prydie.
Elsewhere, French woes continued as Connacht turned in an impressive display to overturn La Rochelle in their own backyard, and Edinburgh sealed their spot in the knockouts with a comfortable 38 – 20 win over Bordeaux Begles. The only French win came as Lyon won away at – you guessed it – London Welsh.
Challenge Cup Star Man: Tom Prydie
Try of the Week: No contest here. Step up Richie Vernon, who was on the end of a wonderful team try for Glasgow in their nail-biting encounter with Bath at the Rec.
Hero of the Week: In terms of helping his side win the game, he was instrumental, but in terms of putting down a marker, he was colossal. Jamie Roberts has probably just struck the first blow of the Six Nations at Franklins Gardens.
Villain of the Week: Ashley Johnson didn’t help his side with a yellow card in the first 10 seconds of the game, but for sheer dunderhead-ness it has to go to Dylan Hartley. A week after being warned about his discipline, he gets himself carded again for a brainless penalty. At least this time, it was nothing malicious.
By Mike Cooper (@RuckedOver)
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
25 replies on “Best of the Weekend: thrilling final round produces unpredictable ERCC knockout line-up”
Worry that Burrell performance coupled with an injury to Eastmond has just confirmed Barritt into the 12 shirt for the Wales game…
Coupled with Roberts performance, I almost find myself hoping Barritt does play. Joseph outside him would make me feel slightly better about it though.
Sky Sports in the build to the Racing match – Burrel will put down an early marker here against Jamie Roberts – Roberts is a bit old and tame compared to the exciting young tyro … after the match … of course this has no influence on that matchup in the 6Ns, Burrel will use this as a learning opportunity.
Last week England (and their awesomely creative backs and powerful forwards) were brilliant. This week, much less so. How SL would wish that media hype was the scheduled the other way around. How he further wishes Armitage would stop winning MOTM awards.
For Welsh fans this new moneybags cup has become all about watching how individual performances indicate Wales might go and the last two weeks have been very encouraging. As well as Jamie both JD2 and Scott Williams were excellent. Charteris & Phillips also for Racing. North was ok for Saints when the ball came to him through their creative 10/12/13 line up. I didn’t see the Os predictably painful defeat to Zebre but I *think* they had a largely experimental lineup? (Sam Davies at 10?) so hopefully that doesn’t indicate bad form from their Welsh players. Halfpenny was excellent and attacked more than usual. Bradley powerful again. The team looks to be in decent shape.
For the cup itself – a distant thing that happens to others now unless you have a lot of money. Even Glasgow, playing out of their skins, couldn’t cope with the forward power that an ultra rich benefactor buys you. Club rugby is now pointless for those of us operating on the smaller budgets, such is the disparity. I turned off the Scarlets match when Toulon brought on their 2nd string from the bench – Castro, Lobbe and Botha…
Challenge Cup now generating at least a little interest in Wales as the QF is Newport v Cardiff. No doubt they’ll ruin it by moving it to the Millienium Stadium. As a Cardiff fan I hope they just keep with it at Dave Parade, I’d love that away trip.
Come on, though. Bath’s tight-five options are all England-qualified with the exception of James (despite Day actually being Welsh). The players that came on and sealed the deal – Auterac, Batty and Thomas – along with Hooper and Day can hardly be called superstars that a rich club would snap up, can they?
“For Welsh fans this new moneybags cup has become all about watching how individual performances indicate Wales might go”
…. no different to the cup it replaced then, just one less team to get knocked out 😉
Aye, and the English can enjoy seeing how far their Saracens will get before being steam rollered by a French armoured money transport Matt 🙂
I still have happy memories of a Cardifd semi final. A win against Toulon last season.
For me this isn’t about Cardiff being in it – I’m happy with 2 welsh teams. Seems about the right balance for us, get our two best teams into it if we can. I’m not happy with less Scottish/Italian as you’d hardly notice they were in it. Im flabbergasted at how little the organisers and TV care about the second tier comp. they should have just binned it rather than do a half arsed job.
I am conflating two issues as it isn’t just about this cup. It’s about club rugby in general. The chances of someone doing an Exeter are withering away rather than growing and if the Bath owner had his way they’d already be dead.
Louw played a massive part for Bath – a player Glasgow couldn’t dream of affording. Next year Bath will be richer, will have more overseas imports of a higher calibre, and Glasgow will (it looks at the moment) be getting by with less. Bath will be stronger, Glasgow even less likely to qualify. It’s pro sport and is no doubt fantastic fun for those with money to spend, but it’s becoming a small group for those outside that pool. Those who wanted it have successfully pursued the football model for the club game such that it is boring for those clubs/fans on a different money level as even if the odd result might swing, the general trend is for the big teams to qualify.
Let’s hope we don’t have the same outcome at the international level as football has, where it is very much second fiddle to the club game.
There is no two ways about it Brighty – you are going to have to start supporting Leinster! Although I do see the freight train of Toulon coming our way.
DDD
Bit unfair on Toulon there! – should have said Orient Express guarded by Pinkerton Men.
DDD
Out of interest what is the salary cap situation for the pro 12 clubs? I think that the disparity between the spending power of big clubs and others could be bad for the sport, but it may not be as clear cut as that.
Taking Bath as an example, player wages aside, it’s a club with a large, passionate fan base, nice part of the country to live in, with what I understand to be excellent training facilities and a coaching team wanting to play an entertaining brand of rugby. It’s fair to say that all those factors may influence a players decision to play there. The same argument could be made for Toulon if you disregard their wages too.
So even if there was equality between the salary caps of clubs, surely over time the same player movements will occur due to the other factors?
Can’t really see any logic there if I’m honest. There doesn’t seem to be any historical facts backing a theory that the best players will end up in the the nicest places.
Toulon has always been a lovely place but no player seemed to care about that all the while they had no cash…
Might suggest that the European cups and the money drawing the top talent to fewer and fewer clubs don’t get confused. They are different matters, albeit the one affects the other.
Haven’t been able to fault the competition, with the exception of a champions cup place for the winner of the challenge cup.
Also as a Cambridge United fan, what about a true cup competition. One off games where the big money doesn’t always win. I know it won’t happen due to the money and politics being against it, but the romance of the FA Cup with its giant killers, and one off chances for the small clubs to have their day in the sun is a fantastic model. However maybe if the european cup competitions become predictable battles between the few clubs with the biggest budgets, then just maybe it ought to be considered!
They are totally related. New cup – less places, less diversity, more money for the already moneyed clubs. It’s achieved what it set out to achieve – it’s now the Anglo-French knockout comp with Leinster annoying both. Good on em.
With the money now spread around the way it is it will further entrench those positions. Soccerification complete.
Like the idea but this cup went the other way to your proposal. Not only did it reduce diversity it also chucked the half decent second tier comp under a bus.
The FA Cup comparison is impossible.
Football is different, there are so many top class professionals that lower league teams can, on their day, compete.
Rugby however is not like that. Partly because of it’s physical nature, and partly because of the fact that lower league clubs are not professional. No National One side would be within 50 points of a Prem team – and they’d likely get beaten physically causing a lot of injuries!
Jacob, I know it’s not really a runner, and the physicality is, as you say, the main thing, but as an ideal, it’s fun to think about Sarries playing in front of a tin shed full to the rafters with not just rugby fans, but also those new to the game who have got swept along with the local excitement! Probably the only thing football does better.
Brighty, I disagree. Would the final eight have been any different if more teams were in it. I don’t think so – who do you think would have made it out of the challenge cup teams? Glos maybe – 6 games, 6 wins and 5 bonus points. I’m one eyed and not a hope. Your beloved Cardiff. Can’t see it myself. Whatever competition was there this year, and thank goodness we have a competition, was going to sway towards the moneybags. Tis the way it is even if we don’t like it. Do agree that the second tier should be more diverse or that there should be a third tier though. Probably the latter, because of the professionalism and physicality that Jacob mentioned.
Staggy, its not about the final 8, it’s about this being the start of the entrenchment of those 8. With a small group the money is now more concentrated in those who more regularly reach those stages so it’s a self serving circle, as the English an french owners wanted.
We’ve been over this before and there is a difference of opinion – I still don’t understand why people take this one cup, out of all of the cross border comps in the world, and insist it’s about the best versus the best hence the second best team in Italy cannot be in it. For me it’s about the best of each country, not the 7 best in England versus the 1 best in Italy, the 1 best in Wales, Scotland, etc.
That in itself would be self-serving. If you don’t want a competition involving the best sides in Europe you might as well have one each from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, Romania, Georgia, Russia, etc.
That’s often the argument made but it is not the only conclusion of the argument. There has to be balance. Do I think 2/3rds of it coming from 1/3rd of the countries involved is balanced? Did I enjoy seeing a few eng v eng and fra v fra league match repeats more than in previous years? No.
The logical argument if all of this best v best is to apply it elsewhere as well. Six nations down to 4 teams as they’re the only ones in the last ten years who have ever won anything.
World Cup down to six teams. Let’s stop seeing Fiji or Spain or Urguguay get hammered by NZ. That brings nothing to the cup apparently as its all about seeing the thunderous best v the best. English league? Ten teams max. And so on…..
The teams outside of the “big 8” qualify on merit for the world cup. I’d be happy if all teams had to qualify properly, just like they do for the RCC.
They qualify by being the best Xth in their region, with regions drawn to expect good cross world participation. Euro cup has decided that’s not good enough. You may be 2nd best in Italy but that doesn’t match up to 7th best in England unless you can also be better than 3rd best welsh/Irish teams so you’re out.
The English/French argument had a smokescreen about meritocracy – the French were more clear. Maximise the revenues to make it worthwhile for us to take part or we walk.
The end result is an anglo/Welsh super up which brings me back to my point. You can love it, and many will and do. But for those of us outside it we are not going to get into it because of the way the revenue streams are now concentrated. Hence my original point – club rugby is now boring for those of us on the outside looking in.
Well I found it boring that the only time in 6 games that the Italian side didn’t fall to a 4+ try defeat was in a dead-rubber against Ospreys’ B-team.
I think more emphasis needs to go on having a credible multi-tiered system, rather than going back to a format where most of the qualifiers are decided by round 4.
Welsh clubs have an agreed cap of 3.2 mil, no marquee signing. The cap is more because that’s as much as they can afford rather than an attempt at equality.
Can’t agree with your point about place/support.
Teams that win things are well supported. Funding now brings wins.
Lots of places are fine places to live. Totally agree that Bath is nice but could not say any nicer than South Wales, London, Paris, etc.
Brighty, I agree. Money wins. Having all the money in one place is bad for rugby and bad for the competitions. I would like to see a Europe wide salary cap of £4.5 to 5m. This is close to what English and Irish clubs are spending. If welsh teams with WRU support cannot afford that then they need to work on securing further funding. I would only have 1 marquee signing. Marquee signings are an apeasement to super rich owners. But with only one marquee there is a more limited impact.
All this is pipedreaming. The salary cap int he premiership will keep climbing driven by Top14 salary cap of £20m. English clubs want to compete in Europe as much as you want Welsh clubs competitive. I agree that “an Exeter” is becoming near impossible, and this is a bad thing. So how do we stop French rugby ruining european competition?
Regarding numbers of clubs…
Premiership – 6 top teams
Top14 – 6 top teams
Pro12 – 7 top teams
1 playoff.
The playoff place should absolutely go to the winner of the secondary competion otherwise what is the point.
But, this is not a competition between the best clubs in each country/region. It is a competition between the best clubs in each league. If you want to follow your arguement… Why are there only 2 Italian and 2 Scottish clubs in the Pro12. that is not fair. Either find another Scottish and Italian club to take the place of the Dragons and Connaght or cut it down to the Pro6.
All of this is quite interesting two fold.
Firstly, the balance between making it a competition between the best and making it a competition with representation from all regions is fairly evenly struck IMO. It’s not ideal to be so English/French heavy but there actually aren’t any less that the previous comp in terms of numbers.
On the caps – now I look at it – they actually aren’t that different are they? So the French cap is €10million (or £7.5million), and the English cap is £5.5 million from next year plus two marquee signings (probably likely to cost another million to the top clubs getting the top players).
What is the French situation on marquee players? Do they have that system in place?
If they don’t – then is the gap that big?
Hi Mike, I agree, it is a pipedream. I don’t think I have a solution, it seems inevitable. So it was just an observation/moan that, for those of us outside the money, club rugby at Euro level is something that does, and will only become more so, happen to others. I’m not that interested in watching Euro rugby without some sort of interest – I could watch the S15 if I just want to watch skill, etc. I want to watch Welsh teams playing in it – this year there was 2, next year likely one. They’re not good enough in the current system to get in. I understand this – I understand that if they had the budget of Toulon or Bath or Racing or Leics then they would be good enough. This is the reality of the current order. I also understand that this is all my opinion – many are delighted to be watching Clermont v Saracens as a massive game regardless of whether their teams/countries/favourites are in the cup or not. My concern is that this concentration of top tier comp to those who already have the money will just create a virtuous circle for these clubs and less and less diverse competition. It’s the ultimate end game that is now coming into play – the end of smaller nations in Europe being able to compete.
Pro 12 has the teams that each country can financially support. Scotland and Italy only have 2 pro teams, they are both in the league. I don’t see this as unfair – if Scotland/Italy could fund another team (Scotland did have 3 for a brief time) then the discussion would be had on how to accomodate it in the Pro 12, as it was before.
The playoff place is now ridiculously complicated.
At the mo it’s 7th placed in the CL vs 7th in the Prem (I think?). But now if the challenge cup winner isn’t 7th or higher in the CL/Prem they then take the place in the playoff of that 7th placed side… Too complicated to be something that anyone can get excited about I think.
OK got a bit carried away and having checked the TOP14 cap is 10m Euros