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Champions Cup XV of the Week - Round 2
It was a weekend of consolidation in the Heineken Champions Cup, as a number of teams backed up impressive wins in Round 1 with similar results a week later, giving themselves a strong grip on their respective pools and healthy representation in our XV.
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Ulster, Exeter Chiefs, Leinster, Northampton Saints and Toulouse all went two from two, whilst Munster and Racing 92 played out an entertaining 21-21 draw at Thomond Park, after both teams recorded wins in the opening round.
We have selected our XV of the week from the 10 matches, as teams begin to eye up the back-to-back fixtures in December and the potential quarter-final consequences and permutations that will come as a result of them.
- Mike Haley, Munster
An excellent all-round display from Haley who was as reliable as the last line of defence for Munster, as he was creative and efficient in his attacking responsibilities. Racing found success against Munster in the battle for the gain-line up front, though Haley made the most of the defensive and offensive opportunities that came his way, despite that advantage for the French side.
Silver – Elliot Daly, Saracens
Bronze – Thomas Ramos, Toulouse
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- Teddy Thomas, Racing 92
Racing’s wide man was in typically incisive form at Thomond Park and he repeatedly gave the Munster defence cold sweats. His footwork and turn of pace was usually good for making at least one would-be tackler miss, whilst he held up well defensively, too. It was a clean and clinical performance from the wing.
Silver – Rotimi Segun, Saracens
Bronze – Jack Nowell, Exeter Chiefs
- Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Sale Sharks
The South African’s ability to get over the gain-line was arguably the difference for Sale against La Rochelle, as the home side struggled to make the most of their one and two-man advantages during the game. Although Sale didn’t click fully in the game, Janse van Rensburg did his job well and gave Sale the early momentum that they maintained in the second half.
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Silver – Henry Slade, Exeter Chiefs
Bronze – Sofiane Guitoune, Toulouse
- Sam Johnson, Glasgow Warriors
Although Glasgow were well-beaten by surging second half from Exeter, Johnson can hold his head high. The inside centre frequently broke the line and created attacking opportunities for his side, though most were stamped out by resilient and effective Exeter defence. Nevertheless, Johnson gave the English side their fair share of anxious moments.
Silver – Charlie Ngatai, Lyon
Bronze – Robbie Henshaw, Leinster
- Tom Collins, Northampton Saints
Collins was clinical against Benetton and his two tries were pivotal in ensuring Saints could come back from a slow start, secure the win and head into the December back-to-backs with two wins from two for the English club. He offered a contrasting but equally effective threat to usual standout Taqele Naiyaravoro.
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Are you not entertained?! ??@SaintsRugby and @BenettonRugby put on a gripping show for the fan, with Saints' young flyers proving impossible to contain ?
Are Saints this year's dark horse??#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/tqZkiS1vci
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) November 24, 2019
Silver – Tom O’Flaherty, Exeter Chiefs
Bronze – Keith Earls, Munster
- Finn Russell, Racing 92
When given a platform to perform, there are few, if any more incisive operators in world rugby than Russell. The Scotsman came up with a number of moments of class at Thomond Park and helped his side leave Ireland with two points that could prove vital when the quarter-finalists are ultimately decided.
Silver – Dan Biggar, Northampton Saints
Bronze – Marcus Smith, Harlequins
- John Cooney, Ulster
The scrum-half continues to push his claim for a role with Ireland, as he guided his side to an impressive win over Clermont in Belfast on Friday evening. He tested the fringes, distributed the ball accurately and quickly and was a key component in ensuring that Ulster played the game in the right areas of the pitch.
Individual brilliance from @JCooney09 and what a try this was! ?
Fantastic feet from the scrum-half who has looked in fine form so far in #HeinekenChampionsCup ?
Will we see a better effort than this in Round 2?? ?? pic.twitter.com/IoN9gRGtLd
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) November 23, 2019
Silver – Cobus Reinach, Northampton Saints
Bronze – Faf de Klerk, Sale Sharks
- Mako Vunipola, Saracens
Vunipola didn’t take long to shake off any potential post-Rugby World Cup rust, as he went about giving Saracens set-piece dominance and very handy platform for his cousin, Manu Vunipola, to operate from at a fly-half. His tireless work in the loose, not mention that efficiency with which he executes, continues to set him apart among loosehead props.
Silver – Etienne Falgoux, Clermont
Bronze – Alec Hepburn, Exeter Chiefs
- Hame Faiva, Benetton
The hooker bagged two tries as his Benetton side came within inches of a morale-boosting draw – or even a win – against Northampton. His lineout throwing was also relatively accurate and his contributions in the loose were telling. He led the way in another performance that underlines Benetton’s credentials at this level, after the encouraging display against Leinster in the opening round.
Silver – Corne Fourie, Gloucester
Bronze – Rob Herring, Ulster
- Levan Chilachava, Montpellier
The Georgian tighthead constantly put Gloucester under pressure on Sunday afternoon. He turned the screw at the set-piece and the English side really had no answer for the lesson in scrummaging that he put on. It wasn’t the most open game and Chilachava’s performance suited Montpellier’s game plan perfectly.
Silver – Demba Bamba, Lyon
Bronze – Charlie Faumuina, Toulouse
https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1198588256885063683?s=20
- Alex Craig, Gloucester
Craig played with energy and work rate against a Montpellier pack that generally had the advantage on Gloucester physically. His match-up with Jacques du Plessis was fun to watch and the South African went well into he saw red for elbowing a Gloucester player in the face during a maul.
Silver – Ultan Dillane, Connacht
Bronze – Romain Sazy, La Rochelle
- James Ryan, Leinster
A powerful and decisive display from the Leinster lock. The Irish province were not at their best out in Lyon, but Ryan’s contribution was particularly significant in ensuring that they returned home with a haul of four points. His ball-carrying was pivotal, whilst his defence on the gain-line was physical and unrelenting.
Silver – Jonny Hill, Exeter Chiefs
Bronze – Jean-Luc du Preez, Sale Sharks
https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1198532992186175488?s=20
- Dave Ewers, Exeter Chiefs
A second dominant and physical performance in as many weeks for Ewers, who looks like he is well passed his injury issues and showing the kind of form that had him linked with a regular role with England. He was too powerful at the contact area and in the defensive line for Glasgow to deal with and he helped disrupt the usually effective high-tempo style of the Scottish side.
Silver – Wenceslas Lauret, Racing 92
Bronze – Chris Robshaw, Harlequins
- Ben Earl, Saracens
The openside ran rampant at Allianz Park against the Ospreys and it took a performance of the highest quality to see off the challenges of the two prominent Irish opensides below. The Ospreys may not currently be the sternest of competition currently, though this was another marker put down by Earl, both with and without the ball, that he is ready to step up to international rugby and should be in contention for a back row spot with England.
Silver – Jordi Murphy, Ulster
Bronze – Josh van der Flier, Leinster
- Marcell Coetzee, Ulster
The South African’s bid to make the Springbok squad for the British and Irish Lions tour goes from strength to strength, with yet another physical and disciplined display in Europe. He showed all his assets as a back rower on Friday evening, dominating the breakdown, carrying with menace in the tight and not giving an inch in defence.
Silver – Carl Fearns, Lyon
Bronze – Sam Simmonds, Exeter Chiefs
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Comments on RugbyPass
Hope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
1 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
1 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
9 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
9 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
39 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
9 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
39 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
9 Go to comments