Champions Cup XV of the semi-finals
It wasn’t quite the classic weekend of European semi-final rugby that we all hoped for, with two one-sided results, but what it has done is create a tantalising final between two clinical and in-form teams.
Leinster got the ball rolling by defeating the Scarlets, 38-16, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, before Racing 92 saw off Munster, 27-22, in Bordeaux.
We have put together a XV of the best performers from this weekend’s action and it only whets the appetite for what should be an exciting final in Bilbao in three weeks’ time.
Continue reading below…
- Rob Kearney, Leinster
In a time when Leinster’s young guns are coming to the fore and shining bright, not enough is made of the reliability and stabilising influence that Kearney brings at the back.
The control and consistency Kearney brought on Saturday may not have seemed as influential as it was due to the gulf in class between the two teams, but he did not put a foot wrong and had the game been closer, it’s a performance that would’ve looked even more impressive.
- Teddy Thomas, Racing 92
Thomas blew Munster away with a breath-taking opening quarter, as the lethal winger ran in two tries and selflessly gave up his hat-trick to hand a try to his teammate, Maxime Machenaud.
His speed and footwork were a nightmare for Munster defenders to try and track and it often saw him power his way through would-be tacklers as he repeatedly gouged Munster for big gains. An engaged and confident Thomas is up there with the most lethal wings in European rugby and it looked on Sunday as if he was back to somewhere close to his best.
- Virimi Vakatawa, Racing 92
Vakatawa dovetailed superbly with Thomas on his outside shoulder and the pair proved far too potent of a combo for the Munster defence to deal with.
Vakatawa punched the holes in the defensive line and then used his speed and his comfort shifting the ball between hands to unleash the supporting Thomas and wrap up the result in the early exchanges.
- Robbie Henshaw, Leinster
It was a fine return from injury on Saturday for Henshaw, who made it look as if he’d never been away.
Time and time again, Henshaw’s smart lines, many back against the grain, found holes in the Scarlets’ defensive line and though he never ripped off any massive runs, he was a constant source of line-breaks and front-foot ball.
- Steff Evans, Scarlets
In a usually potent back line, Evans was the only player to remain a threat to Leinster, as the rest of the Scarlets struggled to deal with the lack of front-foot ball that the pack was delivering.
Evans’ ability to create something from nothing with his footwork and change of pace produced a couple of moments of worry for Leinster – even if the outcome seemed beyond doubt – and his performance was noteworthy, if not result-defining.
- Jonathan Sexton, Leinster
The arch puppeteer continues to have the Leinster team dancing to his jig.
Sexton’s performance on Saturday bordered on immaculate, as he pushed and prodded his Leinster teammates around him and found hole after hole in the Scarlets defence. Not only did he facilitate the success of the players around him, but the fly-half also shone as a ball-carrier himself, in an excellent playmaking outing.
- Maxime Machenaud, Racing 92
Both Machenaud and Jamison Gibson-Park were given armchair rides by their packs and both were fitting candidates for this spot, but the Frenchman’s goal-kicking gave him a narrow edge over the Leinsterman.
Machenaud has carried his form with France in the Six Nations into the latter stages of European competition and he ran the game for Racing in Bordeaux in exemplary fashion.
- Dave Kilcoyne, Munster
It was a day to forget for Munster in Bordeaux, but if one player stood out, it was arguably Kilcoyne.
The loosehead helped Munster to a scrum advantage in the first half, really the only area of the game where Munster had the number of their opposition. He also delivered powerful carries in the tighter areas of the pitch, a facet Munster usually do very well in, but something which they found themselves largely unsuccessful at due to rabid Racing defence.
- Sean Cronin, Leinster
Not only was Cronin his usual energetic self in the loose, he also spearheaded the most consistent and accurate lineout of the four sides involved in semi-final action.
He connected well with James Ryan, Devin Toner and Scott Fardy and his mobility and intensity in the loose was key to Leinster’s dominance around the fringes, as he helped deliver quick ball and provided a reliable carrying option.
- Tadgh Furlong, Leinster
Cedate Gomes Sa went well for Racing, but it was another impressive all-round performance from Furlong, who has surely now cemented his status as the most valuable tighthead prop in world rugby.
Not only was his scrummaging of its usual high standard, he also delivered in the loose, sucking in Scarlets defenders with his carrying and repeatedly showing good hands to link play and shift the point of contact.
- Tadhg Beirne, Scarlets
It was a largely abject performance from the Scarlets, who just couldn’t get anything going against Leinster, but if there was one man who had parity with the Dubliners, it was Beirne.
The second-row’s fine form shows no signs of ending anytime soon and the Irishman was a pest at the breakdown and with ball-in-hand. The Leinster lineout was a well-oiled machine at the Aviva, so he couldn’t have his customary spoiling presence there, but otherwise it was an outstanding performance in a losing cause.
- James Ryan, Leinster
This season continues to be an extravagant coming out party for Ryan, who has excelled in demanding arenas of Champions Cup and Test rugby.
His powerful carrying and tackling around the fringes played a significant role in Leinster’s dominance of the gain-line, both in attack and defence. Everything Leinster did well fed off this and everything Scarlets struggled with also seemed to stem from the battle lost in this area.
- Scott Fardy, Leinster
If there were still any people questioning the wisdom of Fardy’s signing, given the wealth of riches Leinster have coming through in the second and back-rows, they were surely convinced on Saturday.
The Australian did all the gritty, unseen work that any good side needs to be effective, including supporting ball-carriers, preventing counter-rucks and slowing down opposition ball. He grabbed a well-deserved try for his efforts and was only denied a second by being slightly too advanced in a ruck.
- Dan Leavy, Leinster
Just like Ryan, this young forward’s star continues to rise in a season where it seems he cannot put a foot wrong.
He was the perfect foil to the grinding and glue-like game of Fardy on the opposite flank, swooping in to steal ball at the breakdown, popping up with impactful carries at the space between defenders and lining up carriers for big tackles in the areas between the fringes and the wider channels.
- Yannick Nyanga, Racing 92
Nyanga belied his advancing years in Bordeaux on Sunday, playing with the freshness and stamina of a man 10 years his junior.
The versatile back-rower wrought havoc early on at the breakdown and disrupted Munster’s lineout, as well as being a powerful and elusive carrier. The Frenchman delivered a physicality and energy that Munster couldn’t live with.
Comments on RugbyPass
If Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
69 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
2 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real people. They claim free speech. Free speech for anonymous trolls/voilent thugs threatening people under false names? The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
69 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
2 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
222 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
222 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
29 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
222 Go to comments