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Freakish Eben Etzebeth stats and other European semi-final feats
The European semi-finals in both the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup provided a tonne of fascinating statistics for fans to pore over.
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Players from all four matches delivered outstanding performances – with several records tumbling over the weekend.
Leinster and Stade Toulousain, the two most successful clubs in Heineken Cup history, will face off in their eighth final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 25.
The two sides secured their spots after winning their respective home semi-final matches.
In the Leinster vs Northampton Saints semi-final at Croke Park the attendance reached a record-breaking 82,300 – surpassing the previous record of 82,208 set at the same venue in 2009.
The combined attendance across the Croke Park and Le Stadium semi-finals reached 114,794 – the second highest in tournament history – behind only the 126,420 total from 2009.
Leinster loosehead Cian Healy made history by setting a new record for the most appearances by any player in the tournament, notching his 111th cap and overtaking Munster’s Ronan O’Gara.
James Lowe also made his mark. The New Zealand born winger became the first player to score three tries in a Champions Cup semi-final.
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Northampton’s Juarno Augustus led his pack’s efforts with five dominant carries, beating five defenders, making two clean breaks and two dominant tackles and winning a turnover against Leinster.
Harlequins’ Chandler Cunningham-South and Andre Esterhuizen registered the most post-contact meters in the semi-finals with 31 and 27, respectively. Esterhuizen also beat six defenders.
French megastar Antoine Dupont was the only back who won two turnovers in the semi-finals. Teammate Thibaud Flament also won two of his own.
Hot on Dupont’s heels was Leinster’s Jamison Gibson-Park. The halfback had five kicks retained – the most in this round – made two try assists and won a turnover.
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Over in the Challenge Cup the Hollywoodbets Sharks made history as the first South African club to qualify for an EPCR final, while Gloucester secured their fifth final appearance.
Glaws previously won the competition in 2006 and 2015. The winner of the Challenge Cup will automatically qualify for the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup.
Eben Etzebeth in particular stood out. The Springbok lock made as many dominant carries as any other player in the semi-finals (six). He also beat four defenders, made two clean breaks, two dominant tackles, and won a turnover.
Teammate Siya Masuku scored 22 points against ASM Clermont Auvergne to maintain a flawless kicking record.
Joris Jurand of ASM Clermont Auvergne made four clean breaks and beat seven defenders.
Gloucester’s Caolan Englefield made a round-high 17 kicks in play, gaining 565 kicking metres.
Another superb individual performance was that of Gianmarco Lucchesi. The super-sub scored two tries off the bench for Benetton.
Comments on RugbyPass
Speell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
2 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
6 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
6 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
5 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
5 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
6 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to comments