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Jonah Holmes scores four tries as Leicester cruise past Pau
Leicester started their first European Challenge Cup campaign with a comfortable 41-20 win over Pau as Welsh winger Jonah Holmes scored four tries.
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Fly-half George Ford, back on club duty following England’s run to the World Cup final in Japan, kicked an early penalty before George Worth went over in the 13th minute and Holmes quickly added a second try.
Pau scrum-half Thibault Daubagna crossed from close range before Holmes made the most of an offload from Ford to break down the right as the home side went into half-time 24-13 ahead.
Holmes completed his hat-trick five minutes into the second half, but Pau lock Fabric Metz bundled over a converted try on 66 minutes to bring the score to 31-20. A fourth converted try for Holmes made sure there would be no comeback, Ford finishing with five successful kicks.
Saturday’s other Pool 5 game saw Cardiff Blues run out 38-16 winners at Calvisano to secure a bonus point. Full-back Matthew Morgan collected his own chip behind the home defence to open the scoring after five minutes. The Italians, though, fought back after a penalty and a converted try from Giacomo De Santis.
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Seb Davies’ try saw Cardiff in front 17-10 at the break. Two penalties from Paolo Pescetto brought the hosts back into contention, but tries from James Botham, Rey Lee-Lo and Harri Millard’s late score wrapped things up.
The Blues, who lifted the trophy in 2018, host Leicester at the Arms Park in their next European fixture. Elsewhere in Pool 4, Premiership leaders Bristol ran in eight tries to thrash Zebre 59-21, with fly-half Ioan Lloyd chalking up 22 points on his first start.
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Leicester are definitely a club in need of a break following another miserable start to a campaign https://t.co/FkJVKdBU5K
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 15, 2019
The Bears fell behind early on to a converted try from Mattia Bellini, but then never looked back, adding five of their own before the break. Academy duo Charlie Powell and Andy Uren were also among the try-scorers late on.
In Pool 1, Dragons also secured a bonus-point win as they saw off Castres 31-17 at Rodney Parade with three tries from number eight Taine Basham which all came in the first half.
WATCH: Part one of The Academy, the RugbyPass documentary series on the Leicester Tigers’ youths system
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments