Kiwis in Europe: Vito runs rampant for Baabaas
Sometimes a hat-trick is not enough.
Scarlets wing Johnny McNicholl will know that better than most after his three tries were not sufficient for his Welsh region to clinch another Guinness PRO14 title.
Wayne Pivac’s charges succumbed 40-32 to Leinster in the Dublin season finale, handing the Irish province an unprecedented European Champions Cup/PRO14 double and ensuring that veteran utility back and skipper Isa Nacewa leaves active rugby on a winning note.
McNicholl, who did great deeds for Canterbury and the Crusaders in his time in New Zealand rugby, was largely unemployed for the opening half hour, but then set up his own opening try, from close range, in the 34th minute. He added two more in the second stanza, the first a classic airborne finish in the corner, after a movement he started with a deft crosskick. His third was pure consolation, in the final minute. McNicholl put centre Scott Williams in a hole, followed up, and took the return pass for his ninth try of the season in the PRO14. Furthermore, he set up the play that led to prop Werner Kruger’s try just before his last.
Second five Hadleigh Parkes, soon to depart on Wales’ tour of the Americas, was industrious on defence but had few chances on attack.
Nacewa, who was marking Parkes, limped off after just 18 minutes, but his joy was unconfined at fulltime and one could surmise that he would not feel his leg later in the night. Pivac, who first picked him for Auckland in 2003, caught up with Nacewa after the match.
Leinster left wing James Lowe was busy, scoring in deadly finish in the corner after some slick short side work by, among others, man of the match Jonny Sexton. Ironically, Lowe was marking McNicholl, and was able to get on the outside of him for the score.
In England’s Aviva Premiership final, Sean Maitland’s Saracens return to the top of the tree, defeating defending champs Exeter Chiefs 27-10 at Twickenham. Sarries win their first title since 2015, while Chiefs No 8 Thomas Waldrom, who featured off the bench, ends his long and illustrious career in England on a damp note. But he does bring a wealth of experience back to Wellington, for whom he will appear in the Mitre 10 Cup from August.
In the French Top 14 semifinals, Vern Cotter’s Montpellier dispatched Lyon 40-14 to book a berth in this weekend’s decider. Montpellier has never won the Bouclier de Brennus.
Nemani Nadolo scored a try for Montpellier, while Aaron Cruden and Jarrad Hoeata also featured. Former North Harbour and Wallaby five-eighths Mike Harris scored all of Lyon’s points via a try and three penalty goals. Toby Arnold, Rudi Wulf and Taiasina Tuifua also all started for Lyon.
Sixth-ranked qualifier Castres tipped over Racing-Metro 19-14. No 8 Maama Vaipulu scored a crucial try, while David Smith, Alex Tulou and Paea Fa’anunu all partook of the victory. Castres has won four titles, the last in 2013. Former All Blacks captain Gary Whetton was central to the club’s 1993 championship.
Dan Carter’s hamstring prevented him fronting for Racing, thus ending his French club career. Prop Ben Tameifuna did start, but received another yellow card, while hooker Ole Avei came off the pine.
No less than 10 New Zealanders featured in Sunday’s Twickenham frolic, in which the UK Barbarians beat England 63-45. For England, Piers Francis scored a brace, while wing Denny Solomona entered as a replacement. For the Barbarians, No 8 Victor Vito also registered a double. Prop John Afoa started, while off the bench came Loni Uhila, Joe Tekori, Nili Latu, Luke McAlister and Malakai Fekitoa.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments