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Leinster seal home quarter-final, wins for Racing, Toulon and Castres
Imperious Leinster sealed a home quarter-final with a 55-19 rout of Glasgow Warriors, while Racing 92, Toulon and Castres also claimed European Champions Cup wins on Sunday.
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Three-time European champions Leinster became the first side to qualify for the last eight, running riot in the first half and scoring eight tries in a brutal demolition of the Warriors at the RDS Arena.
Leo Cullen’s men were out of sight at half-time, Jordi Murphy, Isa Nacewa, Sean Cronin, Scott Fardy and Johnny Sexton going over, the Ireland fly-half also notching nine points from the tee before his bonus-point score.
Glasgow, bottom of Pool 3 and without a victory, were dominated at the set-piece and failed to cope with Leinster’s cohesion and fluidity, captain Nacewa and Fardy helping themselves to doubles either side of a James Lowe five-pointer following the interval
Niko Matawalu scored a try in each half for a startled Glasgow side, Adam Ashe also dotting down as rampant Leinster made it five wins out of five.
WATCH: Hear what Leo Cullen had to say when he spoke to the media after the 55-19 win over Glasgow Warriors. #LEIvGLA pic.twitter.com/PazMhTN398
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) January 14, 2018
Racing 92 reduced Munster’s lead at the top of Pool 4 to just a point with 34-30 victory over the Pro14 side in the first European match at their plush new stadium.
Maxime Machenaud produced a magnificent kicking exhibition, scoring 19 points with the boot – including two late penalties in a gripping contest after one from Conor Murray had given Munster the lead six minutes from time.
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Marc Andreu, Yannick Nyanga and Dimitri Szarzewski scored the Racing tries, with Jean Kleyn, Chris Farrell and Keith Earls crossing for Munster as they claimed a losing bonus point with a final pool match to come against Castres, who inflicted a 39-0 hammering on Leicester Tigers to stay in the hunt for a quarter-final spot.
Toulon took over at the summit in Pool 5, Josua Tuisova scoring two of five tries in a 36-0 thrashing of Benetton Treviso to set up a clash with the Scarlets next Saturday, when top spot will be on the line.
The victory was somewhat overshadowed by a late incident which saw Mathieu Bastareaud appear to direct a homophobic slur at Treviso’s Sebastian Negri, which will be looked into by European Professional Club Rugby.
Comments on RugbyPass
Can someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
19 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
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