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Two quarter-finals. Four semi-finals. Things are heating up at the business end of the northern hemisphere’s big three domestic seasons.
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Super Rugby: Crusaders vs Chiefs (Friday, May 19, 3:35 pm HKT)
We’re off to Fiji for the first game of the Super Rugby round, and it’s shaping as a cracking fixture between the 1 and 2 placed sides in the New Zealand conference. The Chiefs have been flying under the radar for the last couple of months and they’re fresh off a bye for this one. The Crusaders, on the other hand, are going straight from the frying pan into the fire after their bruising win over the Hurricanes last week. The Chiefs won a good game 23-13 when these sides met in Fiji last year – they could be worth a cheeky flutter to repeat that result on Friday night.
Pro 12: Leinster vs Scarlets (Saturday, May 20, 2:40am HKT)
Anyone looking at the last time these two sides met in Dublin may be tempted to bet the year’s rent money on a home win. That may be a mistake. Because, after that 45-9 embarrassment in early March, the Welsh visitors picked up 24 points out of a possible 25 to finish the season, and scored tries at a rate of one per point. The home side will be favourites for the win at the RDS this weekend – but don’t expect the nothing-to-lose Scarlets to give up the race to the Aviva without a serious fight.
Top 14: Toulon vs Castres Olympique (Saturday, May 20, 3am HKT)
Fourth entertains fifth in the first ‘barrage’ – aka quarterfinal – of the Top 14 knockout phase, with a semi-final encounter next weekend against league leaders La Rochelle at an already sold-out Stade Velodrome in Marseille the prize for the winner. As seasons go, this has ranked on the forgettable end of the spectrum for Toulon. But home advantage means they start as favourites against a dogged Castres outfit, who will need to pull out something very special to win at Stade Mayol.
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Premiership: Exeter Chiefs vs Saracens (Saturday, May 20, 9:30pm HKT)
The free-scoring Chiefs entertain the newly crowned European champions at Sandy Park in what looks an awful lot like the game of the weekend. At stake, a place in next weekend’s final at Twickenham and a shot at the visitors’ title. Having become only the fourth side in rugby history to win back-to-back European titles, defending Premiership champions Sarries now have a back-to-back double in their sights. But Exeter come into this game on the back of a record-breaking winning streak. Truth be told, it would be a brave punter who bet against either side, here.
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Top 14: Montpellier vs Racing 92 (Saturday, May 20, 11pm HKT)
Not so long ago, Montpellier fair mullered Racing at the Altrad. The eight-try, 54-3 humbling came in a league encounter that was rearranged during the troubled week of the failed merger between Racing and Stade Francais. It’s a memory the defending Top 14 champions – who only secured their play-off place with a comeback win at home against Bordeaux on the final weekend of the regular season – will want to erase. And a knockout game win would be the perfect antidote. There’s just the small matter of Montpellier’s brutal, direct and XXXL team between them and a semi-final against Clermont in Marseille.
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Premiership: Wasps vs Leicester Tigers (Sunday, May 21, 12:15am HKT)
You want tries? This match is almost guaranteed to have lots of them. Wasps have run-in an average of four a game en route to top spot in the league at the end of the regular season. But they have also conceded an average of about three a game.
Pro 12: Munster vs Ospreys (Sunday, May 21, 1:10am HKT)
The final match of the northern hemisphere’s opening knockout weekend, on paper at least, appears to be a mission impossible for Welsh outfit Ospreys at Fortress Thomond. The hosts have lost just three Pro 12 matches all season – and none of them have been at home. And recent post-season history is against the Swansea side. They lost their two meetings against the Red Army this season, and their last Pro12 semi-final appearance was a 21-18 defeat. Against Munster. In southwest Ireland. Still, to steal their hosts’ motto: to the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible.
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
1 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
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