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46 players newly registered by 16 clubs for the Challenge Cup restart next week
By Sam Smith
Forty-six players have been newly registered by 16 clubs ahead of the Challenge Cup round of 16 matches over the Easter weekend, every club deciding to make some additions after the remaining European pool stage fixtures were scrapped in January.
The revamped round of 16 knockout stage kicks off in Parma on April 2 when Zebre host Bath and concludes on April 4 when Harlequins welcome Ulster. In between, there are numerous other matches to whet the appetite such as London Irish versus Cardiff, Leicester against Connacht and Montpellier up against Glasgow.
Among the newly registered players to watch out for are Jamie Bhatti, the recently capped Scotland prop who is at Bath for the next few months before linking up with Glasgow for the 2021/22 season, and Darryl Marfo, another Scottish prop who joined Leicester earlier this month. Ex-Munster out-half Ian Keatley has also been registered by Glasgow following his mid-season exit from Benetton.
AN EPCR statement outlining the additions to the various squads read: In advance of the resumption of the 2020/21 Challenge Cup, the 16 clubs which have qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament have registered their updated squads.
"To ensure that clubs will be able to select the strongest possible matchday squads in the current circumstances, there was no limit to the number of players each club was permitted to register.
"Subject to relevant union approval, the following players have been nominated to supplement each club’s tournament squad:
AGEN
Gael Doms (hooker), Zakaria El Fakir (prop), Théo Louvet (scrum half), Alexandre Odinga (wing)
BATH RUGBY
Jamie Bhatti (prop), Jaco Coetzee (back row), Jacques du Toit (hooker)
BENETTON RUGBY
Corniel Els (hooker), Nicola Piantella (second row)
CARDIFF BLUES
Efan Daniel (hooker)
CONNACHT RUGBY
Cathal Forde (out-half), Oisin McCormack (back row)
DRAGONS
Dan Baker (back row), Gonzalo Bertranou (scrum-half), Ioan Davies (full back/wing), Lennon Greggains (back row), David Richards (full back/wing), Ed Scragg (second row)
GLASGOW WARRIORS
Dylan Evans (prop), Cole Forbes (full back/wing), Ian Keatley (out-half), Jordan Lenac (scrum-half)
HARLEQUINS
Michele Campagnaro (centre/wing), Lewis Gjaltema (scrum-half)
LEICESTER TIGERS
Nick Dolly (hooker), William Hurd (prop), Darryl Marfo (prop), Matias Moroni (centre/wing)
LONDON IRISH
Facundo Gigena (prop), Matt Williams (centre/wing)
MONTPELLIER
Louis Mauro (prop)
NEWCASTLE FALCONS
Mateo Carreras (wing), Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti (scrum-half), Matias Orlando (centre), Jon Welsh (prop)
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Lewis Bean (second row), Oisin Heffernan (prop)
OSPREYS
Jordan Lay (prop), Ethan Roots (back row)
ULSTER RUGBY
James Humphreys (out half), Conor McMenamin (second row), Ben Moxham (centre), Jude Postlethwaite (centre), Harry Sheridan (back row)
ZEBRE RUGBY CLUB
Charles Alaimalo (flanker), Potu Junior Leavasa (back row/second row)
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Latest Comments
No he's just limited in what he can do. Like Scott Robertson. And Eddie Jones.
Sometimes it doesn't work out so you have to go looking for another national coach who supports his country and believes in what he is doing. Like NZ replacing Ian Foster. And South Africa bringing Erasmus back in to over see Neinbar.
This is the real world. Not the fantasy oh you don't need passion for your country for international rugby. Ask a kiwi, or a south african or a frenchman.
Go to commentsDont complain too much or start jumping to conclusions.
Here in NZ commentators have been blabbing that our bottom pathway competition the NPC (provincial teams only like Taranaki, Wellington etc)is not fit for purpose ie supplying players to Super rugby level then they started blabbing that our Super Rugby comp (combined provincial unions making up, Crusaders, Hurricanes, etc) wasn't good enough without the South African teams and for the style SA and the northern powers play at test level.
Here is what I reckon, Our comps are good enough for how WE want to play rugby not how Ireland, SA, England etc play. Our comps are high tempo, more rucks, mauls, running plays, kicks in play, returns, in a game than most YES alot of repetition but that builds attacking skillsets and mindsets. I don't want to see world teams all play the same they all have their own identity and style as do England (we were scared with all this kind of talk when they came here) World powerhouse for a reason, losses this year have been by the tiniest of margins and could have gone either way in alot of games. Built around forward power and blitz defence they have got a great attack Wingers are chosen for their Xfactor now not can they chase up and unders all day. Stick to your guns its not far off
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