Three England rookies who tore it up in Investec Champions Cup Round 1
In a thrilling start to the Investec Champions Cup, Round 1 delivered outstanding performances that set the tone for the competition - England rookie Will Joseph in particular standing out.
Joseph proved a nightmare for Racing 92's defence, contributing to Harlequins' remarkable feat of beating 42 defenders against the Parisians as the Londoners stormed to a famous 31-28 victory at the La Defense Arena on Sunday night.
Joseph - the younger brother of England and British & Irish Lions tourist Jonathan Joseph - accumulated 34 post-contact meters, the most by any player over the weekend.
The 21-year-old England prospect covered 115 meters, beat eight defenders, and made four clean breaks, solidifying an exceptional all-around performance in Round 1.
Fellow England young guns Ollie Lawrence and Alfie Barbeary both made a significant impact for Bath, recording seven dominant carries each, the highest in Round 1, as Bath eased past Ulster 37-14 at The Rec.
Springboks' Rugby World Cup hero Handré Pollard of Leicester Tigers emerged as the top points scorer in the round, notching an impressive 20 points, including his maiden Investec Champions Cup try, against the Stormers at Welford Road.
Despite being on the losing side against Northampton Saints, Josh McKay of Glasgow Warriors showed he's a threat in both carries and metres gained, recording 22 carries and covering an impressive 150 metres.
Aussie Angus Scott-Young of Northampton Saints showcased defensive grit in the same match, leading the tackles with 25 in Round 1.
A little-known French player by the name of Antoine Dupont displayed excellent playmaking skills, delivering seven offloads for Stade Toulousain as they thrashed Cardiff.
Notable debuts marked the opening round, with Scotland's Blair Kinghorn scoring two tries on his debut for Stade Toulousain probably the pick of the bunch.
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A couple of points after a quick read. Lolesio is NOT "metamorphosing quickly into the 10" every Aussie wanted. He is a major project and is about 1/4 of the journey thru that projects time. Also Nick LF was always a centre wing in NZ. Was always considered as that by his coaches inc Razor. Sure his rep stuff has been as wing but thats just a selection that filled a need.
Its a bit like asking "Can NZ turn Jordan into a fullback" as he's always been one but was selected by Foster as a winger and did OK at it eh.
Go to commentsThe nsw and qld teams do look stronger for 2025. Do you think Dan M might take longer to get success as he is new and has a new squad?
Also great mention of the Penrith Emus. The neglect of rugby in Sydney outside the 'traditional' private school areas has had a lasting effect with many sports fans in Sydney. They wouldn't know or care when the wallabies play.
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