1
Three England rookies who tore it up in Investec Champions Cup Round 1
By Ian Cameron
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.
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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.
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Investec Champions Cup
Pool 1
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Bordeaux
1
1
0
0
5
2
Bristol
1
1
0
0
5
3
Bulls
1
1
0
0
4
4
Lyon
1
0
1
0
2
5
Saracens
1
0
1
0
0
6
Connacht
1
0
1
0
0
Pool 2
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Toulouse
1
1
0
0
5
2
Bath
1
1
0
0
5
3
Harlequins
1
1
0
0
5
4
Racing 92
1
0
1
0
2
5
Ulster
1
0
1
0
0
6
Cardiff Rugby
1
0
1
0
0
Pool 3
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Northampton
1
1
0
0
4
2
Exeter Chiefs
1
1
0
0
4
3
Bayonne
1
0
0
1
2
4
Munster
1
0
0
1
2
5
Toulon
1
0
1
0
1
6
Glasgow
1
0
1
0
0
Pool 4
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Leicester
1
1
0
0
5
2
Sale
1
1
0
0
4
3
Leinster
1
1
0
0
4
4
Stade Rochelais
1
0
1
0
1
5
Stormers
1
0
1
0
0
6
Stade Francais
1
0
1
0
0
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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