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Weekend Round-Up: Return Of Connacht
By Calum Henderson
Catch up on the best of the weekend’s games on Rugby Pass, including a riveting first round of Champions Cup fixtures and the frenzied final round of Mitre 10 Cup action in New Zealand.
Champions Cup: Connacht vs Toulouse
Underdog champions of the Pro12 Connacht have been a little slow off the mark this season, and playing in their first Champions Cup match since 2013-14 they struggled with the size and skill of the Toulouse forward pack early on. The pressure led to two Toulouse tries late in the first half, and the home side trailed by 10 at halftime. But Pat Lam’s side grew into the game and a Tiernan O’Halloran try midway through the second brought them back within a single scoring play, setting up an exciting final 20 minutes at the Sportsgrounds.
Champions Cup: Toulon vs Saracens
Saracens don’t go into many games as underdogs, but the bookies had good reason for inserting Toulon as favourites for this match – the three-time Champions Cup winners have never lost a home game in the history of the tournament. With Owen Farrell returning from injury the defending champions Saracens set about making a mockery of those predictions, running in three tries to lead at the break. It was the best half of rugby the club have played this season – enough to hang on and claim a rare win at Stade Mayol?
Champions Cup: Wasps vs Zebre
With respect to Italian battlers Zebre the question going into this game wasn’t who would win but rather how much would Wasps win by. They are, after all, the best attacking side in the Aviva Premiership, if not all European club rugby. Would they crack a century? Or at least break the Champion’s Cup record winning margin of 66, which they set against Benetton Treviso back in 06/07? With three tries in the first 15 minutes both looked a distinct possibility.
Mitre 10 Cup: Counties Manukau vs Canterbury
Canterbury have won seven of the last eight New Zealand provincial titles, and have been strong favourites to make that eight of the last nine since they thumped Auckland by 50 points in the first round. Counties couldn’t have asked for a tougher final pool match. They needed points here to secure their first playoffs berth since 2013. They led at halftime by a solitary point, the 7-6 scoreline an anomaly in the usually high-scoring Mitre 10 Cup. Normal transmission resumed, however, as Counties threw the kitchen sink at Canterbury in a highly entertaining second half of rugby in Pukekohe.
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Latest Comments
We beat Wales. Oh wow.
Go to commentsAs has been the way all year, and for all England's play I can remember. I missed a lot of the better years under Eddie though.
Lets have a look at the LQB for the last few games... 41% under 3 sec compared to 56% last week, 47% in the game you felt England best in against NZ, and 56 against Ireland.
That was my impression as well. Dunno if that is a lack of good counterattack ball from the D, forward dominance (Post Contact Meters stats reversed yesterday compared to that fast Ireland game), or some Borthwick scheme, but I think that has been highlighted as Englands best point of difference this year with their attack, more particularly how they target using it in certain areas. So depending on how you look at it, not necessarily the individual players.
You seem to be falling into the same trap as NZs supporters when it comes to Damien McKenzie. That play you highlight Slade in wasn't one of those LQB situations from memory, that was all on the brilliance of Smith. Sure, Slade did his job in that situation, but Smith far exceeded his (though I understand it was a move Sleightholme was calling for). But yeah, it's not always going to be on a platter from your 10 and NZ have been missing that Slade line, in your example, more often than not too. When you go back to Furbank and Feyi-Waboso returns you'll have that threat again. Just need to generate that ball, wait for some of these next Gen forwards to come through etc, the props and injured 6 coming back to the bench. I don't think you can put Earl back to 7, unless he spends the next two years speeding up (which might be good for him because he's getting beat by speed like he's not used to not having his own speed to react anymore).
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