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20
October 2008
French
misery continued in the European Challenge Cup with only two
out of seven sides victorious on the second weekend –
mirroring the success rate of the opening round- and one of
those was from an all Top14 clash between Mont-de-Marsan and
Bayonne.
Bayonne
won that one 26-8, but there were heavy defeats for
Montpellier and Toulon (again), with only Brive securing a
win against foreign opposition with their 36-22 victory over
Newcastle Falcons.
Brive’s
ex-Tigers fly-half Andy Goode racked up 21 points as Les
Correziens got their show back on track in Pool 4 (see
report), but Montpellier saw red as they were
thrashed 51-7 by Northampton Saints in Pool 2.
Captain
Julien Tomas and Fabien Rofes were both sent off as the
English side, which dispatched Toulon 56-3 last week, ran in
six tries as they breached half a century of points again.
Montpellier rested a number of first team regulars and paid
the price at Franklin Gardens with the Guinness Premiership
side opening the scoring when Scott Gray went over inside
the first minute.
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17
October 2008
Only
two French clubs were victorious on a dismal opening weekend
in the European Challenge Cup but Brive’s Thursday night win
against Newcastle Falcons (36-22) should have set the tone
for a more successful outing this time around.
Montpellier’s away trip to Northampton Saints looks the pick
of the games but there will also be a keen focus on
struggling Toulon as they travel to Bristol. Coach Tana
Umaga was widely slated for picking an under strength team
for last week’s home rout by Northampton and another poor
showing would continue to weaken his position.
Somewhat predictably he has recalled ex-All-Black Jerry
Collins to a much stronger XV, but the damage may already
have been done.
Mont-de-Marsan v
Bayonne, Pool 5, Stade Guy Boniface (19.00, 17/10/08)
Top 14’s basement club Mont-de-Marsan entertain a
strong-looking Bayonne tonight with Remy Martin returning to
captain the visitors after sitting out last week’s
surprising home defeat by Viadana. Les Montois are on a
recovery mission, however unlikely, after they were thrashed
53-3 away to Saracens. Still, this being an all-French
domestic affair local pride will very much be on the table.
Verdict: Bayonne win.
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Brive too
Goode for Newcastle
16
October 2008
 Brive
(13) 36 v Newcastle Falcons (5) 22, Pool 4
England discard Andy Goode racked up 21 points as he steered
Brive to a crucial 36-22 home win against Newcastle Falcons
in Pool 4 of the European Challenge Cup.
The ex-Leicester Tigers
fly-half continued his impressive recent form by kicking
five penalties, three conversions and setting up the opening
try as the Top 14 side bounced back from defeat in Italy
last week.
Les Correziens, who had
scored 123 points in their last three games, got off to the
perfect start against last year’ semi-finalists when Goode’s
subtle kick set up centre Ronnie Cooke for a second-minute
try that calmed nerves. The English import added the
conversion and a subsequent penalty to ease the home side 10
points clear, but Newcastle – who won here last year -
responded with a try of their own from Rory Clegg just
before the half hour to reduce the lead.
Goode’s second penalty
handed Brive a 13-5 half-time advantage, and he was on
target with three more after the break to ensure the hosts
stayed comfortably ahead.
Tim Visser did go over for
Newcastle’s second try of the night with 20 minutes left,
but Brive’s response was swift and clinical with Johan van
Zyl and Jean-Baptiste Pejoine both scoring tries – which
Goode duly converted.
Their combined efforts
made sure there was no way back for the Falcons despite
Ollie Phillips’ late score.
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16
October 2008
Brive
v Newcastle Falcons (Pool 4, 20.45, Stadium Municipal)
Brive have the chance to get their European campaign back on
track when they entertain Newcastle Falcons tonight in round
two of the European Challenge Cup.
The Top 14 side narrowly lost 34-29 away to Italian side
Overmach Rugby Parma last week but at least have home
advantage for tonight’s Pool 4 match against their Guinness
Premiership rivals.
Newcastle, semi-finalists last year, opened up with a
straightforward 63-0 trouncing of Spanish champions Cetransa
El Salvador, but will know Brive present a different
proposition entirely, especially at the Stadium Municipal.
The Falcons will be missing star player Jonny Wilkinson,
linked with Toulon before his latest injury, but can at
least call on fit again flanker Adam Balding following a
two-week lay-off for a head injury.
The English side, who travelled to France a day early to
give themselves added preparation, have also named winger
John Rudd in their squad in place of the injured Danny
Williams.
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12
October 2008
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Pool 1 |
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Dax 12 |
Connacht 30 |
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London Irish 78 |
Rugby Rovigo 3 |
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Pool 2 |
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Toulon 3 |
Northampton Saints 56 |
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Montpellier 33 |
Bristol 15 |
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Pool 3 |
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Petrarca Padova 6 |
Worcester Warriors 55 |
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Bucuresti Oaks 10 |
Bourgoin 21 |
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Pool 4 |
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Newcastle Falcons 63 |
El Salvador 0 |
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Overmach Rugby Parma 34 |
Brive 29 |
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Pool 5 |
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Bayonne 10 |
Viadana 21 |
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Saracens 53 |
Mont-de-Marsan 3 |
Bourgoin and Montpellier were France’s only winners on a
miserable weekend for Top 14 clubs in the opening round of
the European Challenge Cup.
Montpellier managed to beat Bristol 33-15 on Friday night
and Bourgoin triumphed 21-10 away to Bucuresti Oaks on
Sunday, but there were defeats for Toulon, Dax, Brive,
Bayonne and Mont-de-Marsan as the French were humbled
throughout Europe.
Toulon, Dax and Bayonne all lost at home, to English, Irish
and Italian opposition respectively, with Brive and
Mont-de-Marsan losing on their travels, to Italian, and
English teams this time. It all adds up to a woeful weekend,
with Toulon’s 56-3 home drubbing by Northampton on Friday
night summing up a wretched set of European results.
Two tries in the opening 15 minutes set the tempo for a
high-scoring affair between Parma and Brive on Sunday, with
the Italians surging into an early 17-6 lead thanks to
scores from Roberto Mariani and German Fontana. Alessandro
Chillon added a third shortly before the interval as Parma
opened up a 25-9 advantage at the interval.
Brive, who rested a number of players, battled back in the
second half thanks to tries from Johan van Zyl and Norman
Ligairi, but Barry Irving’s three penalties ensured the
hosts hung on for victory.
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10
October 2008
 Montpellier
33 Bristol 15 (Pool 2)
Dax 12 Connacht 30 (Pool 1)
Bayonne 10 Viadana 21 (Pool 5)
Montpellier got their European campaign off to a winning
start, but home defeats for Dax and Bayonne made it a mixed
night for Top 14 sides.
Montpellier eventually overpowered Bristol 33-15 after
entertaining first-half which saw both sides score two tries
apiece.
Lee Robinson and number eight Ian Grieve both scored for
Bristol in the opening eight minutes, but Montpellier
replied through Francois Trinh-Duc and flying winger Thierry
Brana.
Argentine international Frederico Todeschini (18 points in
total) was immaculate with his place kicks all night while
scrum-half Justin Marshall was the lynchpin of much of
Montpellier’s flowing rugby.
The home side’s superiority began to tell after the break
and their incessant pressure inevitably brought further
reward with Todeschini adding 10 more points to Pieter van
Niekerk’s 70th-minute try, much to the delight of the 9,000
crowd.
Dax looked to be heading in the right direction when they
led Connacht 12-7 at half-time, but the home side wilted
after the interval and failed to score at all as the Irish
added 23 unanswered points.
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10
October 2008
 The
action may have already started, with Toulon’s abysmal
capitulation to Northampton Saints (see
report), but there are 13 more European
matches involving French Top 14 sides this weekend,
beginning with Montauban away to Munster tonight and
concluding with Bourgoin away to Bucaresti Oaks on Sunday.
Different clubs tend to view the two competitions (Heineken
Cup and European Challenge Cup) with different eyes, some
deeming it the Holy Grail of achievement (such as Toulouse)
whereas others merely see it as an opportunity to rest their
star players in readiness for a return to Top 14 action
(like Toulon).
The former route carries obvious risks – in terms of injury
and long-term burnout – but the rewards are huge in being
crowned Europe’s top club. The raised profile, additional
revenue from television and ticket sales, and also in a
club’s overall standing. Remember, Dan Carter chose to sign
for Perpignan rather than Toulon because of the attraction
of the Heineken Cup – I bet he’s glad now after Toulon’s
abysmal result last night.
Talking of which, the second approach – to rest players – is
a more obvious one for clubs with smaller squads whose main
objective this season is Top 14 survival. But does a 3-56
home thrashing really help that club at all? It must be
questionable. Yes, youngsters have been blooded and stars
rested, but such a resounding hammering cannot be good for
morale whichever way you want to spin it. You only had to
listen to the boos echoing around the Stade Felix Mayol to
understand that.
So, we look ahead to 13 games
this weekend, with a quick preview and prediction for each.
I’ve managed to get 6/7 correct for the past two weeks but
the European odyssey is harder to call due to the differing
approaches of the clubs. Still, here goes.
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by
Joachim Silvestre 09
October 2008
Toulon
(3) 3 Northampton (30) 56
An experimental Toulon side were humiliated at home by
Northampton Saints, going down 3-56 with fly-half Stephen
Myler scoring 21 points for the Guinness Premiership side.
It is a result that will increase the mounting pressure on
coach Tana Umaga with the French side conceding seven tries
in a shambolic and incoherent performance that will further
undermine crumbling club confidence.
Umaga’s team selection reflected his preference for Top 14
survival, but Saints also rested Carlos Spencer, their
mercurial Kiwi fly-half, only for his replacement Myler to
steal the headlines.
The home side opened up in positive enough fashion with
Sebastien Fauque, Toulon’s only player aged over 30, kicking
a second minute penalty, but Northampton’s response was
clinical with three tries in 22 minutes leaving the home
side 3-30 down after half an hour.
Sean Lamont started the assault when he finished a
cross-field attack for his third try of the season in the
10th minute, with Myler adding the conversion from the
touchline.
The 24-year-old fly-half added a more straightforward 35m
penalty two minutes later and the home crowd were silenced
when Joe Ansbro touched down on the quarter hour.
Myler converted, inevitably, before rubbing further salt in
the Toulon wounds by slotting over from the halfway line to
take Saints 3-20 clear.
The youngster maintained his 100% success rate with yet
another penalty as Toulon’s young side struggled for
cohesion, and blood replacement Paul Diggin added
Northampton’s third try just 30 seconds after coming on for
Downey James.
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09
October 2008
The
European Challenge Cup, the Heineken Cup’s little brother,
kicks off tonight (Thursday) with Toulon hosting Northampton
Saints at the Stade Felix Mayol.
Tana Umaga’s under-achieving Top 14 side will
be looking for a moral-boosting victory against their
Guinness Premiership opponents, although Toulon are expected
to field a much changed line-up from the one which lost
37-12 at Perpignan on Saturday.
Northampton coach Jim Mallender said he was
aware of Toulon’s travails so far this season but refused to
underestimate his Top 14 opponents.
“It will be a massive occasion, so the
challenge for us is to keep calm, stick to our game plan and
put in plenty of hard work throughout the 80 minutes,” he
said.
The Saints, who are currently ninth in the
Guinness Premiership, will have to make do without the
services of back row Neil Best after he was suspended for a
massive 18 weeks.
The Irish international was cited for
eye-gouging following Northampton’s game with Wasps and will
miss all six ECC group matches.
Seven Top 14 sides are represented in this
year’s ECC, a competition that has been dominated by English
teams of late with Clermont’s 2007 triumph the only French
victory in the past seven years.
Montpellier, Dax and Bayonne all have home
games on Saturday – against Bristol, Connacht and Viadana
respectively – with Brive, Mont-de-Marsan and Bourgoin all
playing away games on Sunday – against Overmach RP, Saracens
and Bucuresti Oaks.
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