European rugby returns with a smidge of South African summer
England may have lost to the French in the football but in the weekend’s European Champions Cup rugby the English sides won five matches while the French could muster just four.
Here are some talking points as the two European rugby competitions returned – this time accompanied by five South African teams.
THE BIG EUROPEAN RETURN
Saracens marked their return to the Champions Cup with a 30-26 win over Edinburgh. When these sides last met it was last year and in the Challenge Cup – the Scottish side triumphed.
But Saracens, back in the top tier competition for the first time since their forced relegation after breaking the salary cap, began with a win and the three-time champions will be on a mission to get to the latter stages of the competition. Owen Farrell had an off day and described the performance as average but he steered his side to the win to maintain Saracens’ unbeaten record thus far this season.
Up next for the London club is a trip over the English Channel to Lyon, a side who toppled them in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup last year.
DECEMBER SUMMER
The elephant in the room this season has been the inclusion of South African sides across the two competitions. Some are in favour and some are against while others pick issue with just one team, the Cheetahs, who beat Pau 16-21, being included as they’re not in one of the big leagues.
But they’re here and they add something exciting to the competition – as well as a nice hot destination for teams otherwise stuck in the European winter chill. The Lions kicked off the South Africa inclusion with a 31-31 draw against Wales’s Dragons in a stadium which looked devoid of fans.
The Sharks outclassed Harlequins and managed to beat the Londoners 39-31 despite prop Ox Nche receiving a red card in the 60th minute.
The Bulls beat Lyon in their match whilst the Stormers – the URC champions – got one of the best European draws possible: Clermont away.
There’s no better way to introduce yourselves to the Champions Cup than travelling to the raucous terraces of Clermont. The Stormers battled hard but fell 24-14 to the French side. The sides from the African continent add a new layer to this competition, and they’ve come in with three wins.
JE NE SAIS QUOI
La Rochelle shocked some with their first Champions Cup trophy last season and their title defence began at home against Northampton Saints.
They’re famously tough to beat in their fortress on the Atlantic coast of France and that’s something the travelling English side soon found out.
By half-time Saints were 32-0 down and by full-time they were 46-12 down; they were completely played off the park. While Northampton put some of their better players on the bench, La Rochelle went full strength in the pack and used their battering forwards to break the gainline.
They taught the English side a masterful lesson in European rugby’s unforgiving nature.
Are the wheels already falling off the Phil Dowson era at Saints? Maybe. But their defence continues to be leaky and it’s defence coach Ian Vass who might be looking over his shoulder for a Christmas nightmare.
LANCASTER DERBY
Ahead of round one the pick of the ties was probably Racing 92 against last year’s runners-up Leinster.
The two sides ooze talent and the battle between Stuart Lancaster’s current team, the Irish province, and his next one, the Parisian outfit, was set to be incredible. It wasn’t.
Leinster’s 42-10 win on the continent was the French club’s worst European defeat and a real statement performance for the Dublin side.
Leinster are packed with internationals and they famously rest their players in the domestic competitions in order to go all in for Europe – and that’s paying dividends.
World player of the year Josh van der Flier scored twice while four others dotted down. It was a complete performance for Leinster and they’ll no doubt go forward in the Champions Cup as one of the primary challengers.