Exeter make the most of Clermont’s misunderstanding
The final round of European pool action usually provides a thrill or two, with some teams having guaranteed qualification, some still fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the knockouts and the rest out to spoil the party for the first two.
The very best was saved until last on Sunday afternoon. Exeter went into their match with Ospreys requiring a bonus point victory and a healthy slice of luck to qualify. They received both in their 33-17 victory, scoring five tries and somehow emerging atop their group on points difference. Kai Horstmann and Thomas Waldrom both scored in the first ten minutes of the game but with Hanno Dirksen replying for the Welsh side and Dan Biggar adding a penalty, Exeter held a 14-10 lead at halftime. James Short scored the first of his brace shortly after the break and then completed it 15 minutes later as Exeter wrapped up the bonus point. However, Ospreys hit back with a penalty try from a rolling maul and the Chiefs needed one more score to improve their try difference and Waldrom (who else?) supplied it two minutes from the end.
In France at the same time, Clermont Auvergne let qualification slip inbylosing 37-28 against Bordeaux Begles. Clermont scored twice within five minutes of kickoff through Jonathan Davies and Noa Nakaitaci but saw Bordeaux fight back with two quick scores of their own. With Bordeaux’s Baptiste Serin having kicked two penalties, Clermont struck again, sending first Damien Chouly then Paul Jedrasiak in for tries, earning the try bonus point. In a style that was by now rather predictable, Bordeaux countered with two tries in five minutes, Paulin Riva and Peter Saili breaching the defence and clawing back the lead for Bordeaux. With the score at 34-28, Pierre Bernard kicked a final penalty for the visitors, before Morgan Parra, in a rush of adrenaline, turned down the chance to kick for the posts that would have earned them the losing bonus point and subsequent qualification. Clermont were unable to find the line and last year’s finalists will play no further part in the Champions Cup.
The weekend began in Belfast, Ulster requiring as comfortable a win as possible over Oyonnax to have a chance of progressing. Their 56-3 victory ticked every box, as they ran eight tries past the French side, each from a different player. However, their 18 points was not quite enough to see them through in the end.
Despite being outscored by three tries to one, Saracens completed their unbeaten romp through Pool one by beating Toulouse 28-17. Charlie Hodgson and Owen Farrell combined to kick 23 points which counteracted Toulouse tries from Maxime Medard and Luke McAlister. Sarries’ try was a glittering example of running rugby with Alex Goode slicing through to find Ben Spencer who had been phenomenal. Moment of the match was definitely Owen Farrell’s knock-on over the line – nightmare viewing for the England fly-half.
Toulon recorded their second consecutive comeback victory, defeating Bath 19-14. Steffon Armitage put the visitors in front with a first-half try before Anthony Watson hit back for Bath after half-time. With George Ford kicking three penalties, Bath held a 14-11 lead mid-way through the second period when Dave Denton threw an intercept pass straight to Bryan Habana who dived in to give Toulon a narrow lead, ultimately enough to secure qualification for last year’s champions.
Wasps showed their class in smashing Leinster 51-10, inflicting the Irishmen’s heaviest European defeat ever, and bringing the aggregate fixture score to 84-16. Wasps conceded after just two minutes, Zane Kirchner crossing for Leinster before Wasps could find their footing. When they did, they scored seven tries including on their way to victory, the pick of the bunch a scorching 50 metre break from Elliot Daly.
Meanwhile, Racing 92 rested key players in their final pool game and paid the price, losing 22-5 to Glasgow Warriors. It took 55 minutes for the first try to be scored, which might give you an idea of the calibre of game on offer. Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg glided over from close-range not long before Racing 92 replied through Davit Khinchagishvili, but the match was decided by Glasgow’s kicking and Racing’s apparent indifference.
Northampton Saints not only beat Scarlets 22-10 to keep their hopes of qualification alive, but they may have unearthed a star in their midst. Harry Mallinder scored a try, set up another and won Man of the Match for the second week in a row. He was ably supported by George Pisi, Sam Dickinson and George North who scored the fourth try for Saints against his former club.
Prior to the pool two madness on Sunday, Munster rounded out their disappointing Champions Cup with a bonus point, but stuttering, victory away at Treviso, 28-5. At the same time, Stade Francais were beating Leicester 36-21 to continue their fine home European record. After Leicester went ahead through Manu Tuilagi, Stade ran in four tries through Jules Plisson, Waisea Vuidarvuwalu, Rabah Slimani and Raphael Lakafia to seize a vital try bonus point. Dom Barrow and replacement hooker Harry Thacker touched down to make it 21-29, but the final blow of the game fell for Stade Francais as Geoffrey Doumayrou intercepted an errant pass and ran in his team’s fifth try.
Champions Cup Star Man: Jules Plisson
Connacht snatch last eight spot
The first side to ensure their qualification in the European second-tier competition was Sale Sharks who beat Newport Gwent Dragons 38-5 at the AJ Bell Stadium, topping their pool. New England squad member Josh Beaumont scored in the first half and Sale were awarded a penalty try which lead to a half-time scoreline of 24-0, before Danny Cipriani tore apart the Dragons defence to put Nev Edwards over and seal a comfortable win. In Pool 2’s other match, Castres defeated Pau 24-7.
La Rochelle underlined a miserable campaign for Worcester Warriors by thumping them 35-11 at Stade Marcel Deflandre. With a half-time score of 6-6 it looked as if the match would remain a tightly-contested affair, but that was dismissed after the hosts ran in five tries. A late Worcester score through Luke Baldwin did little to console the Warriors who finish bottom of Pool 4.
Cardiff Blues and Connacht both recorded resounding wins in Round 6 but they came with rather different outcomes. The Blues still had a chance to qualify coming into the final week of pool games, running roughshod over Calvisano and scoring 11 tries in a 74-6 victory. Winger Tom James, fresh from being recalled into the Wales squad, celebrated with a hat-trick while Cory Allen scored twice. However when Montpellier torched Harlequins to the tune of 42-9, their qualification hopes were over. It was one-way traffic as Jesse Mogg, Wiaan Liebenberg, Charles Geli, Nick White and Ivan Reilhac crashed over for Montpellier, while Quins could only muster three penalties. Quins and Montpellier qualify, and Cardiff are left to lick their wounds.
Meanwhile, Connacht’s 47-5 thrashing of Enisei STM was also not enough to put them through to the playoff stages. The Irishmen scored eight times and the five match points took them to 19 in the pool. They too, however, relied on results elsewhere, and when Newcastle snatched a 27-23 win over Brive with a late try by Simon Hammersley, Connacht’s qualification from pool one was sealed. Hammersley was on hand in the 75th minute to finish off a beautiful flowing team move, grant Newcastle the victory and also become Connacht’s unlikely hero.
Gloucester stuttered and stumbled past Zebre 11-14 thanks to a Mark Atkinson try and an Ulrich Beyers penalty miss late in the game. The Cherry and Whites picked a second-choice side having already qualified and the result was a poor quality game. Pool five’s results handed qualification to London Irish and Grenoble as the two teams triumphed over Agen and Edinburgh respectively. Irish triumphed 31-17 while Grenoble won 34-23. Edinburgh conceded two late scores to Gio Aplon which meant they missed out on a bonus point that would have guaranteed them a place in the last eight.
Challenge Cup Star Man: Danny Cipriani
Try of the Week: Lots of tries deserve an honourable mention as per usual: Nev Edwards’s effort after Danny Cipriani’s break, Ulster’s try scored by Rory Scholes but started by Jared Payne and Elliot Daly’s score for Wasps against Leinster all spring to mind. But amid stiff competition, the award goes to Saracens’ Ben Spencer for finishing off a sensational try with a piece of sublime skill.
What a Try! @Ben_spencer9 with a superb bit of skill for @Saracens as they beat @StadeToulousain 28-17. https://t.co/TpyFiqkodc
— BT Sport Rugby (@btsportrugby) January 23, 2016
Hero of the Week: A personal favourite of mine, Exeter Chiefs’ Thomas Waldrom wins the hero award for scoring twice against Ospreys, including his side’s crucial final try, and for finishing the pool stages as the joint top try-scorer. An honourable mention goes to the entire Bordeaux Begles squad who proved they weren’t just there to make up the numbers.
Villain of the Week: Early money was on Owen Farrell earning a tongue-in-cheek nod for his truly awful knock-on over the tryline, but there is only one winner this week. Morgan Parra is the low-hanging fruit this weekend, after throwing away his team’s chances of qualification with his hot-headed tap penalty.
By Fraser Kay (@fraserkay)
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
32 replies on “Best of the Weekend: Exeter’s astonishing Champions Cup qualification”
All Exeter needed was the demonstration again of why the Os have been largely poor this season – unbelievably passive defence. Their midfield and wings are very low quality but there is little they can do to quickly change that. Kudos to Exeter for showing them what hard defence and hard attacking gets you.
“It’s the death of European rugby!!”. No it isn’t, just like it wasn’t when Eng only had 1 side in the knock outs some time back … despite what Cockers the lip was bleating at the time. Ulster/Ospreys missed out by margins, Glasgow never recovered from the world cup player drain, Leinster/Munster are being sacrificed for the sake (forlorn I fear) of developing Irish coaches. Undoubtedly we are in a time of Eng/Fre dominance but that was inevitable given the restructuring of the tournament to dominate the groups with teams from those countries. I’ll leave it a few years before I predict the end of it all. It does however mean I won’t be watching the knockouts (I’m sure Sky/BT are weeping at the thought) – I have no more interest in Fra v Eng on a busy Sat afternoon than I do some Super 15 or AP fixture. Boudjellal already has his anglo-welsh league, he doesn’t need to move his club.
No complaints with Quins gifting it to Mont by sending their U18s 2nd XV down there. We (Cardiff) should have made it on our own, not expected other teams, who’d already qualified, to give it a solid go. We’d likely have approached that game in the same way.
That Pool 2 is incredible. 4 teams on 3 wins a-piece, with 3 of them finishing level on 16 points! That can’t have ever happened before! And Clermont should have made it 4 teams on 16 points!
You’d favour Saracens, Leicester and Wasps to make the semis, with Racing and Toulon too close to call – perhaps Racing as favourites with home advantage?
Unsure why Tuilagi is unavailable for England if he’s ready to start for Leicester these last couple of weeks? I know Leicester aren’t going to want to hand him over, but if he’s in the EPS and fit to play, why not?
Manu’s not fully fit – he only got through 50 mins there in his second game back. He’s been out for over a year and needs careful return to play to make sure this injury doesn’t come back – he’ll be back but dropping him straight into international rugby is a little premature after so long. Patience!
I’m not so sure the Wasps game is quite so favoured for the home team, their home record hasn’t been great so far this season (losses to Sarries and Exeter in the Premiership and Bath in Europe), I know my wife as a Wasps fan is already quite nervous about that fixture…
Should be a great game though, both sides have a strong set piece and free running backs, expecting quite a few tries!
I would agree on the others though, Sarries and Leicester losing would be upsets and the all french affair is tough to call, but a Dan Carter led Racing probably shading it at home!
As usual the Ospreys totally fail at the Euro level on the last weekend when they entered the last round as group leaders.
The Ospreys Management/Board wonder aloud why they play at home to empty stands whilst Swansea City FC sell out almost every game. This weekend is one of the many reasons why this is the case.
It is much easier to watch the Ospreys on the telly from the comfort of one’s own home and save yourself the ticket price, the petrol, the driving, the parking, food/drink and the time and effort involved.
That said Clermont must be really kicking themselves or will they be kicking Parra?
A point in the bag etc etc…what an idiot with the emphasis on the O.
Careful Enoch, some truth sneaked into your rant!
Os play to an average of just below 10K. This is actually pretty decent for Welsh pro rugby by historical standards, especially when you add in the more expensive tickets, the move to an out of town stadium and the excellent points you have made about TV audiences. You can’t watch most Swansea matches on TV, you can watch pretty much every single Os home match on TV. They (and other Welsh teams) have cultivated a generation of TV-only rugby watchers. It’s a tricky thing to resolve as we need the TV money but the Prem league “no live games at 3pm on a Sat” seems to be a good start at balance to me.
That regional rugby in Wales generates smaller attendances than English club rugby surprises me. Cardiff has three times and Swansea twice the population of Exeter and yet apparently the Chiefs draw larger crowds. It is certainly not because of cheaper tickets, when I visted the ‘Blues’ the ticket was about half of what I have to pay at Sandy Park. I also advise you to be careful what you wish for in respect of live TV. Yes we need the money but the cost for us is games on Friday evening or sunday afternoon and sometimes even 7 or 8 o’clock on Saturday night to suit the TV schedule! however it doesn’t appear to reduce the live attendance very much so I guess we are stuck with it.
You have misunderstood me Ray – I am calling for less TV, not more, partly for the reasons you list.
Cardiff and Os crowds have suffered for a variety of reasons, in order of importance I’d say – being rubbish, out-of-town-stadiums (though Cardiff fixed that), rugby overload (Cardiff/Swansea effectively compete with Wales for fans ticket money), no away fans in most Pro 12 games, top-level sport overload within 50 miles (Swans prem league, Cardiff city, Scarlets, Dragons, Glam cricket).
As for pop sizes etc. it’s not really a fair comparison as despite a large pop in Cardiff it’s the area around Exeter that also helps. Add in no real top-level sporting competition (Cardiff has Wales, Glam cricket, Cardiff football, Swans prem league football, newport pro rugby,…) in Exeter and you can see why they picked it as an excellent place to grow. Of course the main reason their crowds are high is their excellent performances. They were not averaging 10k+ in the 1st division, the crowds now are their just rewards.
Glad Northampton did enough to qualify although I don’t fancy our chances against Sarries given the way we have been playing this season.
However we seem seem to have uncovered a rough diamond in Harry Mallinder. Two MotM performances in two games in different positions. Thought he was better this week than last playing as a second distributor at 12. Some good hands, solid defence and good vision. Still a lot of work to do but would be nice to see him get a run of games to prove his worth.
Ospreys flattered to deceive after prior week’s victory over Clermont. Obviously poor planning. They were comprehensibly beaten and outplayed, outhustled. Baxter and staff are amazing as they won with a few regular 1st XV players and stars missing. Waldrom at 32 yrs young, alone, had more metres forward than the WHOLE Ospreys pack and darn near all the backs when combined. Exeter backs stats were phenomenal. I am now an Exeter convert/supporter. This has cost Ospreys many millions in revenue and an opportunity to bring welsh together to support. Quite frankly Welsh teams are once again underperforming. Heads should be rolling. Thank goodness they have Gatland and staff who have consistently got more from these players at national level than their clubs. French clubs with the superstars such as Toulouse, Toulon and Clermont have terrible tactics/strategy which do not compliment their strengths. Clermont were so arrogant that they could beat a 2nd XV Begles side that the owner didn’t even bother to pick up the phone to his opposite number to insure a deal and victory. Or maybe he did, hence the weak Begles team but players missed the memo. Once again millions in revenue lost. Lets hope Guy Noves brings his incompetence to the French national team. More coaches heads should be rolling. Examples in England. Bath are rubbish considering the talent in the team. Some of the best backs in England, yet running stats anemic because of terrible tactics. Gloucester underperform 90% of time. Wasps Dai Young gets lucky every now and again but generally couldn’t outhink a cupboard. Newcastle don’t have a bad squad and shouldn’t be bottom. How on earth one can not coach guys who train 8 hrs a day to beat a bunch of amateurs who probably don’t train more than 8hrs a week, is beyond me. Blah blah, long journey (longer for opponents). Time for coach to fall on his sword before they are back to D2 and the way back up becomes so much harder as players abandon a sinking ship. Just my opinion. There are quite a few bright spots. That for another day.
Can’t help but agree to the Glos under performing label, however this week a second and third string team went away to Zebre and came away with a win, which is something quite a few teams fail to do. Therefore this week I would say that they played above themselves!
Just realised the quarter finals are being played the weekend I go on holiday!!!!! Well that’s put a downer on my Monday!
Will be a tough game against a Saints team finding some good form. Hope neither team picks up too many injuries form the 6 Nations, and both can field a full squad!!
I had a sneaky feeling Exeter would make it through, and to have five Premiership teams in the last eight is fantastic. Anyone want to predict the finalists?
That’s not easy, although its going to be difficult to look past the possibility Sarries v Racing, you would expect Sarries to go through if they can beat Saints as that semi-final will be a neutral venue in England v either Wasps or Exeter, and it appears that if Racing win they will get a semi-final in France regardless (at least according to the wiki page on it)?
If Racing and Tigers win, then the semi-final will be in England. If Stade beat Tigers, then it will (obviously) be in France.
Sarries vs Racing in the final for me. Best 2 teams from group stages, so only seems fair! Exeter to win at the Ricoh again before losing to Sarries in the semi-final, Racing to register a rare win on foreign soil at a ‘neutral’ stadium against the Tigers. You heard it here first!
That will be me completely mis-reading the guide then, having looked again not entirely sure how I managed to read it that way round… although same as yourself, I still stick with a Sarries v Racing final!
I believe that if (big if I know) Exeter and Sarries both win their QF then Exeter get home advantage in the Semi for having beaten a higher seeded opponent. Facing a by then hopefully full strength Exeter at Sandy Park would be quite a challenge even for Sarries! With Baxter in charge and a possible home advantage in the semi could we be looking at a potential Exeter v Racing final?
The “home” advantage for semi-finals is home country, not home ground, with the match being played at a neutral ground in that country, obviously if both semi-finalists are from the same country then, it merely becomes just a neutral ground rather than a neutral ground in the home country.
So a Twickenham semi-final for Sarries vs Exeter. That would certainly feel more homely to Sarries, having played there a lot more, and won there more often than lost. But at that stage it would be anyone’s game! It’s why we love knockout rugby!!
I am a fan of Billy Vunipola and I know I will be shot down in flames due to age and playing in France but I find it disheartening that almost every week Thomas Waldrom and/or Steffon Armitage rumble over the line for a try.
I am aware that Waldrom is 32 so would be 36 by the 2019 World Cup but surely he could be effective off the bench or for the younger forwards to learn why he’s so effective at 8, I’m not even mentioning the Armitage situation as this has been a bridge so often crossed.
Josh Beaumont I am sure will grow into a fantastic No. 8 too but still needs to learn.
I think a lot of it comes down to the way each team plays. Billy does a lot of other work that Waldorm (from what I’ve seen) doesn’t get through. Waldrom always seems to be in the right place at the back of rolling mauls etc, but Sarries use other players to carry the ball in those positions (usually the hooker).
Billy has been immense at the back of the Sarries scrum this season, controlling the ball, and going when he needs to go, or keeping it in. Also worked very hard on his handling and working as a link man with the backs. For me he is nailed on first choice for England to get the scrum moving forward.
I would have Beaumont at 6 though. Still learning, but is a fantastic raw talent with ball in hand.
With regards to Armitage, I can see a LOT of grief kicking off soon as it’s being reported that the RFU are going to let Jones cite “exceptional circumstances” and cap Underhill….
Unlike Armitage there is a very good case for declaring ‘exceptional’ circumstances to justify selecting Underhill. This very young man raised and tutored in England and represented England at age level has simply chosen to attend university in Cardiff. That is completely different to a mature professional rugby player choosing to ’emigrate’ in pursuit of the cash.
Good grief I have even advised my granddaughter to accept the offer from Cardiff Uni !
I partly agree – I personally think the special circumstances are “but the welsh are skint so picking Eng players in Wales won’t start a talent drain”.
I used to teach in Cardiff Uni, was a student there for 7 years prior. Great place – cheapest capital city uni in the UK and Cardiff Blues do good student priced tickets.
Good luck to your daughter. (hope I havn’t put you off now, not all the lecturers were like me….).
I think the Welsh are a bit paranoid about the money thing. I notice some of the Ospreys ‘staff’ are bemoaning the ‘wealth’ of the French and English clubs as contributing to their ‘failure’. In another context Rob Baxter made the point that this year, their sixth in the premiership, is the first year that Exeter have received their full share of funding from the premiership. When we extended the ground for the RWC the money was raised by issuing £7million worth of bonds to the general public i.e. the members and fans. No sugar daddy here.
I suppose that the real point is that ‘education’ should be nuetral ground. It’s the silly 3 year residency rule I hate.
I worked in central cardiff for some time and very much like the City and respect the uni I’m sure you were an exemplary lectures what was your subject? the big fear of course is that my Granddaughter might come home with a welsh accent calling herself Gweneth!
I think the money makes a big difference but I think it’s our (Wales) problem to solve or not, no qualms from me about how much Eng clubs are spending or not and how they’re funding it. That’s the way the game is now, the chance for avoiding the football model is past, so time to work out ourselves how we can return to being competitive. Money is definitely a part of that.
I do find the some of the sugar daddies distasteful as they muck about with the rugby admin too much for my liking but there are also examples of people who invest their money but don’t expect rugby to bend over backwards now to change for them – it takes all sorts of revenue streams to run a pro club and you can’t be sniffy about any of them or you’ll die.
I taught Electronics. I wouldn’t worry about the Welsh accent – it’s the Kairdiff accent you have to worry about! I’m a valleys boy so to hear my Cardiff born kids and their “Hey Derd, can we have a lift in the Kairrr?” can be a bit painful 🙂
Money is obviously important but sometimes I think it becomes an excuse. Exeter also moved their stadium from the town centre to an out of town location. However ‘no club can run a sustainable business based on just 16 or 17 home games a year’. Consequently the stadium was designed and built as a profitable conference business with all profits going to the rugby club. Not a rugby club with some conference rooms tagged on as an afterthought.
You are right about the sugar daddies,or some of them. It’s an unfortunate fact that when a man becomes rich for whatever reason there is a tendency for him to believe that his riches make his opinions especially valuable and perceptive, even in matters of which he has no experience or knowledge.
At the end of the day Jones is looking at players skillsets and playing styles rather than stats and reputations which to me is the right way to do things.
He wants a mobile backrow with good handling skills who can break the gainline and then provide quick 2nd phase ball by either offloading or quick clearouts
Vunipola and to a lesser degree beaumont have the skills he is after, Waldrom and to a lesser degree Armitage do not.
Even if they did have the broader skillset Armitage and Waldrom are the past Vunipola and Beaumont are the future
But Armitage is a European player of the year! And Abendanon! (snigger). Never has so much weight been applied to a coaches shoulders than by this Euro marketing stunt.
Armitage was never the goldenchild he was cracked up to be and at 30 yrs of age not really a great choice at this stage. Underhill is a real prospect but far from the finished article. My guess is that Eddie wants to get his hands on him early and mould him into the player he wants/needs at 7. Added to which he will want to fit him for a senior cap before he qualifies for Wales through residency
Agreed. The idea that Abendanon was ever the best fullback in Europe does give me a chuckle.
Underhill is currently also qualified for the USA and did I also hear he has Scottish grandparents? Anyway – sensible business for Eng to make sure of this and I’m sure the player himself would be keen to carry on representing England. Moving to Cardiff to study wouldn’t make him automatically feel any Welsh affinity. According to Wales Online they are planning to take him to Aus to give him the “he’s now ours” cap.
I do think it’ll stir up a bit of a storm though, regardless of how sensible it is.
This is what I love about this site (mostly) people have their opinions and they differ but you are not made to feel foolish for having a different opinion.
I agree with the comments that Waldrom & Armitage are the wrong side of 30 and have a different skill set but I still feel they would have something to give.
Yes i’d forgotten about the scottish connection
It will only stir up a storm with the naieve and ill informed